Course Title: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION FOR POLICE APPLICANTS

Length of Course: 12 HOURS

History and Purpose:

Law enforcement has striven for professionalism, however, abuses by officers have provided a negative impact. An examination of the past behavior of some involved officers reveals that a pattern of undesirable behavior existed prior to appointment as a police official. This behavior was unknown to the hiring agency due to inadequate or non-existent applicant screening.

The integrity and ethical reputation of a police department mandates a thorough background investigation of police applicants. This course offers a systematic approach to background investigations which will assist in making informed hiring decisions.

Participants: This course is designed for both background investigators, supervisors and human resource policy makers.

Course Composition:

1.1        Introduction and Course Overview.................................0.5 hrs

1.2        Fair Employment Practices...........................................1.5 hrs

1.3        Job Application Structure & Analysis..............................4.0 hrs

1.4        Job Application Verification..........................................4.0 hrs

1.5        Interview Techniques..................................................1.0 hrs

1.6        Documentation Procedures...........................................0.5 hrs

1.7        Summary/Critique/Graduation........................................0.5 hrs
                                                                                                                                   

Course Goals:

Upon completion of this seminar, the participants will be able to:

1. Produce a verifiable chronological history of an applicant's life to utilize with other pre-employment screening devices in determining suitability for employment.

2.  Evaluate the efficiency of the background investigation process in use at their agency.

3. Document facts and events in a similar manner for each applicant to ensure consistency and ease of retrieval.