NCJ Number
193326
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 69 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2002 Pages: 55-59
Date Published
January 2002
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The police officer candidate ride-along affords qualified applicants an opportunity to observe the agency in operation, so the candidates are in a better position to decide whether they want to commit themselves to policing as a career, and the agency has an opportunity to observe the candidate's potential in a variety of areas.
Abstract
The candidate ride-along should be a formal component of the selection process. Its purpose is twofold: to assist in measuring an applicant's potential for career success and to expose the candidate to police officers' duties and responsibilities. Each applicant should complete a full-tour ride-along with a specially trained field training officer (FTO) prior to the interview process. This interactive phase should include points of interest in the jurisdiction, the service orientation of the department, training and career opportunities, and special concerns such as community-oriented policing philosophies. During the ride-along, the FTO monitors, observes, and ultimately reports on the candidate's responses to certain calls, interpersonal skills, aptitude for the job, reactions, call handling options, etc. The FTO documents the ride-along shift observations in a written report anchored by specific, objective, and behaviorally quantifiable observations. This information is used in subsequent phases of the screening and selection process.