Behind-the-scenes look at the NSW Police recruitment process
From your criminal history — and your family’s — to body art, fitness and mental health. Every part of a potential NSW police recruit is scrutinised before they apply. Would you make the cut? Here’s what it takes to walk the thin blue line.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The number of wannabe police officers applying to join the thin blue line has doubled since 2017 with gruelling physical and mental tests not enough to deter hundreds of recruits — even though only half make the cut.
The Daily Telegraph attended a recruitment session and witnessed the tough physical tests that men and women are initially put through to assess their suitability for the Force before they formally apply and undergo psychological tests and background checks.
NSW Police Force Recruitment’s Detective Chief Inspector Lindley is working to have at least 9000 people over three years undergo initial tests, but said about 50 per cent of people fail to proceed to the next round.
He has extended the search from city areas to all corners of the state which has boosted country applications from 99 in 2017 to 220 in 2019.
NO CHEATS, NO CROOKS
Det Chief Insp Lindley said applicants can’t study or cheat their way through the psychology test – which has 567 true or false questions – or the background checks.
“It works out whether you’re prone to stress, whether you’re psychotic, psychopathic, an axe murderer,” he said.
“It only asks you about 50 or 60 things, but in different ways. It can tell if you’re not answering truthfully.
“If you’re a crook we don’t want you.
“Surprisingly, we still get a lot of applications from criminals, which I’m shaking my head at sometimes.
“We had a guy who had been charged with robbery in the past four years. He said: ‘I was young and I was dumb’. I get that mate, but you’re an adult.”
READ MORE
‘We want to know what happened to Devora’
Pip Edwards denies Michael Clarke romance in wake of split
There are the rare exceptions. He said an applicant who was charged with malicious damage at 18 after scratching a “naughty word” onto her cheating ex’s front door was accepted.
“It was the only thing she had done and she was 42,” he said.
There is also a need to recruit a wide range of applicants from all walks of life.
“At the end of the day, the police department is a slice of our community because we represent everybody,” he said.
“If our community is male, female, LGBTIQ, Aboriginal, culturally and linguistically diverse, and has country people, then the police department should reflect that.”
WOULD YOU MAKE THE CUT?
If you want to join the force, it’s not as simple as signing the dotted line.
You have to pass six challenging physical tests, a psychological assessment and a medical test.
Applicants must not have committed any crimes in their adult life and this extends to family, friends and associates.
“If you’re living with a criminal, married to a criminal or the sibling of a criminal, then that’s an issue for us,” Det Chief Insp Lindley said.
“People will try to leverage you as a police officer to supply information or access a computer system.
An applicant cannot have more than one traffic infringement for every two years of having a valid driver’s licence. Tattoos behind ears, on their hands, neck, face or head are out but ‘sleeves’ down to your wrists are okay.
Medical tests closely assess the applicant’s joints, elbows, knees, backs and mental health.
Det Chief Insp Lindley said an applicant would have to wait two years to apply if they had symptoms, were receiving treatment or medication for mental health.
“Policing has one of the largest counts of mental health injury,” he said.
“We see some truly horrific stuff. We need to make sure our police officers have the ability and resilience to cope with mental health issues.
“If someone is prone to depression and anxiety and you give them a firearm, and they see something that is traumatic, the last thing we want is someone to take their own life.”
In his own career, Det Chief Insp Lindley has been shot at, stabbed, punched, kicked, and had a contract taken out on his life.
“It’s par for the course. It happens. You need to come into this job with eyes wide open.
“In the first six months you will be assaulted, in your first 12 months you will be hospitalised.
“It’s just the nature of the job.”
PHYSICAL TESTS
The physical tests are harder than you think, as The Daily Telegraph witnessed on a Saturday at a test training day at Macarthur Girls College.
Participants were required to plank for 90 seconds, then complete 25 push ups resting on their feet or knees. Agility was tested with sprints up and down a circuit, navigating through cones in 20 seconds or less. then a grip test using 30kg on both hands to simulate holding a gun and pulling the trigger.
Lastly, the gruelling beep test — running 20m, stopping and starting at each end over and over again, guided by a beep sound for 1.2 kilometres.
Participants collapsed red-faced finishing this and some didn’t finish at all.
‘REWARDING AS HELL’
Unique to other states, NSW police officers in training must complete a $16,000 course at Charles Sturt University, graduating with a degree in policing practice.
“It provides us with a better quality applicant and a better quality police officer,” he said.
“Plus you are guaranteed employment, starting on $72,000 a year.”
After a recruit completes three years in general duties, the policing world was their oyster, with 158 different specialist sections in the police force, from water police to scientific, detectives, public water riot squad, domestic violence, public order riot and dog squad.
“It’s not as glamorous as they make out (on TV) but it’s rewarding as all hell,” he said.
“When you slap those handcuffs on somebody that’s as guilty as the day is long, you’re hard pressed to find a better feeling.”