In the three weeks since an Illinois deputy sheriff was charged with murder after fatally shooting Sonya Massey, observers have questioned how and why the officer — who had worked for six law enforcement agencies in four years — kept getting hired. Sean Grayson’s personnel files show a string of red flags: He admitted to having two DUI arrests and being discharged from the Army for “misconduct, (serious offense).” After one DUI, a handgun was found in his car. In a previous law enforcement job, he had been reprimanded for inaccuracies in his reports, failure to follow orders from a senior leader and a perceived lack of integrity. Last week, Grayson’s most recent employer, the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, posted files showing that although he scored low on a psychological cognitive assessment, Thomas Campion, a police psychologist, wrote Grayson was suitable for the job. Two other departments noted that he needed more training.
In an interview with "NBC Nightly News," Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell defended hiring Grayson.
"He was certified six times to work as a police officer in Illinois," Campbell said. "There was nothing in his past that would have given me an idea that he would snap the way he did." Grayson’s hiring did not appear to have violated state or local police hiring policies. Hiring practices around the country reflect a patchwork of hiring standards that vary from community to community. The standards in many small law enforcement agencies are often lower than those of large city agencies. Nearly 85% of the 18,000 state and local police agencies employ fewer than 50 officers. There are no national laws governing how state and local police agencies, including sheriff’s offices, hire and vet applicants. Compounding the problem is a police shortage fueled by the police killing of George Floyd and the wave of protests, police retirements and drop in applicants that followed. The shortage has forced many chiefs and sheriffs to choose from lower-quality applicants. Experts who conduct background checks say the number of high-quality job candidates is declining. “In some areas, you’re really dealing with, Who is the best of the worst?” said Dr. Matt Guller, a psychologist who screens applicants for more than 600 law enforcement agencies.
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