Unit 6: Drug Recognition and Evidence

The Oral Exam

Some law enforcement agencies will ask you about attitudes and past behaviors as part of their screening process. These questions are often given great weight. They will ask about your past history and your present attitudes. Typical questions include some like these: Have you ever used drugs? Have you ever been arrested? Did you get into trouble with teachers in school? Were charges ever brought against you in the military? Did you ever get drunk? Do you believe that blacks are not as intelligent as whites? If you were given an order that you did not agree with, would you obey it? Did you ever get parking or driving summonses?

You should give honest answers to all such questions. Still, there may be ambiguities in some questions. A question about drugs should be interpreted as a question about personal use of illegal drugs, not legal drugs and not about whether your friends use drugs. With a question about obeying orders even when you think they are wrong, most law enforcement agencies expect a candidate to say he or she will obey, even though one could imagine extreme conditions under which an officer might really be expected to disobey an improper or foolish order. Interpret questions about obeying orders in the context of reasonable orders.

Your answers to some of these questions may come up for discussion in the psychological interview. Candidates who are very ethical or religious (such as the children of clergy sometimes are) often encounter considerable difficulty with psychological screening. Such a person may honestly answer that he or she has absolutely never used any kind of drug whatsoever, never stolen anything whatsoever, never been in any trouble whatsoever in school, never drinks any alcohol whatsoever, etc. Unfortunately, people doing the psychological screening, especially if they are not fully trained professionals, often assume that a person who claims to be so perfect is lying; they do not look for a context in which to understand the candidate. If you are telling the truth but find that the interviewer is not believing you, do not challenge the interviewer (How do you know ... ? What makes you so sure that ... ?). Instead, stick to the truth and explain yourself in terms of your basic upbringing, beliefs and attitudes.

There is no need to lie if you are asked about embarrassing past events. Many law enforcement candidates have been in trouble in school, committed minor offenses, been drunk on occasion, etc. These things in one’s past are quite different from being the local drug dealer or stabbing a neighbor who was playing a stereo too loud. The important thing is your present attitude toward past incidents. The law enforcement agency is probably not interested in hiring someone who plays down a past event or evades responsibility by saying such things as, “It was no big deal. Everybody does it. My friend made me do it.” It is best to acknowledge past incidents, admit a mistake, and let the interviewer move on to the next topic. Indeed, all that most interviewers want is an assurance that such behavior is in the past, is now viewed as having been immature, and is not part of one’s present lifestyle.

Before you go to an interview, you should learn as much about the agency as possible. Much of this information will be available in the agency’s own literature. You should also have gained a fair amount of insight into the positions you have applied for through your assignments in previous Units of this Program.

Some things you should do at the interview:

Dress well. A dark blue suit is the best attire for men or women. For many years FBI Agents were required to wear dark suits, white dress shirts, and conservative ties. The reason was sound; the Agent’s job was to get information from people and the Agent’s dress and manners should be as neutral and non-offensive to the majority of people that the Agent might be in contact with. Facial hair and ear or nose rings are still not part of most law enforcement uniforms.

Speak clearly. Practice in front of a mirror before you go to the interview.

Be truthful but don’t volunteer information from your background that you don’t want the interviewer to know.

Get plenty of rest the night before the interview. The day before, exercise and avoid alcohol. If caffeine makes you nervous, skip your morning coffee on the day of the interview.

Be prepared to ask questions of the interviewer. You will inevitably be asked if you have any questions. It is best if you do. Also, during periods of silence you can use this time to ask questions that will demonstrate your knowledge and interest.

Some things you should not do at the interview:

Don’t arrive too early for the interview. It makes you appear overanxious.

Don’t apologize for your liabilities. If you are asked whether you have ever smoked marijuana and you have, answer, “Yes, I have.” Period. Don’t say, “Yes, but only once,” or, “Yes, but I didn’t inhale.” Everyone knows by know how stupid and insincere that sounds.

Don’t discuss controversial subjects such as race, religion, or politics.

Read the following questions carefully and thoroughly prepare your answers before going to any interview or oral examination.

- Why do you want to be a _______________?

- What qualities do you have that would make you a good _______________?

- What is your greatest strength? weakness?

- Why do you want to leave your present position?

- Can you deal with pressure? deadlines? danger?

- Why didn’t you do better in school? college?

- Are you willing to relocate?

- How does your spouse/family feel about the position that you’re applying for?

- How long will you stay with this agency?

- How do you feel about people from minority groups?

- What are your goals and objectives?

- What books have you read lately?

- What magazines do you read regularly?

- What movies have you seen recently?

- What sporting events have you attended?

- What do you feel about women police officers? divorce? abortion? homosexuals?

- Are you inquisitive? analytical? creative? aggressive? Give an example.

- Do you think you could shoot someone in the line of duty? How would you feel?

- Are you a leader? Give an example.

- How would you describe your personality.

- Describe your personality.

- Tell me about yourself.

- What other agencies/positions have you applied for?

- If you had your choice of agencies/positions, which would you take? Why?

- If you were investigating a case and learned that your best friend was selling marijuana,

what would you do?

- If your supervisor told you to make an arrest that you felt was illegal, what would you do?

- If you learned that your supervisor had received money from someone suspected of being involved in organized crime, what would you do?

Unfortunately, most of us will have more interviews than we will get job offers. It is important, therefore that we learn something from every interview and not get discouraged. Begin exploring new opportunities immediately.