Thursday, March 27, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
* FIRST in a periodic series on the Metro Police recruiting process.
A hand pulled over half her face, the woman in the denim sundress was seconds away from crying.
"You're too late, ma'am," the Metro Police official yelled. "You've missed the 8 a.m. cutoff. You'll have to come back the next time the test is offered."
It didn't matter what she said, or what fragments of an excuse she could muster. The whip had been cracked.
By two minutes after 8 a.m. Wednesday, more than two dozen stragglers were being turned away from the end of a line 2,000 strong that snaked its way around the perimeter of Cashman Field Center, where Metro was seating the first arriving candidates for the police recruit applicant exam.
I was about eight bodies ahead of the end of the line -- a risky but ideal spot to get the first hint of Metro's promise:
"A quasi-military setting" is how Metro describes its academy in the handbook mailed out to all interested applicants.
"It is very strict and strenuous, both physically and mentally. You will be required to address your training officers by their formal titles and salute when they are present. They may yell at you if you answer a question wrong or fail to maintain your uniform properly. All of this is done with a purpose -- to strengthen your spirit and character to help you make the necessary transition into the role of police officer."
Needless to say, the official didn't want to hear people's excuses about being stuck in traffic or a packed parking lot. You either made it on time or you didn't. Even a woman who arrived late in a cab was turned away.
The turnout was impressive, considering how often Metro has been slammed with bad headlines in recent weeks and the fact that only 125 applicants will be hired.
A few locals in line mentioned recent cases of police misconduct.
Others talked about the money -- a hired police recruit makes between $2,758 and $3,630 per month, and maxes out at $3,845 as a commissioned Police Officer I, the ranking given upon passing the academy.
A few are looking for a career beyond security guard work. Some are leaving high-paid corporate jobs to pursue childhood dreams.
I couldn't say much myself, outside the laughter and jokes whiling away the long wait.
Metro has invited the media to test along with the crowd over the next two months, provided we do it as unobtrusively as possible.
So I kept quiet when the 22-year-old guy in front of me started talking about his life as a cop in New Jersey. He joined with a friend at 21; since then, his friend has been shot, crime's so bad he draws his weapon every day, and he could only laugh about the 67 inches of snow he's seen this winter as the 70-degree Vegas sun rays blushed his fair skin.
"I can't let anyone back home know what I'm doing out here -- I'll lose my job," he said. He used vacation time to fly out for the test; if he makes the first cut, he'll continue the same pricey path in hopes it'll pay off with a better job.
Metro is not accepting transfers from other departments; all current officers have to test alongside civilians to get in.
The process involves seven phases, with Wednesday's written exam the first step.
It started with a two-page illustration of a congested intersection. The candidate is given 60 seconds to absorb every detail -- street signs, parked and moving vehicles, fire hydrants, pedestrians and their clothing, pigeons on the street, even clues to what time of day it is.
Candidates are then allowed to open their booklets and begin answering 200 questions in two hours, the first few dozen of which are true/false responses about the drawing.
Written communication skills are tested next with a series of grammatically correct and incorrect sentences.
Reading comprehension is challenged with several passages written in policy manual form, with corresponding multiple choice questions.
The last section is a biographical inventory, including questions often asked in oral interviews: Do you feel your high school grades were as good as your capabilities? (yes/no); what has been your major accomplishment outside of work? (family activities, community activities, development of self, development of social activities); etc.
Candidates will be notified of their scores by mail beginning Wednesday. Those who receive the top 600 scores will be invited to continue.
The physical fitness test is slated for April 16-17 at the UNLV track. Candidates must run a mile and a half in 14 minutes, 46 seconds; 29 sit-ups in 60 seconds; 21 push-ups in 60 seconds, and perform a sit-and-reach flexibility test.
Those who pass undergo a mini-background interview in late April regarding their criminal, employment and drug history.
From June 2-20, candidates will undergo a polygraph, oral psychological interview and medical examination. Final offers for employment will be made at the end of June. Those who make it will enter the academy Aug. 4. Graduation is Dec. 19.
"It's the physical I'm worried about," said Jennifer Collins, 26, of Pennsylvania -- one of many out-of-towners trying to qualify. "It's pretty expensive, flying back and forth, but I got the information booklet and my income tax check in the mail the same day and figured that was the sign -- book it and try it."
Bruce, who declined to give his last name, hopes his 20 years in the Army's military police will help his chances. He flew in from Hawaii to test -- a costly career move considering hotels, rental cars and airfares are at a premium right now with spring break travelers.
"The test was all right," Bruce said. "I just think they put too much emphasis on English lit stuff. ... Everyone has access to computers or a proofreader to catch grammar and spelling problems. It's experience they should be looking at."
Robb McBride, a police officer with the Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Police Department, tested in hopes of getting into a department with greater benefits and a city with more educational opportunities.
"The test was pretty close to the test I took there," he said. "Usually, though, you get about 2-5 minutes to memorize the photo." And an element other departments test on: coming up with the best route on a map to get to a crime scene.
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