PSY 3173 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Police Psychology, Offender Profiling, Psychopathology

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 3173
• Professor: Marie- Lyne Laliberte

Document Summary

Police psychology is the research and application of psychological knowledge and clinical skills to law enforcement and public safety. A police psychologist does not have to be a present or former police officer to be an effective service provider to law enforcement agencies . But, must be highly familiar with and knowledgeable about what policing involves, as well as the police culture. More common activities and tasks of a police psychologist. There is a set of procedures used by police to either screen out undesirable candidates or select in desirable candidates. Screening-out procedures try to eliminate those candidates who demonstrate significant signs of psychopathology or emotional instability, or who lack the basic ability or mental acuity to perform the job in a safe and responsible manner. Screening-in procedures are intended to identify those attributes that distinguish one candidate as being potentially a more effective officer than another i. e. , rank-ordering candidates.