NCJ Number
99428
Journal
Police Journal Volume: 58 Issue: 3 Dated: (July 1985) Pages: 233-242
Date Published
1985
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study examined the British police recruit selection interview in terms of recruit attribute rankings, interviewers' confidence in attribute judgments, and items best discriminating between successful and unsuccessful candidates.
Abstract
Subjects were 226 Metropolitan Police Force (London, England) officers who sat on selection boards. Officers' rank orderings of 36 personal attributes showed that those qualities deemed most important were those loosely describing officers as 'good citizens.' Officers showed the greatest confidence in judgments concerning the candidate's appearance, speech, bearing, education, and intelligence. Less confidence was shown in judgments of some of the qualities deemed most important in constables. Results of the research to date show that interviewers are clear and consistent in their ideas about the qualities needed in a good police officer and that they are able to judge accurately the extraversion and stability of candidates. Two references are provided.