Pre-Employment Background Investigations for Public Safety Professionals
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FORENSICS, LAW, AND HOMELAND SECURITY Colaprete Pre-Employment Background Investigations for Public Safety Professionals Pre-employment investigations have been the subject of intense review and debate since 9/11 made Pre-Employment Background Investigations Pre-employmentthe vetting of applicants investigations a critical have function been theof every subject organization. of intense review Nowhere and debatehas the sincescrutiny 9/11 been made morethe vetting intense of thanapplicants in the apublic critical safety function sector. of every Pre-Employment organization. Nowhere Background has the Investigations scrutiny been more intense than in the public safety sector. Pre-Employment Background Investigations for Public for Public Safety Professionals provides readers with the knowledge, investigative techniques, Safety Professionals provides readers with the knowledge, investigative techniques, applicable laws,applicable decision-making laws, decision-making models, and models, tools to andsuccessfully tools to implemesuccessfullynt and implement manage andthe processmanage of the pre- for Public Safety Professionals processemployment of pre-employment investigation. investigation. The book focuses on six key topics: The book focuses on six key topics: · Practical implications of pre-employment investigation • Practical· The implications pre-employment of pre-employment screening process investigation · Legal issues in the hiring process • The· pre-employmentMedical and psychological screening process standards of pre-employment screening • Legal· issuesInformational in the hiring sources process and the final investigative package • Medical· The and past psychological predicting the standards future of of pre-employment pre-employment investigationsscreening • Informational sources and the final investigative package Each chapter begins with learning objectives and key terms and concepts. Discussion questions and• The exercises past predicting appear the at thefuture end of of pre-employment each chapter to investigations test readers’ assimilation of the material. A comprehensive review of all the issues faced in the investigation and hiring process, this volume assists all stakeholders in the hiring arena by highlighting the critical steps involved in vetting a prospective Each chapter begins with learning objectives and key terms and concepts. Discussion questions employee. While no screening process can be completely failsafe, this volume enables decision makers toand move exercises confidently appear through at the the end hiring of each process, chapter quickly to testweeding readers’ out the assimilation most likely of problematic the material. hires so Athat comprehensive the ideal employee review can of bethe selected. issues faced in the investigation and hiring process, this volume assists all stakeholders in the hiring arena by highlighting the critical steps involved in vetting a prospective employee. Although no screening process can be completely failsafe, this volume enables decision makers to move confidently through the hiring process, quickly weeding out the most likely problematic hires so that the ideal employee can be selected. K14195 6000 Broken Sound Parkway, NW Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487 711 Third Avenue New York, NY 10017 an informa business 2 Park Square, Milton Park www.taylorandfrancisgroup.com Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN, UK www.crcpress.com K14195_cover.indd 1 4/24/12 10:51 AM Pre-Employment Background Investigations for Public Safety Professionals Frank A. Colaprete Boca Raton London New York CRC Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 © 2012 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business No claim to original U.S. Government works Version Date: 20120330 International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4398-9386-9 (eBook - PDF) This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the valid- ity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained. 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Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com and the CRC Press Web site at http://www.crcpress.com Dedicated to the loving memory of my Father Frank Louis Colaprete Tech Corporal United States Military Police World War II If God, in his divine and innite wisdom should someday shine his countenance and grace upon me and grant me the blessings of a single prayer, I would ask only for the solemn comfort and lasting peace of knowing you have always been proud of me, while you were here with me and for all the time you have been in Heaven watching over me. Contents Foreword ..........................................................................................................................xiii Preface ................................................................................................................................xv Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................... xvii Author .............................................................................................................................. xix Chapter 1 Practical Implications of Pre-Employment Investigations ..............................1 Learning Objectives ........................................................................................1 Key Terms and Concepts .................................................................................1 Introduction .....................................................................................................1 Objectives of the Pre-Employment Investigation ............................................4 Why Do We Do a Background Investigation? .................................................5 The Most Important Investigation .................................................................14 The Best Predictor of Behavior .....................................................................16 Studying Applicant Attrition Rates ...............................................................20 Relationship between Recruiting and Selection ............................................21 Social and Generational Inuences of Law Enforcement Organizations ......23 Background Investigations as a Risk Management Tool ...............................26 Securing the Future of the Organization .......................................................27 Conclusion .....................................................................................................29 Discussion Questions and Exercises ..............................................................29 Chapter 2 Pre-Employment Screening Process .............................................................31 Learning Objectives ......................................................................................31 Key Terms and Concepts ...............................................................................31 Introduction ...................................................................................................31 Criteria for Selection and Hiring Standards ..................................................32 Job Task Analysis ......................................................................................32 Criteria and Standards ..............................................................................35 Translating Standards into Organizational Policy ....................................38 Selection vs. Deselection .......................................................................... 44 Steps in the Process .......................................................................................46 Examinations and Civil Service Testing ...................................................47 Civil Service, Organizationally Based, and Private Testing Contractors ...........................................................................................48 Types of Pre-Employment Testing