Mental Illnesses In People Applying To Be Police.

I personally think that anyone with a serious mental disorder should not be allowed to be a police officer. They carry guns. And their job is stressful, so they are more prone to suicide. (Actually, I read in a text book in community college in 1994 that most police departments will deny mentally ill people employment there. But they will list the reason as medical, so it doesn't affect their future job applications. I think that is a good idea.)

I also don't think anyone with low IQ or mental deficiency should be allowed to be a cop, for basically the same reasons as above. But I am a little confused by the terms IQ, mental deficiency, and the legal definitions of those. Also, some people have poor forethought. That actually doesn't make you more violent, but you basically can't think things thru. Actually, three seconds later you may decide that really wasn't what you wanted to do. Mentally deficient people can have this problem, due to damage in their prefrontal cortex. Other people, I don't know. But I've heard it can be a mental condition in some otherwise normal people. People like that definitely should never be given a gun. And that is part of the rationale for not allowing anyone who has ever been convicted of domestic abuse own a gun.

What are all the psychological and legal definitions, of what I just said? How do they apply in general in the United States to being a cop? And should they be changed?

 

I would think that 1994 is a little out of date and systems may have changed since then.

I expect the vetting and training process should be reviewed/changed, which should negate a reason to change any definitions.
Vet candidates according to any medical records and criminal records/warnings etc.
Those who are recruited; then train them and, during that training, include exercises to identify weaknesses in their thinking, both conscious and sub-conscious (instinct).
Put them into scenarios during weapons training and all training, to see how they may behave so issues arising can be used to weed out potentially unsuitable people.

I don't think it's enough to train people to be a cop without really testing their aptitude sufficiently to weed out unsuitable ones.

If such methods are already part of training, the systems need to be improved.
my 2c.

 

This system has been used in the UK for decades and it has been structured following years of experience.

At application, extensive research is carried out, both to ensure that you have no criminal record and on your work history and reasons for leaving a job.
Any criminal record will exclude you, except a minor driving offence. Minor driving offences do not include driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, along with dangerous driving of road rage.

If you make it to interview, everything including suitable personality and ability to stay calm under pressure, along with working as part of a team.

Around 20% of applicants make it this far.

Then the 6 months of training starts, during which a further 5% of applicants drop out. The training officers may recommend you for a particular branch of work, but you are not always told.

During your first 6 months on duty, you are crewed with an experienced officer and never left to work alone.
Then the real fun starts. The first few days when you are responsible can be really daunting. But you are more than a year down the line and expected to learn a few things the hard way.

One of our daughters first calls was to a minor fire. She turned around the corner to be faced with Grenfell Tower.
When she got back to the station she was in pieces and rather than let her go home, her Sargent sat with her for more than 6 hours. That shift still haunts her to this day.

 

Court OKs Barring High IQs for Cops - ABC News
Judge Rules That Police Can Bar High I.Q. Scores ... New York Times