Law Enforcement 2nd Opinion Evaluations

FAQs

Q. What psychological dimensions are assessed when screening prospective peace officers?

A. Because so much public trust is placed in peace officers, candidates for these positions need to be carefully screened.  It is important to screen out candidates with evidence of emotional instability, poor judgment, lack of dependability, or other problems which might negatively affect their law enforcement work.  A full list of psychological criteria can be found at the POST website.

Q. How does a psychologist screen candidates?

A. The primary tools are a review of the candidates history, clinical interview, observation of interview behavior, and psychological testing.  The psychological testing is used to determine if psychopathology is present and to determine whether the candidate has personality characteristics consistent with the characteristics of successful officers.

Q. I received a letter saying that I failed the psychological dimension of the application for work as a peace officer.  What does this mean?

A. It means that after reviewing your history and psychological characteristics, the agency psychologist determined that law enforcement work would not be appropriate for you.   The decision was made by reviewing many factors, and is not generally based on a single test score or on a particular aspect of your history.  For instance, even a history of casual illicit drug use would not necessarily rule out your candidacy if other positive factors were present.  This does not rule out success at other jobs or necessarily indicate that you have psychological problems.  In fact, this is only one's person's expert opinion, and not necessarily the final word.

Q. Even though I've been turned down, I still think I'd make a good officer and still want to pursue this career.  Can I appeal the decision?

In California, you can hire a private psychologist to provide a second opinion.  I am available to do these evaluations.  You would first call me (949.623.9824) and discuss your situation.  You would then go back to the agency to which you applied and ask for them to forward your psychological assessment to me.  After I receive it, you would set up an appointment with me.  I will forward the results of my examination directly to the requesting agency within five days of your exam.  My usual charge is $600.

Q. If I hire you to re-evaluate me, will you give me a positive recommendation?

If I positively recommended everyone I saw, my recommendations would be seen as having no value.  I do make an effort, however, to look for errors or misunderstandings in the initial evaluation that may have led to disqualification.  I will also use additional psychological testing which has been specifically validated on a law enforcement sample and which has been shown to accurately predict success in this career.  This testing will provide the agency with additional information which may weigh favorably.  Based on past evaluations that I've done, the chances are about 50% that I'll provide a positive recommendation.  However, my positive recommendation is only one factor and does not necessarily mean that you will be hired.