Police-Encounters-With-People-In-Crisis

ecause psychological testing is not an exact science, it is helpful to incorporate the
psychologist’s impressions and concerns through dialogue as part of the constable
selection process.
15. Accordingly, greater involvement of the psychologists at the decision-making
stages of constable selection would allow the psychologists to provide a more nuanced
assessment of candidates, in light of the strengths and weaknesses of the assessment
methodology. This is particularly true for candidates assessed as “Suitable with
Concerns.” A discussion of the psychologists’ concerns and how they can be addressed
may be fruitful. Furthermore, this subsequent involvement would provide Psychological
Services with an important feedback mechanism, allowing them to better understand
how the Employment Unit addresses their recommendations and how their assessment
practices can be improved.
16. It may be useful for the TPS to model involvement of Psychological Services in
new constable selection after Psychological Services’ involvement in selection of officers
for the Emergency Task Force (ETF) and for the International Police Operations Branch
(IPOB). As set out below, the psychologists undertake a similar screening process with
respect to candidates for internal selection for the ETF and the IPOB, and forward their
recommendations to the Unit Commander. However, after the psychologists submit
their recommendations, they are invited to review their recommendations and the
limitations thereof with the selection committee and to work collaboratively with the
selection committee to clarify questions or concerns related to the suitability of
candidates for the assignment.
17. A related issue is the contracting out of psychological assessments to other
psychologists. We understand that it has become necessary to contract out some of the
psychological assessments for recruit candidates because of capacity constraints of the
two TPS in-house psychologists. Current sentiment within the TPS is that it is operating
with too few officers. 10 As a result, when new hiring is permitted by Toronto City
Council, there is strong pressure to conduct the process as quickly as possible so that
new officers can be hired, trained and deployed as soon as possible. This push can
overwhelm Psychological Services’ in-house capacity, forcing the TPS to contract out the
majority of psychological screening work and thereby sacrifice the expertise that an inhouse
psychologist accumulates.
18. While the TPS psychologists have established precise guidelines to ensure that
psychologists retained on contract perform their job skillfully, respectfully and
effectively, psychologists on contract may still lack the in-house psychologist’s wealth of
knowledge and depth of understanding of TPS and its culture.
10
Kelly Grant, “Blair wary as Toronto police board freezes budget without layoffs” The Globe and Mail (10 December 2012), online:
The Globe and Mail .
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