b'ITS A BASIC PRINCIPLE OF DEMOCRATIC POLICING studied, another researcher could not find any predictive value of the fitness THAT AGENCIES SHOULD ALWAYS STRIVE TO REPRESENTtest used in the selection process to a THE POPULATION THEY SERVE. recruits performance in recruit class. In other words, the fitness test upon whichtheirhiringhingedhadzero bearingonthatrecruitsphysical samestudyfoundthatahigherare not successful at any of the stagesperformance in basic training. Fitness representation of female officers ledareeliminatedfromtheremaindertests do not take into consideration toadeclineinrepeateddomesticof the process. From a logistics andhow often an officer chooses to use abuse and domestic femicide5. Givenbudget perspective, this approach tode-escalation techniques rather than that Canadian women are four timesselecting new recruits makes senseusing force, or whether the physical morelikelytodieatthehandsofin that a progressive elimination oftasks are completed individually or as their partner than men6, this findingcandidates means fewer candidatesa joint effort with the assistance of isacompellingargumentforwhygoingthroughsomeofthemoreother officers9.we need to increase our numbers oftime-consuming and expensive partsStudy of a Recruit Selection Processwomen officers.of the process (for instance, individ-Women constitute 21 per cent ofualized interviews).Formyresearch,Iseparatedfour policeinCanada7,but2019censusAlthough it is the most commonyearsofrecruitapplicantsintosex datashowsthatwomenrepresentmethod used to assess and hire newcohorts(approximately1,700men halfthepopulationofthecountry.officers, the multiple-hurdle processand 375 women) and studied their Althoughtherewasamonumentaldoesnotallowpoliceagenciestosuccesses and attrition rates through increaseofwomeninpolicinghire the best possible applicants, buttheentiremulti-stageprocess.For rather assists to disqualify the leasteachstage,thesuccessrateof between the mid-1980s and the early8 each sex cohort was compared and 2000s, that growth has plateaued forcapableapplicants .Thoughalmoststatisticallyanalyzed.Inall,four over a decade7. There is a significantallrecruitselectionprocesseshavestages were found to have measur-needtoreinvigoratethatgrowthan emphasis on physical assessment,abledifferencesbetweenthetwo with renewedand evidence-basedveryfewhaveanydirecttestingsex cohorts. effortstorecruitandhiremoreforconflictresolution,interpersonal women police officers. communicationorcommunityThe fitness test, which stands as engagementall of which are morethesecondstageoftheweed-out Recruit Selection Processes commonlyusedbypoliceofficersprocess studied, removed five times Before trying clever new techniquesthan physical force9.as many women per capita as men. aimedatincreasingthenumberofThe most richly researched stageAlthough the fail rates of the fitness female applicants to policing, policein the recruit selection process is thetestpassthetolerancesforbona organizationsshouldfirstexaminephysical fitness test, in all of its manyfideoccupationalrequirements theirpracticesforsystemicandforms.Departmentswithpre-hireestablished by hiring legislation and unnecessarybarrierstowomenphysicalfitnessrequirementshavecaselaw,policeorganizationswill withintheselectionprocess.Therepoorerofficerdiversitythanthoseneedtoanswerwhetherthelegal isnopointinspendingresourcesusing different screening methods10.minimumstandardiswhatthey and time on recruiting if the processItsnocoincidencethatphysicalwant to accept from their selection womenarebeinginvitedintoisfitness testing originated at the sameprocesses. As Stansfield wrote, the skewedagainstthem.Iexaminedtimeasthegrowingapplicationofcriteria an employer uses to screen itsapplicantsreflectstheskillsthe atypicalCanadianpoliceselectionwomenintotheprofession.Manyemployer values12. (p.69)processanditsnumerousstagesfitness tests have been found to be toidentifybarriersforwomen.arbitrary, discriminatory and based onMy study did not present all bad Althoughselectionprocessesvarythe stereotype that men make betternews for the efforts to increase the acrossthecountry,mostNorthofficers than women11. Physical fitnessnumber of women in policing. Despite American selection processes consisttesting continues to be debated, asthe negative outcomes for women on ofamulti-stageweed-outformat.there is limited evidence to support itthefitnesstest,womenperformed The process that I studied consistedis representative of common policingbetterthanmeninthreestages. of eight steps, including: written andtasks, predicts the actual reactions ofThesetestsweretheinterview physicalfitnesstests,interviews,officers during high-risk incidents, orwhichtestscommunicationskills medicalandpsychologicaltesting,is able to mitigate negative outcomesand police-related competencies; the and background checks. As is typicalsuch as officer injuries10. In fact, in aninterview which assesses past behav-fortheseformats,candidateswhounpublished review of the process Iiourandlifelessonslearned;and 10 H.Q. Winter 2019/20'