Cognitive Neuroscience Contribution to Police Officer Fitness for Duty Assessment: 2 Case Examples

Abstract

It is essential that the public has confidence that police officers are Fit for Duty. Of course, that starts with being physically fit to perform the demands of their jobs. However, it is also essential that they are of sound mind also – that they are Fit for Duty. The assessment begins during the initial hiring process. In the United States, each individual state sets the standards that police officers have to meet to be considered Fit for Duty. There will be individual differences among the various police organizations in each state. Thus, not only will state police departments have their standards, counties, cities and other jurisdictions will have their standards. In assessing a police officer’s quality of mind, cognitive neuroscience has much to contribute. This article presents two different police officers who were assessed for Fitness for Duty. One was referred by the officer’s own Department due to questionable actions on the job. The other officer self-referred after suffering a head injury, and after taking actions that the officer thought was inappropriate. Data from the cognitive neuropsychological evaluations of each officer are presented. There is an emphasis on the results from the Rorschach, as the differences between those profiles were remarkably divergent, yet each officer was having problems conforming their behavior to proper standards, but each of them for different reasons. The analyses of their psychological assessments demonstrate how cognitive neuroscience can be applied to assessing police officers’ psychological fitness for duty.