Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

If a Leo pulled you over for speeding and had a really bad stuttering problem? Would you try not to laugh or make it obvious that you want to say something to him about it?

One of the minimum requirements for a police officer is the ability to communicate effectively. A heavy stutter pretty much rules that out and is a DQ factor.

With that in mind, if I were stopped by someone with a heavy stutter claiming to be an officer, I would wonder if he is an impersonator. When the opportunity presented itself, I would probably grab my cell phone, discretely call 911, tell them where I am, describe what has happened and express my concern that the person who stopped me may be not be a real cop. The dispatcher will either tell me if he is legit or start rolling the real police to my location.

If a Leo pulled you over for speeding and had a really bad stuttering problem? Would you try not to laugh or make it obvious that you want to say something to him about it?

If you've ever worked in an organization that requires fast radio transmissions, you'd know stuttering is not an option. I'd say either fake or he's having a medical issue. Same is true for airline pilots and probably forward observers calling in airstrikes.

Seems an odd question too. :/

I have a stuttering problem I made it through the marine corps just fine. Made it through the interview process to get inthr accademy and no one once said a thing to me about it. You think it's a dq? I don't think it Is we will have to find out.

I have a stuttering problem I made it through the marine corps just fine. Made it through the interview process to get inthr accademy and no one once said a thing to me about it. You think it's a dq? I don't think it Is we will have to find out.

Thanks for your service! Not a LEO so I won't speak for DQ but radio work is big part of a lot of jobs. Find a scanner for a busy airport and listen to them. It's all about speed and accuracy. I imagine police radio work is similar and your stutter, if it's slight might be okay. Don't know how much the academy cares, but I think your FTO might be concerned if it's severe enough. He's the one most likely to hear it if it's stress related and he controls your fate.

Most academies don't scrutinize folks and will let just about anyone enter. Its totally different then being hired by an agency. IMO its all about the money/tuition.

With that said, in nearly 15 years of LE and meeting Officers from around the country I have NEVER met or heard of any Officers with any speech issues. I personally had an issue when I was younger and after years of speech therapy it was corrected and has never returned. So I can say IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT, however in LE being able to quickly and effectively communicate is vital to YOUR safety and felllow Officers.

There are many Officers that speak cleary etc normally but as soon as "s**t hits the fan" they speak so fast etc that noone can understand them. Thats people with no speech issues, if you take someone with an issue it can literally turn DEADLY if they cant get vital information out to back up units etc.

I wish you luck and would recommend speach therapy if you havent already tried it. And as stated above, if I were approached by someone claiming to be a LEO with an obvious speech issue I too would have to verify his Identity simply because I have NEVER heard of anyone in LE with a speech problem.

I don't mean to crush your dreams, but academies like the one you are attending are like public colleges, it is hard to justify turning away anyone who is able to pay the tuition. But just because you attend does not guarantee someone will hire you.

You face two obstacles in the hiring process. The first will be the oral panel which will assess your communication skills. If you are unable to demonstrate the ability to speak clearly, quickly and concisely, particularly in stressful situations, you will be DQed.

The next obstacle will be the medical and psych exams. Stuttering can be neurological in nature and may form the basis for a medical DQ. Similarly, police applicants are evaluated to determine if they are free from any emotional or mental condition that might adversely affect the exercise of the powers of a police officer and to otherwise ensure they are capable of withstanding the psychological demands of the position. Because stuttering can also be psychological in nature, it may be grounds for DQ under the psych exam.

FWIW a random survey of law enforcement agencies conducted by Wright State University indicated that stuttering was a disqualifying factor Law Enforcement Physical Requirements (http://www.wright.edu/~jim.adamitis/physical_req/requirements.html)

Similarly, the State of Massachusetts lists stuttering as a Category B medical condition that may form the basis for disqualifying public safety applicants. https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:H7G444-YLkwJ:www.mass.gov/anf/docs/hrd/cs/medicalstandardspat/cs-pat-physicians-guide.doc+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESi9h0SqBHJ_hS5tJn--GRUL-UHdBO3afj3uxWTlT8BxYlMt9AECaJKOnAQ5Nt1iLNfl0_bxtgC 4DvpngcXuP48DVBGlKnBVvCMrQb5Noj4pEmKtfAjC4wDjHfpD1 hmLrD0zGjpp&sig=AHIEtbTOjl8953jQguTWVZtT6gQMWtCZ7w&pli=1

Before you devote a significant amount of time and money on an academy, talk to the HR people at the city or county you want to work for and ask if stuttering can be a disqualifier. Let their answer be you guide as to what to do.

I stuttered badly as a kid, it got better when I got older. I could barely communicate in the 5-6th grades, but by high school it wasn't nearly as bad. I was accepted in the Army, but initially I was told I couldn't go into any field where radio communication was required so I got an electronic maintenance MOS. I applied to OCS a couple of years later and was retested and passed although until I was nearly 30, I still had occasional problems with hard sounds at the beginning of a sentence such as "8" or the "H" sound. But it was only occasional and never in the middle of a sentence (or really a paragraph). Even then, I learned to put a quiet and soft rrrr sound first and I could flow into the 8 or H. I was able to do that well enough that no one noticed there was any problem.

But I can tell you, if you have a stuttering problem of any significance, forget it. It's dangerous for you and others depending on you if you can't communicate quickly and clearly.