Police officers come from all walks of life, but it takes a lot to recruit someone to become a police officer. There are often many methods, challenges and problems that arise during recruitment. Throughout the journey, there is a rigorous screening process, a lot of physical training, and even a bit of politics that many people are simply not ready to handle. What happens during recruitment? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Let's start with the methods of the recruiting process. Essentially, thousands of people apply to become police officers, but not everyone makes it to the final stage, which is actually putting on the uniform. People choose to become police officers to help other people, fight crime, for job security and for many other reasons, according to Lesson 2. Now, when someone decides to become a police officer, they have to go through a process of obstacles. This allows the police force to screen candidates and find the strongest and most suitable for the job at hand. Lesson 2 explains that it includes several tests, such as a general knowledge test, a physical agility test, oral interviews, psychological evaluations, a background investigation, a polygraph, and a comprehensive medical exam. Not everyone can pass each of these tests. However, if someone passes all these tests, they may think they have the job immediately. This is not the case and leads to some of the problems and challenges of recruiting police officers. One of the biggest problems in today's society is obesity. This is not just a problem in the United States, but also extends to the job market when looking for new police recruits. That, along with “large debts, drug use and a criminal record,” says Kenneth J. Peak, author of Policing America: Challenges and Best Practices. This becomes a big problem as thousands of candidates may apply, only a few end up meeting all the requirements, leaving any agency in need of more recruits. Another issue concerns the privacy of recruits, as all passwords for social media sites are asked during the background check. Some people refuse this part of the process, and in turn, investigators lose potential candidates. Likewise, salary has a lot to do with less interest from recruits. According to Peak, “the average entry-level salary for police officers in smaller jurisdictions averages around $26,000 and $49,500 in larger jurisdictions.” Some feel this isn't enough to put their life on the line every day, but budget cuts and a competitive job market make it so. Finally, and arguably one of the biggest issues surrounding the field of recruiting and policing, is minority and gender bias. . Gender bias, regarding men being hired over women and promoted over women, even though said woman may have a higher or better qualification for that job. It also refers to the sexual harassment seen in the workplace. Peak states, “…sexual harassment issues prevent many women from applying and cause many women to leave – and quickly: About 60% of female officers who leave their agency do so during their second or fifth year of work". At the same time, minorities are treated equally. Some, with lower pay, lower hiring rate, and harassment. To combat this, however, recruitment teams have taken measures.