Stand Out among the Crowd

Followers may doubt what their leaders say,

But they usually believe what they do.

Police Promotional Preparation

Specializing in individual and small group promotional tutoring. We have been producing top candidates in all ranks since 1999. Students will be able to practice with professional material that simulates actual test. Mock scenarios are usually done prior to the test.

Written Exams are generally multiple–choice questions covering material selected by the agency. We also have a list of recommended promotional books. Administrators decide the quantity of written testable material, balanced with time frame given to applicants to study.

Practice written exams can be purchased for:

Written Exams can also be used to test writing ability by utilizing essay questions. In this type, the applicant is given several specific topics to write about in a given time frame. Word processing can be used in a controlled environment.
Example: Stop & Frisk. The Supreme Court has recently decided that flight a t the sight of the police in a high crime area in and of itself constitutes ______.  Wardlow v. Illinois

                  1. Insufficient and is protected under the fourth amendment

                  2. Sufficient for investigative detention
                  3. Probable cause 

                  4. Enough to follow but not physically detain

Oral Board Interviews are very common utilizing subject matter experts from other agencies or having our team as assessors. There are two types of oral interviews Structured or Unstructured. Done with strict guidelines, this type of testing can be useful, especially as a financial factor for smaller agencies.
                  1. What have you done to prepare yourself for this position during the last year?
                  2. What are your short range objectives?
                  3. What are your long range objectives?
                  4. What can you do for us that someone else cannot do?
                  5. Discuss leadership ethics.

Roll Call exercises are usually done only for the Sergeants level and comprise of delivering material at a simulated Roll Call to assessors utilizing role players. Some of the criteria being measured is the applicant’s ability to prioritize and decipher information, synopsis material, command presence and group control.
Example: You are the supervisor on the evening shift. At line-up, you notice you have three more officers than needed to cover zone assignments. It is a heavy day. There are no special details you must take care of except those problems which exist on this shift and within your package. What will you do with these additional officers?

Community Meeting/ Media Interview are used to test community relation skills of the applicants, job knowledge, time management, information released, decision making and communication skills. Role players make this testing challenging.
Example: The residents of Silver Lakes Assoc. have called for a special community crime meeting and have requested a representative from your agency to present the agency’s plan to address current crime problems. Your supervisor has assigned you the task. You have fifteen minutes to prepare your written plan and fifteen minutes to present this plan.

Staff Presentation Exercise in order to move ahead with initiatives and programs most departments have positions that spearhead changes for the Chief. This demands being able to sell concepts and ideas to staff, line supervisors and even governing bodies such as county and city commissions. This exercise measures the applicant’s ability to do research, conceptualize and process ideas for implementation, while being able to present it in a sellable fashion.
Example: the police department needs to cut $1 Million  from its budget.

Suppose each Officer=$100,000. and civilians= $50,000. Where would you make the cuts? Why?

In-Basket (structured or unstructured) are used to simulate a supervisors daily work flow. The structured In-Basket can be also be done as a written test and graded later by assessors. Prioritization, time management, decision making, interpersonal skills and leadership are some of the areas measured. Depending on the structured of the In-Basket, grammar, spelling and penmanship can also be measured. This is the most time consuming of all the exercises, but it is one of the best tools to measure multiple dimensions of leadership.

Item 1- Permit Application- July 4^th Parade utilizing Memorial Drive.

Item 2- Letter Department of Transportation- Memorial Drive street closure for renovation July 1-7

Tactical In today’s age of terrorism, target hardening, and Critical incidents, having leaders in your organization able to make autocratic correct decision on hot scenes is just as critical as the events themselves. This testing utilizes the most current standard practices to measure how the applicant deals with critical incidents. This type of testing is a great addition to any other component of an assessment center or testing. There are also two types of tactical:

     One is the traditional questioning of a tactical situation which requires the applicant to verbally answer scenario based questions. This testing can be done with time/ event release of information, aerial photos or diagrams. This type can be structured or unstructured.

      Another type of Tactical is a written tactical with a predetermined list of choices to select. This test can also be administered with time released information.

Example: It is 8:30am Friday, dispatch advices of a Traffic Accident with serous injuries with possible fatality. Helicopter landing anticipated. Northern lane of major intersection blocked.

Citizen Complaints are very common exercise for first line supervisors. It can be done with or without a role player and it can measure the applicant’s ability to deal with the public. In short, it tests interpersonal skills, job knowledge and a few other dimensions depending on the scenario. It is also considered a Fact-Finding Exercise.
Example: Mrs. Rodriquez called the station and advised Officer X stopped her 17yold daughter for a taillight violation. Daughter came home in tears said Officer X propositioned her then searcher her. Officer X says she came on to him and asked him to meet her after work, but he refused.

Leaderless Group is usually utilized for Lieutenant testing. A small group of same rank applicants, all of whom are competing against each other for promotion is tasked with a project. Evaluators grade their involvement, participation, conflict resolution, and decision making during their discussion. Leaderless Group exercises are one of the least used methods due to the unpredictable directions that group dynamics can cause.

Example: The Chief wants to implement a performance evaluation system for the department’s patrol officers. However, the chief is unsure as to which types of evaluation system  should be used. Therefore, he has formed an advisory group of  supervisors to discuss the matter and to make a recommendation.

Employee Counseling can be utilized for any rank and deals ewith basic supervision applicable even in the private sector. This is one of the oldest testing scenarios. It measures a multitude of dimensions that can help weed out weaker supervisors. It is also considered a Fact-Finding Exercise. This type of exercise can also be part of the Oral Board or a role player exercise.
Example: It is one hour before roll-call. Officer Bruiser has called to tell you that his father-in-law is gravely ill and being admitted to ICU. He wants the night off to be with his wife. You know the Officer has a pending divorce with his wife and has not spoken with her for months. Approving his request would put you two below minimum staffing. How would you handle this situation?

Questioner/ Résumé Exercise- In this type of exercise applicants are asked to turn in a work history and accomplishment Resume. This Résumé's are graded on a set criterion (usually set by the employer) with points given, for example, number of specialized assignments, etc.
Example: Measuring- Education, Training, Supervisory experience, Well rounded, Calm-decisive in stress, Community activities, Fair and impartial treatment, high level integrity

Video Simulation Exercise- is a written assessment exercise in which a candidate views a police related scenario on a video monitor and is then asked questions about the appropriateness of the actions taken by the officers portrayed in the scenario.

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