Recruits applying for full-time law enforcement positions would have to undergo psychological testing, under legislation approved in the state Senate Tuesday.
The bill is intended to help identify possible mental health issues among candidates for police positions. State Senator Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay), the author, says the public should have the comfort of knowing that the people hired to protect the public are the best qualified for the job, both mentally and physically.
However, Senator Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) is concerned about what will happen after a bad evaluation. He says the bill could influence police departments to reject candidates who are otherwise qualified for the position, but score poorly on an evaluation.
During debate on the Senate floor Tuesday, Grothman also criticized the bill for being an overreaction to the massacre in Crandon last fall. Off-duty sheriff's deputy Tyler Peterson fatally shot six people, wounded another, then took his own life. Hansen says the bill is not intended to change what happened in Crandon, but will help improve the quality of law enforcement across the state.
The measure now heads to the Assembly.