Thursday, February 19, 2015

What Does It Take To Pass Police Promotional Exams

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By Olivia Cross


Everybody knows that to move up through the ranks at work, you have to jump through various different types of hoop. In the law enforcement profession, these hoops are called police promotional exams. Here, we take a snapshot of policing in America and in other English-speaking nations, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK.

Whatever the rank, individuals taking law enforcement examinations must be able to show the capacity to think. Examiners for the Lieutenant/Captain examination in New York, for example, might ask what to do in the case of a bomb threat or after an inspection is carried out and no bomb is discovered. They also love to write questions where the answer is in the form of a number.

The law enforcement recruitment process is similar in the United Kingdom. There is plenty of support available for those who seek to improve themselves. Both law enforcement and private companies hold classes on how to pass the tests. Special websites hold inventory of useful DVDs and books. Whatever other resources you tap, if you are preparing for a test for promotion in "the job, " you are best off devising a personal study schedule and sticking to it.

One major factor that makes policing in the United Kingdom, including England, Wales, and Scotland, so different from the rest of the world is the limited number of officers who carry firearms. Opinion is divided on whether or not to arm more officers, but the majority do not want to carry guns. It is a fallacy that being armed saves the lives of more policemen in the United States.

On the other side of the world in Victoria, Australia, the local law enforcement contingent enjoy the confidence of the public whom they protect. More than 75 percent of residents there are content with the service they are receiving. Back in the 1820 Melbourne Police force, there were only 12 officers. Fifteen years into the third millennium, the force stood at 14,612 sworn officers, 329 stations and a 2.3 billion dollar budget.

The largest city law enforcement service in Canada is in Toronto. Containing 2.6 million residents, Toronto is the most diverse city in the country. One of the biggest problems in law enforcement recruitment and advancement appears to be ethnic inequality. In Niagara, Ontario, in 2011, at least six aspiring candidates for the rank of sergeant were disciplined for cheating on a test for which the questions and answers had been leaked by someone in Human Resources. The force had to scrap its testing program and redesign it from scratch.

Just the other side of the Tasman Sea from Australia, police constables serve on probation for two years and then get their choice of a variety of different career paths. They may go into forensics, personal protection, join Interpol, or even remain as constables and move up the ranks from there. The duties of a constable include advising and supporting the community, responding to incidents, interviewing witnesses, working with crime victims and presenting evidence in court.

Advancing through the ranks in law enforcement takes commitment, self-discipline to study for promotion examinations, and the ability to reason. It is a satisfying career with many interesting and diverse possibilities.




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