The LAPD oral board interview along with the New York Police Department’s interview process is by far the toughest in the country. Why? Well for one, both are large departments that cover a lot of territory in their respective counties. This article is not about NYPD’s interview process per se, I only mention them to give you a broader perspective of how stingy the interview panel will be when you enter that interview room. They are going to select only the best of the best.
You would think because the LAPD recruiting department has a flood of applicants they’d be a little lax on the interview, but that is simply not the case. In fact, the LAPD oral exam has a very high failure rate. You would think most prospects would flunk the written exam than the oral interview, but again that’s simply not the case.
Here’s a quick sample interview question you should expect to hear during the the police oral board interview. Remember, there’s no “right” or “wrong” answer unless your response is way out in left field. The key here is to be completely honest.
LAPD Sample Interview Question#1:
You are off duty, and you walk into a convenience store. While you are in the back of the store looking for household items, you notice a fellow cop walk in the store. He doesn’t know that you are in the store nor did he see you walk in.
You notice the officer to proceed to the front of the counter and place a snickers bar in his pocket, while the clerk is busy talking to a customer. He then pays for a packet of kit kat, but fails to pay for the item that is concealed in his pocket.
What should be your next course of action?
Explanation:
Okay this question is pretty simple. You should immediately contact the supervisor that is working and inform him of what just took place. This officer is bad news and can be a detriment to the police department, but even worse he can cost you your job if not reported. Luckily, you were in the store to spot him, but think about how many time he might have done the same exact thing without being caught.
Another thing you should keep in mind is that someone else could have spotted him as well or the video system could have captured it. What if the clerk later reviews the video and notice the incident. Seriously, this can get pretty ugly for you really quickly if you don’t report this clown.
