COM 0564.001 1996-1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Screening process flawed? There was an intetasting front page article in the Hawari Tribune-Herald, Oct. 19,1997 concerning a new scxcen- ing process for Big Lsland Police Officers. It is rtow more difficult to find eligible applicants. The reason for this difficult situation as stated, is the addition of two more crucial steps (psychological testingpie detector), in tht application process. Many applicants (recruits) are weeded out during these new requirements, and now, only the best candidates are being chosen. This is good Dews, but the rest of the story was not printed. What percentage of the officers, employed by Hawau County before a psychological exam and lie detector teat was a requirement, would fail or pass the tests? The HawaiiTribune-Herald Oct. 6, 1994, front page article quotes Harold Hall, a neuropsychologist who's done psychological screening of police recruits fdr Maui, "the failure rate there runs 40-50 percent." 1b8t 6 article, which was three years ago, goes on to say thgt • the Big Island Polito Department is the only one in the Tr1bUlle - He ral d state, that does not have psychological testing as ~ _ requirement for police recruits. Would the average normal person minutely suspect, that statistically speaking, 40-50 percent of the Big Island Police Department before the new screening proor~ wem mro effea nooently, oorrkl be relieved oEdunes Frida with early retirement beaests. Ibis is frightening beyond Y belief, especially when one thinks about a police of£r _ November 21,1997 ar with a guq who did not have a standard psychok>gical exam, lie detector test or a drug test, as a requirement, ' to serve the public. Could it be possible that a percenh age of the Big Island Police Department, could be Do we leave it alone, like good little people, or should we bee truly corrcerrred about the safety of the peo- ple of Hawari County? Are we being held hostage by the fact that the majority of the Big Island Police Officers will never be tested? How many of those, need to be weed- ed out? I pray to God, for everyones' well being, and, I feel it is time to demand that a solution be formulated, by the proper authorities, in the form of mandatory retroactive psychological authorities, in the form of mandatory retroactive psychological, lie detector and drug testing; far all of the Big Island police officers who were not tes4 ed before this new screening process was a requirer3ent. Will this make the front page? ' Michael Schiszlei Pahoa Ex`li6it-~