Psychological Assessment of Chief of Police Candidates: Scientific and Practice Issues

Michael R. Cunningham; John W. Jones; Gary M. Behrens

doi:10.1007/s11896-011-9084-0

Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology

October 2011, Volume 26, Issue 2, pp 77–86 | Cite as

Psychological Assessment of Chief of Police Candidates: Scientific and Practice Issues

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Michael R. CunninghamEmail author
John W. Jones
Gary M. Behrens

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First Online: 09 February 2011

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Abstract

This report examines issues associated with the selection of a Chief of Police. A review of the literature indicates minimal progress in specifying appropriate objective selection procedures for the Police Chief. This is attributable to a research focus on broad leadership styles, rather than specific competencies, and an inattention to the unique needs of individual jurisdictions. As a potential alternative, a hiring process model is offered that includes a systematic job analysis within the given jurisdiction, and the use of a reliable and well-validated instrument to assess job candidates’ leadership potential and skills. This approach is illustrated by a case study of a medium-size city that followed the recommended procedures to make a hiring decision that has been sustained across more than a year’s time, and which appears to be working out. The uses of testing results to help the Chief of Police to enhance personal capabilities within the new position also are discussed.

Keywords

Police Leadership Police personnel Personnel selection Personnel testing Assessment

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Appendix 1

Managerial and Professional Job Functions Inventory (MPJFI): Job Skills Profile Dimension Definitions

A.

Organization
1.

Objective Setting: Formulating the overall mission and goals of the organization; setting short-and long-term objectives which are significant and measurable, and which incorporate future predictions; evaluating alternative structures for organizational operations.
2.

Financial Planning: Making economic decisions and managing capital assets; establishing a budget and independent controls to assure that the budget is met; maintaining accurate financial records using up-to-date procedures.
3.

Work Procedures: Analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating operating policies; initiating and formulating improved procedures and policies within the organizational structure; insuring that new procedures are installed smoothly.
4.

Interdepartmental Coordination: Understanding and coordinating the problems and work activities of different departments within the organization; using informal communication lines as well as work committees to gain and disseminate information across the organization.
B.

Leadership
5.

Technical Ideas: Originating technical ideas and designs; translating technical ideas into feasible solutions to organizational needs; leading technical projects and writing appropriate reports; helping the organization adjust to and evaluate technical changes.
6.

Decision Making: Analyzing incomplete information to make decisions; being flexible in non-routine decisions; acting upon decisions concerning resource and work force allocation; accepting responsibility for the consequences of both one’s own and one’s subordinates’ decisions.
7.

Teamwork: Encouraging and building work group relations which will lead to better exchange of ideas, improved decision making, more open communication, higher morale, and a sense of purpose; recognizing problems and conflicts within the work group.
8.

Coping with Emergencies: Working efficiently under pressure; effectively handling unexpected problems, day-to-day crises, and emergency situations; quickly analyzing operational breakdowns and setting priorities for action.
9.

Safety Attitudes: Taking responsibility for the identification and elimination of job safety and health hazards; promoting and communicating safety practices and regulations to employees; investigating possible job-related accidents and illnesses.
10.

Communication: Monitoring and improving both external communication channels and internal upward and downward lines; developing, testing and seeking feedback on one’s own communication skills; conducting effective meetings.
C.

Human Resources
11.

Employee Potential: Evaluating employees’ present performance and potential in order to create opportunities for better use of their abilities; examining and responding to employee dissatisfaction; assisting others in overall career development.
12.

Supervisory Practices: Clarifying subordinates’ job functions and responsibilities; motivating employees while maintaining discipline and control; seeing that subordinates maintain established standards of performance and accepting personal responsibility for those who do not.
13.

Self-Development: Formulating self-improvement goals; using feedback from others to help assess one’s own strengths and weaknesses; improving one’s own skills by participating in developmental programs and by assuming new responsibilities; coordinating personal career goals with organizational needs.
14.

Personnel Practices: Ensuring that the organization adheres to federal equal opportunity and affirmative action requirements in its employee selection procedures; keeping informed on current issues and procedures in employee selections; developing and implementing special recruiting and training programs for minority applicants.
D.

Community
15.

Community Relations: Staying informed on community, social, economic, and political problems and their relevance and impact upon the organization; accepting the responsibility for the ongoing relationship between the organization and the community; actively seeking information from and disseminating information to, the community about the organization.
16.

Outside Contacts: Promoting the organization and its products to outside contacts and clients; handling and entertaining long term clients, suppliers, and visitors to properly convey the organization’s relationship with them; expediting customers’ special requests and handling their complaints about the organization.

Appendix 2

LH-STEP Predictor Profile Dimensions

A.

Experience and Background Inventory
1.

Drive/Career Progress—Low Scores: Little desire for change in the organization or in the role within the organization High Scores: Strives for upward movement by changing the organization, or progressing through the organization,
2.

Vocational Satisfaction—Low Scores: Dissatisfaction with vocation, no alternative plans or unrealistic hopes in light of professional or technical training and past experience. High Scores: Satisfaction with a vocation that is consistent with professional or technical training and past experience.
3.

Financial Responsibility—Low Scores: Little experience or little interest in financial matters or in the management of personal or interest group finances. High Scores: Strong interest in principles of financial management and successful management of personal finance.
4.

General Responsibility—Low Scores: Little experience in assuming responsibility for projects or for directing the activities of others High Scores: Success in assuming responsibility for special projects and in directing the activities
B.

Abilities
5.

Non-Verbal Reasoning—Low Scores: Little facility for deductive and analytical reasoning measured by solutions to pictorial problems. High Scores: Good capacity for deductive and analytical reasoning measured non-verbally.
6.

Letter Series—Low Scores: Limited abstract reasoning ability measured by quickly identifying patterns in a series. High Scores: Good facility for abstract reasoning measured by quickly identifying patterns in a series.
7.

Vocabulary—Low Scores: Narrow range of English vocabulary. High Scores: Breadth of English vocabulary.
C.

Aptitude
8.

Creative Potential—Low Scores: More systematic than intuitive in approach to problem solving. High Scores: Intuitive thinking and potential creative behavior.
D.

Temperament
9.

Personal Insight—Low Scores: Lack of consistency in self-ratings of behavior. High Scores: Demonstrated consistency in self-ratings of behavior.
10.

Extroversion—Low Scores: Reflective, reserved, sometimes shy behavior. High Scores: Demonstrative, expressive, sometimes impulsive behavior.
11.

Responsiveness—Low Scores: Quiet and placid responses to other people. High Scores: Emotionally responsive and enthusiastic behavior.
12.

Self Reliance—Low Scores: Group-oriented behavior with emphasis on teamwork and group support. High Scores: Individually goal-oriented and self-confident behavior.
E.

Resilience
13.

Stress Response—Low Scores: Undesirably high levels of stressful experiences. High Scores: General buoyancy and feelings of pleasure concerning everyday experiences; little exposure to unsettling “stressors.”
14.

Stress Tolerance—Low Scores: Experiences generalized tension, somatic complaints and debilitation when stress occurs. High Scores: Freedom from generalized, unfocused tension and excess preoccupation with self when stress occurs.
F.

Work Values
15.

Leadership Style—Low Scores: Avoids leadership roles especially when these involve group discussions and formal presentations. High Scores: Is confident assuming leadership roles and is a good communicator.
16.

Job Accountability—Low Scores: Belief that work outcomes and job success are strongly affected by factors outside one’s own control. High Scores: Belief that work outcomes and job success are one’s personal responsibility and largely under one’s own control.
17.

Business Ethics—Low Scores: Belief that “rules must be bent” to survive in a profit-making environment. High Scores: Belief in personally upholding ethical business standards and practices in the workplace.

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Authors and Affiliations

Michael R. Cunningham
- 1
Email author
John W. Jones
- 2
Gary M. Behrens
- 2

1.University of LouisvilleLouisvilleUSA
2.Vangent, IncChicagoUSA

Psychological Assessment of Chief of Police Candidates: Scientific and Practice Issues

Abstract

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References

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