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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Item - 2021-05-04 - Number 6.1 - Police Department Recruitment, Hiring, and Training Overview 6.1 COUNCIL REPORT ___ o QREGoNI' Subject: Police Officer Hiring Process Meeting Date: May 4, 2021 Staff Member: Dale Jorgensen, Chief of Police Department: Police Department Action Required Advisory Board/Commission Recommendation ❑ Motion ❑ Approval ❑ Public Hearing ❑ Denial ❑ Ordinance ❑ None Forwarded ❑ Resolution ❑x Not Applicable ❑x Information Only Comments: ❑ Council Direction ❑ Consent Agenda Staff Recommendation: Not Applicable Recommended Language for Motion: Not Applicable Project/ Issue Relates To: Community Dialogue on Policing Issue before Council (Highlight Policy Question): ❑x Council Goals/Priorities ❑Adopted Master Plan(s) ❑Not Applicable ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL Review of the police officer hiring process as part of the Community Dialogue on Policing. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Throughout the dialogue on community policing, community members and Council raised questions about how the City hires police officers, and current law enforcement data for Lake Oswego. This report provides an overview of the police officer recruitment, hiring and training processes. Information on use of force and traffic stop data will be discussed during the Council meeting on May 18, 2021. 503.635.0215 380 A Avenue PO BOX 369 Lake Oswego, OR 97034 www.lakeoswego.city Page 2 BACKGROUND The Lake Oswego Police Department (LOPD) is committed to fostering a welcoming community by providing law enforcement services that prioritize respect, integrity and kindness. LOPD strives to be the voice of reason in all circumstances, and values cultivating relationships to build and sustain community trust, with the goal of ensuring all who live, work, and visit Lake Oswego feel safe. LOPD's recruiting process aims to reflect department values and community expectations by seeking candidates with strong interpersonal communication skills and emotional intelligence. There are currently 43 sworn police officers. On average, five officers are hired each year. DISCUSSION Recruitment Process Overview Like other open positions within the City, police officer recruitment begins once there is a vacancy. The process begins by advertising the position on the City's website and the National Testing Network (NTN), as well as other methods of recruitment. The NTN is a website that tests candidates for public safety jobs and provides a nationwide database of open law enforcement positions. The City contracted with NTN two years ago to better recruit outside of the Pacific Northwest for police officer candidates. Other avenues of recruitment include: • Word of mouth. • Participating in public safety career fairs. • Internship program: Partnerships with Portland State University, Clackamas Community College, Pioneer Pacific, and other educational institutions that have a criminal justice program have resulted in several hires over the last two decades. • Community Service Officer (CSO): This position trains, develops and prepares candidates to fill sworn police officer positions. CSOs are not certified police officers, do not attend the law enforcement academy, and function in a support role. CSOs assist police officers for ordinance violation calls, traffic crashes, and prisoner transports. These duties create a natural conduit into the police officer profession. The above approaches aim to increase and diversify the applicant pool by introducing the path to a law enforcement career to a broad range of candidates. Hiring Process Overview The hiring of police officers typically follows the process outlined below. 503.635.0215 380 A Avenue PO BOX 369 Lake Oswego, OR 97034 www.lakeoswego.city Page 3 National Testing Network (NTN): In addition to advertising open police officer positions, candidates that come from other avenues of recruitment—whether from the City website, internship programs, CSOs, etc. --- are directed to submit materials through the NTN. The NTN administers pre-hire exams, including reading, writing, video scenarios and the Oregon Physical Abilities Test (ORPAT). Candidates also submit a Personal History Questionnaire (PHQ) that helps to identify potential disqualifying factors. Candidates who did not complete or pass exams, did not attach a PHQ, or had issues identified are not invited to proceed. The NTN's initial ranking of candidates considers an average of reading, writing, video scenario scores, information in the PHQ, and passing the ORPAT. Pre-hire testing has been limited as a result of COVID-related closures and attendance restrictions. Spark Hire Interview: Candidates with high rankings in the candidate pool participate in a one- way, short (3-minute) recorded video interview, using the Spark Hire platform. Spark Hire is a video interviewing software that helps to eliminate barriers to conducting initial in-person interviews. Through Spark Hire, candidates receive a link to several interview questions, record responses and submit a short video recording. Using Spark Hire helps expand the interview pool beyond that which could be accomplished through a more labor-intensive application process. The hiring team evaluates the submitted interview recordings and selects the top candidates for in-person interviews. In-Person Interview: The interview panel consists of Police Command Staff and employees from various police units and from the City's Human Resources Department to represent a variety of perspectives. Interview scores are based on a candidate's response to questions about thought process, integrity, ethics, decision-making, ability to work under stressful conditions and preparation for, or knowledge of, a law enforcement career. Background Packets: Top applicants from the in-person interview receive detailed background packets, with the applicant's responses used to conduct an in-depth background check. Potential issues are noted, such as dishonesty about drug use, criminal involvement, a pattern of poor decision-making, substandard interpersonal communication skills and the inability to work through stressful situations. The background investigator contacts family, friends, and former or current places of employment. If an applicant resides out of the area, the background investigator travels to their location to review information and speak with neighbors and associates. This is one of the most important components of the hiring process and usually takes a minimum of four weeks to finish. Upon completion, the Chief reviews all information from the testing, interviews, background packet, and the background investigator. Candidates that pass the Chief's review of the above then move onto an interview with the Chief. Chief's Interview: The Chief asks specific questions regarding the information learned through the testing, in-person interview and background process. The Chief evaluates the candidate's interpersonal communication skills, temperament and emotional intelligence. Candidates who pass the Chief's interview are ranked, with the highest ranked receiving a "Conditional Job 503.635.0215 380 A Avenue PO BOX 369 Lake Oswego, OR 97034 www.lakeoswego.city Page 4 Offer," subject to undergoing two final steps: a medical exam and a psychological exam, pursuant to the Oregon Administrative Rules cited below. Medical Exam (OAR 259-008-0010 (7)): The medical exam is a basic physical exam for a doctor's evaluation that the candidate can medically execute essential job functions. This is strictly a medical exam and is not the same as the ORPAT used during initial candidate screening. The candidate will also have a pre-employment drug screen. Psychological Exam (OAR 259-008-0010 (10) and ORS 181A.485): Dr. David Corey has been administering pre-employment psychological examinations for LOPD for over 20 years. Dr. Corey is a board-certified specialist in both forensic psychology and police and public safety psychology with the American Board of Professional Psychology. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, founding president of the American Board of Police & Public Safety Psychology, and current chair of the Specialty Council for Police and Public Safety Psychology. His Lake Oswego practice consists primarily of conducting and researching evaluations of police suitability and fitness for duty for local, state, and federal agencies. Dr. Corey will be available for questions during the May 4, 2021 Council meeting. Topics to discuss with Dr. Corey might include the criteria used for evaluating police candidates, the methods used for evaluation and the degree to which pre-employment psychological screening ensures successful post-hire performance. Candidates with a Conditional Job Offer that pass both exams receive a job offer and a start date. A training plan is developed upon acceptance of the job offer. Training Overview The police officer training program is extensive and based on industry best practices. Every officer is required to complete the Field Training Evaluation Program (FTEP). The FTEP program consists of four seven-week phases. During the first phase, new officers learn basic procedures, such as report writing and driving. In phases two through four, new officers receive hands-on training with three different FTEP-trained Lake Oswego police officers. Training builds increased skill and exposure to different shifts as phases advance. Each shift provides new officers with opportunities to respond to various types of calls and engage with diverse segments of the community. New officers are graded daily on appearance, attitude, knowledge of criminal laws, traffic codes, city codes and problem-solving. The Police Academy: In addition to 28 weeks of FTEP, new officers complete the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) police academy in Salem. This is a 16-week training program with 640 hours of coursework, approved by the State of Oregon that provides training on knowledge and skills. Of the 640 hours, 60.5 hours are Community Relations trainings, which include Communication, Community Competency, Community Policing, Effective Interactions— Deaf/Hard of Hearing Community, Emotional Intelligence, Ethics, Implicit Bias, Legitimacy and Procedural Justice, among other subjects (Attachments 1 and 2). 503.635.0215 380 A Avenue PO BOX 369 Lake Oswego, OR 97034 www.lakeoswego.city Page 5 Successful completion of coursework is required to obtain a Basic Certification. Officers are tested throughout the 16 weeks and must pass both knowledge and skill-based tests. Continued certifications for police officers include Intermediate, Advanced, Management, and Executive. Ongoing In-Service training: LOPD provides ongoing training for officers, including: • Police Legitimacy, Procedural Justice and Implicit Bias Training (PLPJ) is an ethics course for all LOPD members to enhance skills, knowledge and engagement around current community-police relationships, building community trust and understanding how personal bias can influence critical decision-making. This highly interactive program builds upon the foundations of the Academy's community relations course work, involves real life examples of police interactions with their communities and best practice techniques for fostering trust between police officers and the community. PLPJ is an annual, four-hour training. • Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) is a forty-hour, one-time course required for all LOPD officers to complete within their first year.This certification provides classroom and scenario training on effective intervention and de-escalation techniques for individuals in crisis. • Ethics is a four-hour training occurring every one to two years to enhance an officer's skills around making appropriate decisions under current law. Course topics may include bias training when available. Other training includes de-escalation training, scenario-based training, decision-making, and History of Policing. Community Training: Police officers attend community trainings as they become available, generally every one to three years such as the PGE Diversity Summit in Portland, Building Bridges— Muslim Education Trust in Tigard, and the Lake Oswego Multi-City Equity Summit. Community trainings are also integrated within existing partnerships, including: • Museum of Tolerance: Over the past several years the City of Lake Oswego has cultivated a partnership with the Museum of Tolerance, which offers law enforcement- focused training on race relations and personal bias. In 2018, members of the Police Management Team, City Executive Team, City Council members, Lake Oswego School District and other community partners went to the Museum of Tolerance to learn about the historical and current impacts of institutional racism. This experience led to equity efforts such as the 2019 Multi-City Equity Summit and joint discussions among those community leaders to share information about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and potential collaboration opportunities. • Word is Bond:There are two components to the LOPD partnership with Word is Bond. First, the Rising Leaders internship program, which focuses on building leadership skills 503.635.0215 380 A Avenue PO BOX 369 Lake Oswego, OR 97034 www.lakeoswego.city Page 6 for young Black men and improving relationships with law enforcement. Officers and young Black men attend this course together for 29 hours over the course of six weeks during the summer. Second, the Multimedia Storytelling Project. In February 2021, several 2-3 hour listening sessions took place with small groups of police officers to raise awareness of the personal experiences of young Black men and their vision for community safety. These events were an opportunity for officers to spark dialogue about how to improve trust and community engagement. CONCLUSION The police officer recruitment, hiring and training processes are extensive to meet State, City and department standards, in addition to incorporating community expectations. Although some aspects of the outlined processes are static due to legal requirements, others are dynamic to allow changes in procedure to foster a diverse candidate pool and provide holistic training opportunities for Lake Oswego police officers. ATTACHMENTS Attachment 1— Police Academy Course List Attachment 2— Police Academy Course Themes 503.635.0215 380 A Avenue PO BOX 369 Lake Oswego, OR 97034 www.lakeoswego.city ATTACHMENT Department QfPublic Safety Standards and Training Hour Breakdown 640-HourBasic Police Updated: OS/2Ol9 COURSE HOURS COMMUNITY RELATIONS 60.5 Communication 10 Community Competency 6 Community Crime Prevention 2 Community Policing 6 Effective |nteractions - Deaf/HardofHeehngCommunity 2 Emotional Intelligence 7 Ethics U History of Policing 2 Implicit Bias U Legitimacy and Procedural Justice 4 Problem Solving 1.5 Problem-Oriented Policing 2 Roles and Responsibilities 4 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 18 Behaviona| Hea|th -Awaneneso D Behavioral Health Legal Considerations 2 Behavioral Health - De-escalation 4 Behavioral Health -Vetenans Awareness 4 Behavioral Health Scenarios See Below OFFICER WELLNESS 44.5 Fitness and Nutrition G 0RPAT 7 Physical Fitness Training 20.5 Resiliency 8 Stress First Aid 3 Page Iura Attachment INVESTIGATIONS 60 Criminal Investigations 4 Domestic Violence 12 Domestic Violence Scenarios See Below Forensics 4 Interview and Interrogation 4 Interview and Interrogation Scenarios See Below Investigations- Child Abuse 8 Investigations- Controlled Substance 3 Investigations-Crash 6 Investigations- Elder Abuse 4 Investigations- Missing Persons 1 Investigations- OLCC 2 Investigations- Sexual Assault 8 Investigations- Unattended Death 4 LEGAL 81 Civil Rights & Liabilities 4 Criminal Law- Property 8 Criminal Law - Persons 8 Criminal Law- Public Order and Weapons 2 Criminal Law - State and Public Justice 2 Criminal Law-Controlled Substances 2 DMV Hearings 1 Introduction to the Justice System 4 Juvenile Law 4 Mock Trial 8 Officer in Court 3 Procedural Law 12 Supporting Victims of Crime 1 Use of Force Law 4 Use of Force- Decision Making and Report Writing 18 Use of Force/Decision Making Scenarios See Below PATROL PROCEDURES 54 Bombs and Explosives 2 Drugs that Impair Driving 8 Gang Awareness 2 Intoxilyzer Certification 6 Motor Vehicle Code/Traffic Law Enforcement 7.5 Report Writing 6.5 Standardized Field Sobriety Testing 16 Wet Lab 6 Page 2 of 3 Attachment 1 SKILLS 198 Building Search and Tactical Movement 16 Defensive Tactics 52 Emergency Vehicle Operation Course (EVOC) 44 Firearms 60 Tactical Emergency Casualty Care 2 Vehicle Stops 24 SCENARIOS 92 Application Scenarios 54 Behavioral Health Scenarios 8 Domestic Violence Scenarios 4 DUI' Scenarios 4 Interview and Interrogation Scenarios 4 Use of Force/Decision Making Scenarios 18 ADMINISTRATION 32 Academy Orientation / Debrief 6 Certification Workshop/ Revocation 0.5 Graduation Activities 6 Quizzes/ Examinations / Review 13 Report/ Project Work 6.5 640 OPTIONAL COURSEWORK Emotional Survival for Families 1.25 Lidar 2 Radar 6 9.25 Page 3 of 3 Attachment 1 Academy Foundation Building Topics Phase 1 ATTACHMENT 2 Emotional Roles and Communication Intelligence Responsibilites History of Ethics Community Policing Competency 4 Legitimacy a n d Implicit Bias Community Procedural Im p Policing Justice Attachment 2 Academy Themes- Through Phase 2 Officer Emotional Legal Foundation Intelligence Physical Skills Civil Rights Law Communication Complexities Procedural Law l Role Defensive Criminal Law Tactics Application Ethics De-Escalation Use of Force Firearms Resiliency Law Behavioral Labs Tactics Health Scenarios Safety Community Relationships Attachment 2