Police Hired based on "insensitivity" ?

[revelarts]

Police Hire based on "insensitivity" and "aggression"


That's what former Philadelphia Police Capt Ray Lewis says in interview.
Summary _FYI-none of the below are exact quotes_

Capt being interviewed about his participation in the Occupied Wall St protest.
He was arrested and had some personal pushback from his Union and
is asked about reasons for the abuse by the Police of the OWS protesters.
he gives 2 main reasons:
1. the OWS people are not like the police, different culturally etc, the police don't understand them so they are other and think they may be dangerous so they must be put down.
2. Police in general are hired based on a personality psych test -Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)- . Depts hire people who score HIGH on aggression (police need a certain level of that) and LOW on sensitivity. The justification being that more sensitive people may not stay that long on the force so it's a waste of money to train them.
the Capt' says the problem with that justification is that cities end up paying more out in police brutality settlements than they think they are saving on "wasted training".

Psych test bit starts at 3:55 minute mark


http://www.PolicePrep.com video on what to expect during the Police Psychological Assessment process. Police recruiters typically use the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) test in addition to speaking with a psychologist to assess your candidacy.

[Drummond]

Police Hire based on "insensitivity" and "aggression"


That's what former Philadelphia Police Capt Ray Lewis says in interview.
Summary _FYI-none of the below are exact quotes_

Capt being interviewed about his participation in the Occupied Wall St protest.
He was arrested and had some personal pushback from his Union and
is asked about reasons for the abuse by the Police of the OWS protesters.
he gives 2 main reasons:
1. the OWS people are not like the police, different culturally etc, the police don't understand them so they are other and think they may be dangerous so they must be put down.
2. Police in general are hired based on a personality psych test -Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)- . Depts hire people who score HIGH on aggression (police need a certain level of that) and LOW on sensitivity. The justification being that more sensitive people may not stay that long on the force so it's a waste of money to train them.
the Capt' says the problem with that justification is that cities end up paying more out in police brutality settlements than they think they are saving on "wasted training".

Psych test bit starts at 3:55 minute mark


http://www.PolicePrep.com video on what to expect during the Police Psychological Assessment process. Police recruiters typically use the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) test in addition to speaking with a psychologist to assess your candidacy.

The case offered actually makes a lot of sense to me.

Someone breaks the law. The police intervene, as they must. Are they there to enforce the law, or to promote anger management classes ?

Revelarts ... and surely, you'd know this better about America than I would !!!! ... the streets aren't filled with 'ultra sensitive' criminals !! You apply the right tools for a job .... police with a certain amount of toughness to them, is surely the right response to criminality !!!

I suggest to you that the promotion of zero tolerance to criminality, from the police, has its own value ....

[revelarts]

The case offered actually makes a lot of sense to me.

Someone breaks the law. The police intervene, as they must. Are they there to enforce the law, or to promote anger management classes ?

Revelarts ... and surely, you'd know this better about America than I would !!!! ... the streets aren't filled with 'ultra sensitive' criminals !! You apply the right tools for a job .... police with a certain amount of toughness to them, is surely the right response to criminality !!!

Protect and Serve is a famous police motto in the U.S..
And then they all swear an oath --as all U.S. officials do-- to preserve and protect the Constitution of the U.S..

The Constitution outlines certain rights people have that police SWEAR to uphold.
the Motto Protect and SERVE suggest that they are there to HELP people not harass people.

Law enforcement dealing with crime is their main Job sure.
But how many times have you seen a police officer stop crime in progress?
They have all the leway in the world to deal with that AGGRESSIVELY and insensitively. But i'd guess 75% or more of the time they are doing other things. Like talking to victims, Talking to witnesses, giving out tickets for the horrible traffic crimes, responding to domestic disputes between husbands and wives or other family. Handling local alcoholic and pot/drug abusers. Confronting the mentally ill vagrants. Keeping order at protest, parades and large events. All of which would benefit from some sensitivity.
I could be wrong but I'd guess larger drug crimes and serial crimes investigations would be the major issues where police might not need to use sensitivity.

I suggest to you that the promotion of zero tolerance to criminality, from the police, has its own value ....

Zero tolerance for what Drummond? Jaywalking? going 5 miles over the speed limit? looking "suspious"?

I'm not talking about letting off a serious criminal. Thieves, rapist, a murderers, abusive husbands fathers, Drug dealers. But MOST of the time the police get in trouble, cost peoples lives and cities money because they are insensitively overreacting aggressively and escalate a petty incident into a near-death experience. That if they had more wit and patients would be NON issues or defused peacefully.

Cops aren't soldiers sent on kill and destroy missions in the neighborhoods leaving no survivors taking no prisoners letting nothing get in there way.

The mission is to protect and serve their own communities.

[Drummond]

Protect and Serve is a famous police motto in the U.S..
And then they all swear an oath --as all U.S. officials do-- to preserve and protect the Constitution of the U.S..

The Constitution outlines certain rights people have that police SWEAR to uphold.
the Motto Protect and SERVE suggest that they are there to HELP people not harass people.

Law enforcement dealing with crime is their main Job sure.
But how many times have you seen a police officer stop crime in progress?
They have all the leway in the world to deal with that AGGRESSIVELY and insensitively. But i'd guess 75% or more of the time they are doing other things. Like talking to victims, Talking to witnesses, giving out tickets for the horrible traffic crimes, responding to domestic disputes between husbands and wives or other family. Handling local alcoholic and pot/drug abusers. Confronting the mentally ill vagrants. Keeping order at protest, parades and large events. All of which would benefit from some sensitivity.
I could be wrong but I'd guess larger drug crimes and serial crimes investigations would be the major issues where police might not need to use sensitivity.



Zero tolerance for what Drummond? Jaywalking? going 5 miles over the speed limit? looking "suspious"?

I'm not talking about letting off a serious criminal. Thieves, rapist, a murderers, abusive husbands fathers, Drug dealers. But MOST of the time the police get in trouble, cost peoples lives and cities money because they are insensitively overreacting aggressively and escalate a petty incident into a near-death experience. That if they had more wit and patients would be NON issues or defused peacefully.

Cops aren't soldiers sent on kill and destroy missions in the neighborhoods leaving no survivors taking no prisoners letting nothing get in there way.

The mission is to protect and serve their own communities.

OK ... some fair points.

But it sees to me that, in those instances where dealing with victims is concerned, there could be two issues involved.

One .... police receive appropriate training for it. You can be taught the proper responses to give for any one situation. This, surely tackles it ?

The other is that specialised units are set up for those situations calling for them. This takes away the 'one size fits all' mentality that would otherwise have to be employed ... and the difficulties you're discussing, right along with them.

This also leaves those police needed for the proper crime-catching tasks free to do what they are good at. And everyone, criminals excepted, is a winner.

[revelarts]