“Why would they be apt to be murderers more than any other person? The BETTER and BEST police departments in the West do extensive psychological testing on ALL their recruits. No sane police department wants gun-toting, badge-wearing nut cases on their police forces.”
Here in the northeast their status as “preferred minorities” supersedes all else (fitness, intelligence, mental health); for many it has become a workfare program. When the local paper showed a picture of a ceremony a few years ago when Newark NJ laid off 160 cops, you wouldn’t believe the fat asses on many of them (and they were the newest hires). A couple looked tough (probably military veterans); the rest weren’t about to enforce any laws that required them to stand up.
It's a shame really. The "thin blue line" needs push away from the dinner table sooner.
Police departments also changed TREMENDOUSLY when they decided that they HAD to hire lots of women cops. And they did. Unfortunately, TOO many of those women disabled out with all kinds of back injuries, knee problems, etc. It's one thing to say "we want more women in the police departments" and QUITE another thing getting women on the streets. I know FOR SURE that physical requirements had to be GREATLY lowered so that women could qualify.
I dunno. If you were in REAL physical danger, which would you rather see show up at your door: a 5'2" woman cop or a BIG, MEAN, UGLY Tact Squad cop? There are no WOMEN on any Tact squad I've ever heard of. But, then what do I know?
Side note: I don't think I've EVER seen a woman cop on a motorcycle, riding a police horse, holding on to those VICIOUS police dogs or being part of the "TACT squad."
Nowadays, as I keep up with those things, few women are "on the beat." They are riding their desks, instead of a patrol car.