NCJ Number
200551
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 47 Issue: 3 Dated: June 2003 Pages: 272-290
Date Published
June 2003
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This article explores the effectiveness of psychological testing in identifying police officers who may later engage in corrupt practices.
Abstract
The problem of police corruption remains pervasive in many communities. It is widely agreed that the best solution is to use preemployment screening to identify those people most likely to become corrupt police officers. As such, it is important to use effective screening procedures and instruments if the preemployment identification strategy is to be successful in reducing overall police corruption. The authors contend that the personality characteristic of conscientiousness should be assessed in order to determine which individuals have a high likelihood of performing well on the job. Two personality inventories are reviewed for their effectiveness at assessing antisocial behavioral tendencies and conscientious personality traits: the Inwald Personality Inventory and the Revised-NEO Personality Inventory. The authors argue that their combined use, when administered correctly, represents a reliable predictor of good job performance. Implications for psychological testing, future research, and law enforcement practices are discussed. Appendix, references