Blogger cries "FTP", then crawfishes....

[Chili]

Loosing people is a valid concern, why spend $50k training a police officer just to have them run off and go to another department?

I say you just have them sign a contract just like the military. We will train you, but you must give us X-number of years.

That way you can hire people over the 104 mark and not worry about it.

To do policing correctly, it requires an above average intelligence but with a huge dose of common sense and compassion. I have seen officers that are very smart, and I they tend to enforce the law vigorously with little discretion. If someone violates a law, they enforce it to the fullest. They then to use the "If X then Y theory". I had one such example that worked for me at one time, and I tried to explain to him the "Spirit of the Law" philosophy.

I can see the whole idea behind the practice, but I think their idea was flawed by placing the focus on IQ. While I am generally opposed to "personality profiles" and testing, I do think that would be a more applicable measure in this case.

I have had to hire for pretty menial roles in the past and I always hesitated when I saw someone I felt overly qualified or too ambitious, just because I didn't want to have to deal with the turnover when they get bored and start looking for the next big role. Granted, you do want a smaller percentage of highly qualified, very ambitious employees, because those are the people you mold to move up the chain. But you still want a good foundation of stable / content workers to keep a strong team.

I do not believe that being "too smart" means you will be bored though. In my opinion, those with higher intelligence that choose to go into something like law enforcement, fire, military, etc. do so because they have a sense of duty to their fellow man. To me, those are the individuals best suited to be in those roles. They are more likely to use common sense, they are more likely to focus on the important issues, not the BS stuff.. Looking at guys like Treadhead and you, I definitely see that trait in both of you.

As far as a contractual commitment, I am shocked that it is not the standard.

[ceyko]

Not dumb, mediocre.

I get what you're saying from my perspective. A lot of people out there, great at their jobs and it's not because they are from some Ivy league school. Just a little smarts with a crap ton of common sense.

It's not like we're in similar job lines, but in mine - we shit can just as many HS graduates and we do college grads doing the same job.

[03trubluGT]

LMAO! That story is literally saying that you have to be dumb in order to be a cop because you'll get bored. I think shooting perps and frisking hot wimmenz with impunity would keep someone in the line of work.

Not dumb, mediocre.

[slow99]

LMAO! That story is literally saying that you have to be dumb in order to be a cop because you'll get bored. I think shooting perps and frisking hot wimmenz with impunity would keep someone in the line of work.

Well, to be fair, it's saying you have to be slightly more intelligent than average or less. Still cracks me the eff up, regardless.

[UserX]

I'm glad I don't live in Austin, they have ugly news anchors. And I agree with the Austin popo 100%.

[racrguy]

Loosing people is a valid concern, why spend $50k training a police officer just to have them run off and go to another department?

I say you just have them sign a contract just like the military. We will train you, but you must give us X-number of years.

That way you can hire people over the 104 mark and not worry about it.

To do policing correctly, it requires an above average intelligence but with a huge dose of common sense and compassion. I have seen officers that are very smart, and I they tend to enforce the law vigorously with little discretion. If someone violates a law, they enforce it to the fullest. They then to use the "If X then Y theory". I had one such example that worked for me at one time, and I tried to explain to him the "Spirit of the Law" philosophy.

LMAO! That story is literally saying that you have to be dumb in order to be a cop because you'll get bored. I think shooting perps and frisking hot wimmenz with impunity would keep someone in the line of work.

[03trubluGT]

It is stupid, you're right. Still the policy after the guy took it to the supreme court. You did see that?

"A man whose bid to become a police officer was rejected after he scored too high on an intelligence test has lost an appeal in his federal lawsuit against the city.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York upheld a lower court’s decision that the city did not discriminate against Robert Jordan because the same standards were applied to everyone who took the test.

“This kind of puts an official face on discrimination in America against people of a certain class,” Jordan said today from his Waterford home. “I maintain you have no more control over your basic intelligence than your eye color or your gender or anything else.”

He said he does not plan to take any further legal action.

Jordan, a 49-year-old college graduate, took the exam in 1996 and scored 33 points, the equivalent of an IQ of 125. But New London police interviewed only candidates who scored 20 to 27, on the theory that those who scored too high could get bored with police work and leave soon after undergoing costly training.

Most Cops Just Above Normal The average score nationally for police officers is 21 to 22, the equivalent of an IQ of 104, or just a little above average. "

http://abcnews.go.com/US/court-oks-b...story?id=95836

Loosing people is a valid concern, why spend $50k training a police officer just to have them run off and go to another department?

I say you just have them sign a contract just like the military. We will train you, but you must give us X-number of years.

That way you can hire people over the 104 mark and not worry about it.

To do policing correctly, it requires an above average intelligence but with a huge dose of common sense and compassion. I have seen officers that are very smart, and I they tend to enforce the law vigorously with little discretion. If someone violates a law, they enforce it to the fullest. They then to use the "If X then Y theory". I had one such example that worked for me at one time, and I tried to explain to him the "Spirit of the Law" philosophy.

[slow99]

If that was in place in 1992, I would have another career.

Lmao!

[mikec]

That's the most stupid thing I've heard in a long time. I can't believe that that would be a policy anywhere.

If that was in place in 1992, I would have another career.

It is stupid, you're right. Still the policy after the guy took it to the supreme court. You did see that?

"A man whose bid to become a police officer was rejected after he scored too high on an intelligence test has lost an appeal in his federal lawsuit against the city.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York upheld a lower court’s decision that the city did not discriminate against Robert Jordan because the same standards were applied to everyone who took the test.

“This kind of puts an official face on discrimination in America against people of a certain class,” Jordan said today from his Waterford home. “I maintain you have no more control over your basic intelligence than your eye color or your gender or anything else.”

He said he does not plan to take any further legal action.

Jordan, a 49-year-old college graduate, took the exam in 1996 and scored 33 points, the equivalent of an IQ of 125. But New London police interviewed only candidates who scored 20 to 27, on the theory that those who scored too high could get bored with police work and leave soon after undergoing costly training.

Most Cops Just Above Normal The average score nationally for police officers is 21 to 22, the equivalent of an IQ of 104, or just a little above average. "

http://abcnews.go.com/US/court-oks-barring-high-iqs-cops/story?id=95836

[ceyko]

I may be an optimist, but aren't those things expected from the general populace, to be good people?

Minor things yes, but in general the news is not worth watching to me due to...

1. It is a generally corrupt source of information
2. If it is not negative outside of politics it is not watched.

Granted, I live in a smaller town now and have not watched the news here. I just remember the news having SOME feel good stories in it. All interesting stuff or generally some positive news about the local town you're in...etc.

Guess y'all are right, if I owned a news station it would not be around long after reporting news as correctly as possible and reporting on positive groups doing things in the local community...etc.

[Captain Crawfish]

great now the whole city thinks he's a kidnapper haha. why did he need to be handcuffed again? in america its guilty until proven innocent

[03trubluGT]

I know someone (Diaz, I think) from your dept sent me an email to fill out a recommendation form for a friend of mine and it took over a year for him to get in. Is it really that complicated to get in FWPD?

From some of the newbies I see, I guess not.


The background process in intended to separate the wheat from the chaff, but some of the chaff makes it through anyway.

[03trubluGT]

Are you guys seeing the results of this whole "can't hire anyone with an IQ over 104" yet? Is that even a policy all the departments are going to?

That's the most stupid thing I've heard in a long time. I can't believe that that would be a policy anywhere.

If that was in place in 1992, I would have another career.

[slostang281]

I saw the text, that's why I said it was a stretch.


Times are a lot different, and you have to look at the hiring process. We are not getting the same applicants as we were 20 years ago. Those questionable applicants are showing their true colors after being trained and cut loose. Sometimes it takes a couple of years to trip up, but it's happening, and it makes us all look bad.

I know someone (Diaz, I think) from your dept sent me an email to fill out a recommendation form for a friend of mine and it took over a year for him to get in. Is it really that complicated to get in FWPD?

[TEAMJACOB]

ftfbi