ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Published Online: 1 March 1987
Page Count: 7

Validation of Police Officer Recruit Candidates' Self-Reported Drug Use
Ostrov, E
Director of Public Safety Evaluation, Isaac Ray Center, Inc., IL

Cavanaugh, JL
Director, Isaac Ray Center, Inc., IL

(Received 22 March 1986; accepted 1 May 1986)

Abstract

Three hundred and fifty-nine Chicago Police Department recruit candidates submitted urine specimens as part of a drug-screening program. Candidates were tested in two groups about a week apart. About 20% of the recruit candidates in each group evidenced drug, primarily marijuana use. As part of a psychological screening test battery all the candidates also took the Inwald Personality Inventory (IPI). The IPI contains a self-report Drug Use Scale. Drug-Positive and Drug-Negative candidates' Drug Use Scale scores were matched by age, sex, and racial/ethnic group and compared to evaluate the accuracy of self-reported drug use when screening police recruit candidates. Results showed that Drug-Positive candidates' self-reported drug use was consistently higher than that of Drug-Negative candidates. Item-level analyses showed which drug use items best discriminate between Drug-Positive and Drug-Negative candidates. Implications are drawn for use of self-report as part of a police candidate screening process.

Keywords:
criminalistics, drug identification, police, screening procedures

Paper ID: JFS11151J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS11151J
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