Vol. 7 No. 1 Cheyenne (Jarvis) Jones • 5 more critical for undercover officers (1995). Another important factor of the screening process for undercover operations is the psychological component. Screenings typically include a combination of a clinical interview and psychological testing (Miller, 2006). This is a crucial part of the selection process; undercover officers that are psychologically fit are bound to perform better undercover, and they are more likely to return from the operation with fewer psychological effects (Wamsley, 2015). If an officer who does not meet the screening criteria is pushed through the process anyway, this can be detrimental to both the operation and the individual officer. It is also important that officers are never coerced into working as an undercover operation; for safety and success, it is critical that the officer volunteers for the undercover position (Burton, 1995). Having an unwilling undercover officer can be dangerous individually and collectively. Taking these factors into consideration, the selection process for undercover officers must be rigorous, steadfast, and voluntary in order to be successful. Training and Preparation Apart from the selection process of undercover officers, the training and preoperative preparation is also important. Having thorough training and preparation allows for officers to be acquainted with the trials and difficulties they may encounter and be able to develop plans of action. Officers must be allowed an adequate amount of time to prepare, as well; it is not ideal to expedite such a crucial part of the process. Unfortunately training processes are commonly minimal and severely lacking in quality. Many departments seem to ascribe to the belief that undercover officers should simply be able to make critical decisions on impulse without thorough training beforehand (Wamsley, 2015). This is further supported by Farkas’s study, which found that 56% of undercover officers reported their training was inadequate, and 41% reported their training was simply lacking in quality (1986). Of course, police departments and agencies do have training requirements; however, most are viewed as a minimum requirement to meet, not a foundation to build upon (McHenry, 2019). This philosophy of a minimum requirement equating to a satisfied need is only one reasonwhy undercover officer training may be lacking. As detailed by Wamsley, training comes in many formats for undercover officers, some of which are mandatory like on the job training, whereas others are voluntary and offered through various agencies. These voluntary trainings are strongly recommended by Wamsley as they provide additional preparation for the officers’ undercover duties and contribute valuable insights that the officers would not otherwise be aware of (2015). An Undercover Safeguard Unit is another option that can be used by a department or agency to better educate officers. Undercover safeguard processes can provide specialized training for future undercover officers through classroom teaching and role-playing activities. These processes have
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