With information easier to share than ever before—whether through e-mail, text messaging, social media, or otherwise—recent cheating incidents involving public safety professionals serve as a grim reminder that high-stakes testing procedures have not kept pace with advances in technology. As a result, not only does public confidence in our first responders suffer, but lives and dollars may be at risk. And with public and media scrutiny of law enforcement approaching historic levels, the chances of poor testing procedures having a negative impact on an agency are higher than ever before. But by learning from the tactics and mistakes of previous incidents, as well as the consequences flowing therefrom, administrators can take the steps to discourage, detect, and manage future cheating incidents in their jurisdictions.
