Is it true that in the USA a police officer cannot have an IQ above a certain number, and why if so?

Question

The only reason I asked the question is because my brother-in-law and I got in a fight over it- I was actually on the side of cops-since I have dated many..I couldn't find any information on the internet about it so I thought I'd ask. Thanks for commenting on my IQ, thats very comforting.

Answer 1

No, it's not true. Where on earth did you hear such a stupid thing like that?

Answer 2

No. There are many intelligent police officers, but most average people never get to deal with them. The intelligent people working for the Police Departments are the high-ups in the stations, the Captains, the detectives, the SWAT Team, etc. We hardly ever see these guys.

As the public, we deal mostly with patrolmen, the grunts of the police force. People with low IQ want to work as Patrolmen, so only people with low IQ apply, and as a result, PDs are forced to hire the best of the worst, basically. The PDs are limited by their applicants, not the other way around.


EDIT: Seven53 (or hdean45, or Fizzle. or whatever account you are using when you read this)- How do they become become Investigators or Tactical officers become that? SCHOOLING. SWAT School, Criminal Justice Degrees at Universities, etc. Some of these guys do spend time as Patrolmen before they do other things, but advancement is based on education more so then experience.

And what is with the hostility?

Answer 3

My IQ tested at 134. I have a college degree and I speak three languages. There were plenty of very smart people on the force that I would hesitate to go up against academically. Somehow I still got hired.

For every person that didn't pass because they were too smart I see someone making excuses for failing to get hired.

I didn't score well on the part of the written test relating to my personality and job satisfaction. That must have been accurate because I quit after one year. I aced the rest of the test.

Answer 4

The funny thing about your question is that I was reading the UN crime reports not too long ago, the most recent applicable one being, "Criminal Victimisation in Seventeen Industrialised Countries: Key-findings from the 2000 International Crime Victims Survey" (UNICRI--UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute). One thing that can be inferred if it wasn't bluntly stated is that crimes are more often reported to US police because they are better trained to respond and more trusted than most other nations' police. That includes the English, by the way.

Answer 5

That would be who knows...but I have heard of people having scored "to high" on the exam, and being passed over, due to some "scientific" formula that says they would not receive any enjoyment from the job.

I recall watching on Dateline or some sort of news show, where a guy aced the tests, and had graduated from college, and was told that as the reason why he was not selected. So for some departments I guess too smart is not good.

Answer 6

No way, that sounds like some dumb insult a guy made up when he was upset a cop pulled him over with a 12 pack of opened beer in his car.

Answer 7

Do you have to have a certain above a certain IQ to post on Yahoo questions???

I guess not!

Answer 8

I have three friends who are on our State Police Force and they have college degrees so I think it is the opposite of what you are asking .

Answer 9

I'm sure the smarter the police officer, the better he/she is. So I don't know why they would have a policy like that.

Answer 10

You are a nurse (Avatar) and you ask me that question?

I would not let you care for me in a medical place because your IQ is obviously low.