Police misconduct is often traceable to warning signs before hire: Study recommends national hiring standards
Why it matters: Predicting police misconduct pre-hire can prevent devastating community consequences and improve public trust.
- The Journal of Applied Psychology study found that officers with prior professional misconduct were six times more likely to be fired from new jobs.
- Lead researcher Stephan Dilchert, Ph.D., noted that agencies largely ignored red flags, failing to screen out high-risk candidates upfront.
- Officers with prior law enforcement experience were more prone to accusations of excessive force, sexual harassment, and racism, and nearly twice as likely to be sued for misconduct.
- The study recommends that agencies should not strongly prefer candidates with prior law enforcement experience and advocates for national hiring standards based on evidence-based guidance.
A new study reveals that police misconduct is often predictable from pre-hire warning signs, including prior professional misconduct, frequent job changes, bad credit, domestic violence, and temper problems. Despite these red flags, law enforcement agencies frequently overlook them during the hiring process, leading to a higher likelihood of future misconduct. The research suggests that national hiring standards are crucial to prevent high-risk candidates from joining the force.
