Public Safety Services

Nothing is more important to a public safety agency than hiring, retaining, and promoting the best people. Since 1991, we have helped over 100 agencies at the local, state, and national levels by examining thousands of public safety applicants and employees including police officers, sheriff’s deputies, special agents, dispatchers, paramedics, corrections officers, firefighters, and community service officers.

Our methods are thorough, comprehensive, and fair, and they conform to all International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) guidelines, state statues, and federal civil rights laws. We provide timely results and ongoing consultation and support. Our recommendations are clear and our conclusions defensible.

Pre-employment Screening

It can be hard to find the right applicant. He or she should be intelligent,  have a good work ethic, know how to deal effectively with the public, have good judgment, be emotionally stable, and have solid integrity. Our pre-employment battery includes several tests measuring these qualities and more. Our interview process focuses on “red flags” that arise from testing results and background investigation information that you provide. We will recommend whether or not to hire, and suggest supervisory or training needs that applicant may benefit from. Our process is objective, fair, and highly defensible.

Our pre-employment screening examination uses an in-depth interview along with an extensive battery of well-standardized tests of personality, cognitive ability, and personal background history to arrive at the fairest and most accurate predictions of success or potential problems possible in the public safety field. Please take a few minutes to read our article,  Psychological Examination of Peace Officer Applicants: Theory and Practice

Our conclusions are significantly influenced by the empirical research into the predictive validity of the evaluation methods. You may want to review some of this research:

• Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2- Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF predictors of police officer problem behavior and collateral self-report test scores;
• Identifying MMPI-2 Predictors of Police Officer Integrity and Misconduct and
• Identifying Psychological Predictors of Police Office Integrity Problems

Promotional Exams

Leadership and supervisory skills don’t automatically come with experience. Even the very best line staff with years of experience do not necessary make effective supervisors. We have assessed supervisory personnel at all levels from sergeant to chief. A new supervisor needs to have excellent organizational skills, know how to persuade and motivate employees, have excellent customer service skills, be highly motivated, and have an organizational vision for the future. We can help select the best person for the job. In addition to administering psychological tests to top candidates,  we examine promotional candidates with regard to leadership and supervisory skill and potential.

Fitness-For-Duty Evaluations

One of the most difficult situations an administrator faces relates to an employee who is troubled or problematic, and who may be unable to work in a safe and effective manner. Through a comprehensive examination process, we can tell you if your employee is fit to work, and, if not, what to do to help him or her and your organization. We will recommend interventions such as mental health or chemical dependency treatment,  if appropriate, and advise you regarding possible work restrictions and accommodations to help your employee get back to work, if and when that’s possible.

Troubled employees make it difficult to run an efficient and productive department. Sometimes work performance problems arise for good employees because of personal problems such as alcohol abuse, family problems, or stress-related symptoms. Sometimes an employee is not well-suited to the job and should never have been hired in the first place. Whatever the cause, a thorough assessment of an employee who is demonstrating problems on the job can help the employee get the right kind of help as soon as possible. A fitness-for-duty evaluation protects the employee, the department, and the public from potentially dangerous or inappropriate behavior. Please review our online articles, Psychological Fitness-for-Duty Examinations: Practical Considerations for Public Safety Departments, and The Role of Psychological Fitness-for-Duty Evaluations in Law Enforcement for a more in-depth understanding of how fitness-for-duty evaluations can help your employees and agency.

Remote Exams

When travel to our office is not practical, we offer remote examinations at your facility. The process includes testing performed via mail, fax, or internet and an interview with a public safety psychologist via secure internet teleconference. These exams meet all professional and legal standards, and are provided at no additional charge beyond our standard examination fees.