New Recruits in the Western Australia Police

Audited Entities

• Western Australia Police

Audit Scope and Objectives

• The objective of this audit was to assess whether the recruitment and training of new recruits in the Western Australia Police (WAP) is efficient and effective.
• The audit focused on three questions:
  • Are WAP’s recruitment and selection processes effective?
  • Are new recruits adequately trained and supported?
  • Is WAP using its resources to deliver police officers into the force efficiently and effectively?
• The audit focused on new sworn general duties constables.

Audit Criteria

• Not publicly available.

Main Audit Findings

• In 2009-10, WAP was set a target by government to increase its police numbers by 500 by 2013-14. So far, WAP has achieved its interim targets. In order to achieve the overall target WAP needs to recruit 200 officers in the next two years. Based on current application rates WAP is unlikely to meet this target. WAP is considering alternative recruitment options.
• WAP’s process to deliver general duties officers to the frontline relies heavily on selecting the right applicant. This is because almost no one is removed from WAP once chosen for Academy training. In the past five years 2 140 recruits have been trained and 12 recruits or probationary constables were removed. Only one of these was dismissed on the grounds of poor performance in training.
• WAP uses its ‘22 dimensions of a police officer’ developed in 1987 as the basis for selecting suitable police recruits. They include broad attributes such as ‘adherence to authority’, ‘personal impact’, ‘endurance’ and ‘written communication’. The environment and issues faced by police have changed since 1987, but WAP has not reviewed the relevance and use of the 22 dimensions and needs to do so.
• WAP is not meeting its diversity targets for recruiting from indigenous and culturally diverse backgrounds despite having strategies in place to do so.
• WAP has increased the percentage of women officers from 13 per cent in 2001 to almost 21 per cent in 2011. This has been achieved in part by removing selection tools which were biased against women. However, its proportion of female police officers falls short of its target of 30 per cent and is one of the lowest compared to other Australian and New Zealand police forces.
• Psychological testing is a key element of WAP’s recruitment, but there is inconsistency in how the results of these tests are reviewed. WAP reviews applicants rated as ‘marginal’ or ‘not yet acceptable’ in psychological assessments, but not those rated as ‘acceptable’ or ‘recommended’. Psychological assessment results often do not match final recruitment decisions.
• WAP invests significant resources to bring its weaker performers up to standard, by providing continuous remedial training. In a sample, the proportion of recruits achieving competency without additional training has fallen since 2007. Less than half of the recruits in the squads reviewed since 2007 gained competency in all areas of training on their first attempt. This has an impact on the training costs and efficiency for WAP. WAP has a process for dismissing recruits but it is currently not used for recruits who do not gain competency after repeated attempts.
• The experience recruits gain on probation varies because the number and location of placements are not consistent and levels of supervision vary. Some recruits miss out on spending time in key areas they may later work in. There are often not enough experienced supervisors for all recruits so some probationers are supervised by recently appointed constables.
• ‘Early-off probation’ (EOP) was introduced as a reward for high performers, however this has now become the norm. Although completing early enables the officers to be fully deployed, and to supervise other probationary constables, it reduces the time for them to build skills, confidence and experience. EOP has been awarded in some instances when training records indicated that constables may not have been ready.

Audit Recommendations

• To improve the effectiveness of its recruitment WA Police should:
  • consider strategies to increase its application rates in order to meet future recruitment targets
  • give equal levels of review to the organizational psychologist’s recommendation for all applicants being considered for training in the Academy
  • review whether its 22 dimensions are still the most relevant criteria for selecting police officers and whether they should be equally balanced
  • review its diversity strategies and consider initiatives that are working in other policing jurisdictions to improve its performance in this area.
• To improve the effectiveness and efficiency of recruit training in the Academy WA Police should:
  • review its approach to managing its weaker performers, including how it uses its removal process
  • use the data and information currently collected to establish benchmarking for competency
  • consider introducing additional assessments for recruits who have difficulty attaining competency in critical skills, to be confident that all recruits graduate with the expected level of competency.
• To improve the effectiveness and efficiency of probationary training WA Police should:
  • review its probationary placements to ensure all probationary constables are receiving an appropriate exposure to all required areas of training
  • consider introducing training and guidance materials for supervisors of probationary constables so that they are better supported and equipped to perform this role and supervision is consistently applied
  • review how it applies its ‘early-off probation’ policy to ensure the policy intention is adhered to.
• WAP should make greater use of its information to evaluate whether its current training approach and investment is effective and to identify further areas for improvement.

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