Category: World of Work

ResumeLab’s Survey Finds 70% of Workers Lie on Resumes; Lying Rates Increase in Cover Letters and Peak During Job Interviews Job applicants with Master’s or doctoral degrees admit to lying most frequently

October 2, 2023 – ResumeLab®, a leading resource for resume advice, surveyed over 1,900 U.S.-based workers in August 2023 about the rate at which job seekers lie on their resumes, in their cover letters, and during job interviews. According to ResumeLab’s Job Applicant Behavior Survey, workers are lying at very high rates throughout the job application process.

70% of workers said they have lied on their resume, with 37% of those admitting that they lie frequently. Embellishing responsibilities in general (52%), their job title (52%), the number of people they managed (45%), and the length of employment (37%) were the top lies told on resumes.

76% of workers said they have lied in their cover letters, with 50% of those admitting to frequently lying. 80% of workers said they have lied during a job interview, with 44% of those admitting to frequently lying. Job seekers are lying the most during job interviews, then in their cover letters, and then on their resumes.

In all three parts of the job application process, those with Master’s or doctoral degrees reported the highest incidence of lying, followed by those without college degrees. The education demographic that reported the lowest rates of lying were those with bachelor’s or associate degrees.

“Honesty is always the best policy when it comes to job applications and interviews,” said Agata Szczepanek, Career Expert at ResumeLab. “Even slightly stretching the truth can result in immediate or long-term consequences. Instead of lying about employment history, education, or something more, workers should try shifting the focus to the related experience and transferable skills they can offer,” Szczepanek stated.

Lying on a Resume

70% of workers said they have lied on their resume, with 37% of those admitting that they lie frequently. When asked, “Have you ever lied on a resume?,” respondents claimed:

  • 37% yes, I lie frequently
  • 33% yes, I have lied once or twice
  • 15% no, but I have considered lying
  • 15% no, and I have never considered lying

Those with Master’s or doctoral degrees reported higher incidences of lying on resumes (58% frequently lie, 27% have lied once or twice = 85% total) compared to people without a college degree (29% frequently lie, 42% have lied once or twice = 71% total), with those with bachelor’s or associate degrees lying the least (30% frequently lie, 33% have lied once or twice = 63%).

What Do Job Seekers Lie About?

The top lies job seekers tell on their resumes:

  • Embellishing responsibilities in general (52%)
  • My job title (to make it sound more impressive) (52%)
  • Fabricating how many people I actually managed (45%)
  • The length of time I was employed at a job (37%)
  • The name of the company that employed me (31%)
  • Made up the entire position (24%)
  • Inflating metrics or accomplishments I achieved (e.g. sales numbers) (17%)
  • My skills section (15%)
  • Awards or accolades (13%)
  • Volunteer work (11%)
  • My education credentials (11%)
  • Covered up a career gap (9%)
  • Technology capabilities (knowing tools like Trello, Asana, etc.) (5%)

The Job Applicant Behavior Survey also inquired about lying on cover letters and during job interviews.

Lying in Cover Letters

76% of workers said they have lied in their cover letters, with 50% of those admitting to frequently lying. When asked, “Have you ever lied on a cover letter?” respondents claimed:

  • 50% yes, I lie frequently
  • 26% yes, I have lied once or twice
  • 15% no, and I have never considered lying
  • 9% no, but I have considered lying

Those with Master’s or doctoral degrees reported higher incidences of lying on cover letters (73% frequently lie, 17% have lied once or twice = 90% total) compared to people without a college degree (49% frequently lie, 34% have lied once or twice = 83% total), with those with bachelor’s or associate degrees lying the least (40% frequently lie, 29% have lied once or twice = 69%).

Lying During Job Interviews

80% of workers said they have lied during a job interview, with 44% of those admitting to frequently lying. When asked, “Have you ever lied in a job interview?” respondents claimed:

  • 44% yes, I lie frequently
  • 36% yes, I have lied once or twice
  • 20% no, I have not lied

Once again, those with Master’s or doctoral degrees reported higher incidences of lying on cover letters (63% frequently lie, 25% have lied once or twice = 88% total) compared to people without a college degree (31% frequently lie, 53% have lied once or twice = 84% total), with those with bachelor’s or associate degrees lying the least (38% frequently lie, 38% have lied once or twice = 76%).

To view the full report with more information, please visit https://resumelab.com/career-advice/lying-to-get-a-job or contact Peter Bryla at bryla.peter@resumelab.com

These findings were obtained by surveying 1,914 U.S. respondents online via a bespoke polling tool on August 3, 2023. Respondents were asked a variety of questions around the job application and interview behaviors. These included yes/no questions, scale-based questions relating to levels of agreement with a statement, questions that permitted the selection of multiple options from a list of potential answers, and a question that allowed open responses. All respondents included in the study passed an attention-check question.

About ResumeLab
ResumeLab is the ultimate career resource providing state-of-the art software to create a job-winning resume in minutes. To make landing a job quick and easy, ResumeLab offers free, up-to-date job hunting tips and resume examples for the most popular professions and industries from a dedicated team of experts. Sharing more than 100+ templates, fact-checked advice and the latest workplace insights, ResumeLab has been featured in Forbes, Inc., and the Wall Street Journal, among many others.

Hollywood and the AI Threat of Tomorrow

I am a big fan of the show – Black Mirror.


If you have not watched it before, do yourself a favor and add it to your Netflix waiting list. It’s an anthology series that reminds me of The Twilight Zone but with an emphasis on technology. Case in point, in the latest season there is an episode titled “Joan is Awful” which presents a dark view of AI as it pertains to Hollywood. The Verge reviews the episode. Click here to read it in full if you don’t mind spoilers. This quote though won’t ruin anything.

“Joan is Awful” stars Annie Murphy as Joan, a very normal woman who kind of misses her ex, finds her fiancé a little boring, and is a middle manager at a tech company, doing the board’s dirty work while feeling pretty shitty about herself. One night she and her fiancé kick back on the couch, turn on Streamberry (a thinly veiled copy of Netflix) and settle in to watch the buzzy new show Joan is Awful. Joan, naturally, is horrified to realize the show is just about her, as played by Salma Hayek. Her life quickly spins out of control as her secrets are revealed against her will, and she embarks on a quest to wrest control of her life back from Streamberry (and Salma Hayek).

I brought up the episode because I see a version of this unfolding in real life. The Hollywood strike of writers (and actors) is due in part to the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in moviemaking. Imagine someone taking your picture and paying you a one-time fee of X for it. That same someone then puts your face on a character in a movie, the movie is a hit and there are 3 sequels and 4 spin-offs featuring a character with your face. All in all, the movie series goes on to make a trillion dollars. Great for the Hollywood studios but not for you because you sold the rights to your face on film, so your payday has long been past; and it was a single payment. Seem unfair? I think it is and because so many others feel the same way, there is a strike in Hollywood. “Joan is Awful” may be a cautionary tale, indeed. But there was already a canary in the coalmine – voice actors. They have been sounding the alarm on AI quite a bit recently. Here’s a media quote…

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a hot topic of debate at this year’s Comic-Con event, with voice actors sounding the alarm on the encroachment of AI into their industry. The rise of AI technology has made it possible for voices to be cloned and used without permission or consent. Tim Friedlander, founder of the National Association of Voice Actors, shared the story of a voice actor who lost their job because their company decided to create an AI synthetic voice using three years’ worth of their recorded voice.

The issue goes beyond the studios, as fans have also been using AI technology to clone famous voices and create new material, often of explicit nature. This poses a concern for voice actors who fear that their voices could be used to say things they don’t endorse and have their children hear it.

And according to Fox News, Hollywood is becoming more assertive in demanding that voice actors sign over the rights to their voices in perpetuity.

Actors are sounding the alarm on new artificial intelligence (AI) technology that creates replicas of their voices and could replace them without proper compensation.

According to a report by VICE’s Motherboard, Hollywood and videogame voice actors are being asked to sign contracts that give away the rights to their voices for use in generative AI. They claim that the increasingly common practice could decimate entire aspects of the industry.

“It’s disrespectful to the craft to suggest that generating a performance is equivalent to a real human being’s performance,” SungWon Cho, a game and animation voice actor, told Motherboard.

“Sure, you can get it to sound tonally like a voice and maybe even make it sound like it’s capturing an emotion, but at the end of the day, it is still going to ring hollow and false. Going down this road runs the risk of people thinking that voice-over can be replaced entirely by AI, which really makes my stomach turn.”

AI’s impact on the industry has exasperated pre-existing concerns over fair compensation because pay for actors has been on the decline on streaming services. Take for example the hit Netflix show – “Orange is the New Black.” Supporting actors in the show revealed they were paid as little as $27.30 a year in residual pay because of how streaming services pays. This is a significantly less than what they make on smaller network TV jobs. As a result, some actors had to work second jobs while they were starring on the show. I read about it in The New Yorker.

In December, 2020, in the depths of pandemic winter, the actress Kimiko Glenn got a foreign-royalty statement in the mail from the screen actors’ union, sag-aftra. Glenn is best known for playing the motormouthed, idealistic inmate Brook Soso on the women’s-prison series “Orange Is the New Black,” which ran from 2013 to 2019, on Netflix. The orchid-pink paper listed episodes of the show that she’d appeared on (“A Whole Other Hole,” “Trust No Bitch”) alongside tiny amounts of income (four cents, two cents) culled from overseas levies—a thin slice of pie from the show that had thrust her to prominence. “I was, like, Oh, my God, it’s just so sad,” Glenn recalled. With many television and movie sets shuttered, she was supporting herself with voice-over jobs, and she’d been messing around with TikTok. She posted a video in which she scans the statement—“I’m about to be so riiich!”—then reaches the grand total of twenty-seven dollars and thirty cents and shrieks, “WHAT?”

So how are the studio executives reacting to all the controversy? Whether its greed or cluelessness, they seem not to understand how their proposal to make digital twins of actors and use them on various projects (without paying extra to actors or even getting consent) would devastate an actor’s ability to make a living. Indeed, they see it all as “groundbreaking.” To quote The New Scientist…

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers – which represents both traditional studios and streaming platforms such as Netflix – issued a statement saying they had offered a “groundbreaking AI proposal which protects performers’ digital likenesses” while requiring performer consent for the creation and use of digital replicas.

But during a press conference confirming the strike on 13 July, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief negotiator for the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), described the studios’ AI proposal in very different terms.

“In that ‘groundbreaking’ AI proposal, they proposed that our background performers should be able to be scanned, get paid for one day’s pay, and their companies should own that scan, their image, their likeness and should be able to use it for the rest of eternity on any project they want, with no consent and no compensation,” said Crabtree-Ireland.

Fran Drescher (which you might remember as “The Nanny”) is the President of SAG-AFTRA, the union representing over 150,000 television and movie actors. She made the statement, “If we don’t stand tall right now, we are all going to be in trouble, we are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines,” in a fiery speech against Hollywood studios. She reiterated this sentiment in several interviews, including with TIME, PBS, and MSNBC. In these interviews, Drescher discussed the threat of AI in Hollywood and the need for actors to stand up for their rights and protections in the face of advancing technology.

The writers & actors strike reminds me of the Napster controversy of the 90’s. In both cases, there is a clash between traditional industries and new technologies that threaten to disrupt established business models. Both involve disputes over intellectual property rights and compensation for creators. Both involve workers fighting for their rights and protections in the face of advancing technology. Both have the potential to reshape the entertainment industry and the way that content is created, distributed, and consumed. In the end, Napster folded but a new world order was established that benefitted all concerned.

Regarding the strike, I think what Fran said was right. I think her beef with the Hollywood studios is legitimate. I think in the end, new rules will be created that will fairly compensate everyone involved, just like with Napster. Until then, I stand with the actors and writers. Fight the power.

 

A Quarter of US Employers Surveyed by Salary.com are Battling a Skills Gap with Another 42% Saying It Will Hit Them Within 2 Years

A third say emergence of ChatGPT will change the type of skills they seek

WALTHAM, Mass., July 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — How urgent is the workforce skills gap? According to new data from Salary.com® the skills gap is here for almost a quarter of U.S. employers surveyed, with another 42 percent stating it will hit them within the next two years. The Salary.com 2023 Workforce Skills Gap Survey also confirmed the labor shortage continues to impact hiring, with almost three-quarters stating it is more difficult today to find qualified candidates.

Despite already experiencing the negative impact of the gap, most organizations surveyed are not prepared to address it. Only 14 percent have conducted a skills audit and a quarter have a skills and competency framework to support their efforts. The survey conducted by Salary.com, had a total of 425 HR and talent management professionals participating, representing a variety of industries and organizational sizes.

Top drivers of the skills gap

Advancing technology is cited as the biggest contributor to the skills gap, though survey respondents have not yet fully determined how the emergence of generative AI will impact the skills they seek. While only 15 percent of organizations surveyed currently use Chat GPT, almost a third say it will change the type of skills they currently seek; 32 percent say it could impact the skills they seek in a year from now. Respondents indicated there could be a stronger focus on “soft skills” like problem-solving, communication, and decision-making.

“Successful organizations will invest in training their teams on generative AI and other rapidly evolving technologies, proving the power of upskilling to mitigate employee turnover,” said David Turetsky, vice president of compensation consulting at Salary.com. “With a persistently tight labor market and a willingness among employees to simply move on from jobs that don’t pay well and aren’t fulfilling, upskilling represents a critical path forward for employers.”

Top 5 in-demand skills

When it comes to the skills employers are seeking, effective communication rose to the top of 20 total choices. It’s interesting to note that all of the top five skills are needed to progress in any organization and certainly to successfully leverage AI technology.

  1. 65 percent: effective communication
  2. 55 percent: problem solving
  3. 47 percent: critical thinking
  4. 43 percent: attention to detail
  5. 41 percent: analytical thinking

Top ways organizations are addressing the skills gap
Two-thirds of organizations are investing in learning & development initiatives designed to reskill/upskill their employees, a wise investment during a labor shortage. Other top approaches include recruiting outside the organization with skills-based hiring, which also requires reworking job descriptions and hiring requirements.

While only a quarter of survey respondents have a skills and competency framework, more than half of respondents believe a skills and competency framework decreases bias in job definitions.

In terms of compensation, the most popular practice currently is using a combination of skills-based and variable-based compensation. Less than 20 percent use a skills-based approach and 23 percent have no plans to adopt a skills-based approach to compensation.

Leveraging technology and data to combat the skills gap

“We strongly advise that organizations start with conducting a skills inventory. HR teams may be pleasantly surprised that they have critical skills they’re seeking in-house,” said Turetsky. “Our survey found that HR pros regard conducting a skills inventory and creating career pathways as their top challenges. Fortunately, software and data can play a key role in operationalizing the process.”

Salary.com’s CompAnalyst Skills Model provides organizations with a central hub for accessing and managing their frameworks. It features the industry’s most comprehensive AI-powered software and data collection of Skills & Competency Frameworks that enable HR teams to hire, evaluate, and develop top talent. Customers can view job-specific and core skills mapped to more than 15,000 job titles across 18 industries and 26 job families. It manages the measurement of proficiency levels for each skill and provides employees incentives for advancement in their competencies. A dedicated team of data science experts continuously monitor and update the data.

About the Survey

Salary.com conducted the survey in May of 2023 and aggregated the data of 425 participants. The statistics and observations are based on the data submitted by all participants and are audited for quality assurance. Data was collected from survey participants representing 22 industries ranging from healthcare, to education, business Services, and more. The results represent company sizes with 0-250 to over 10,000+ FTEs.

About Salary.com
Salary.com® has been solving the complex human capital needs of global organizations for more than 20 years. Today, Salary.com’s 30,000 organizations in 22 countries use our solutions to confidently hire and retain talent so they can better compete in a constantly changing landscape. Offering the most precise data set on the market, Salary.com provides more than 10 billion data points across more than 225 industries using a powerful, proprietary AI framework. The company’s flagship product CompAnalyst® is the cornerstone of the compensation management software platform. It empowers organizations with a suite of tools that simplifies hiring, eliminates compensation guesswork, and increases retention. Employee trust depends on fair pay and Salary.com’s solutions get pay right. For more information, please visit www.salary.com/business.

Artificial Intelligence Enters the Workforce: Cengage Group’s 2023 Employability Report Exposes New Hiring Trends, Shaky Graduate Confidence

  • Half of graduates feel threatened by AI (46%) and question their workforce readiness (52%)
  • 59% of employers say AI has caused them to prioritize different skills when hiring, including “uniquely human” skills
  • Half of employers have dropped degree requirements for entry-level roles

BOSTON, July 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The job landscape has been completely transformed. In response to workplace transitions like The Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting and now the rise and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), employer hiring habits continue to evolve with 50% of employers now admitting they’ve dropped 2- and 4-year degree requirements for entry-level positions (a 32% increase over 2022) and started prioritizing softer skills and previous job experience (66%).

Data from the 2023 Cengage Group Employability Survey tracks opinions on key workforce trends among recent graduates and employers.

And while these shifts signal a move toward skills-based hiring (over degree-based hiring), it also introduces new uncertainties for graduates.

According to Cengage Group’s 2023 Employability Report – the third annual report surveying 1,000 graduates who completed a degree or non-degree program in the last 12 months and 1,000 U.S. hiring decisionmakers – the growth of emerging technologies, like generative AI, have a third of grads second-guessing their career choice. Additionally, more than half (52%) of graduates say competition from AI has them questioning how prepared they are for the workforce.

“The workplace has changed rapidly in the last few years, and now we are witnessing a new shift as AI begins to reshape worker productivity, job requirements, hiring habits and even entire industries,” said Michael Hansen, CEO of Cengage Group. “With new technology comes both new uncertainties and new opportunities for the workforce, and educators and employers must do more to prepare today’s workers for these technological shifts.”

Data shows that educators still have work to do in preparing graduates. Just 41% of grads said their program taught them skills needed for their first job – down from 63% who said the same in 2022. Recent graduates report they are not getting enough preparation to develop “soft skills,” something employers say they will prioritize more with the growth of AI. Nearly 3 in 5 grads (58%) believe closer alignment between employers and learning institutions would help them develop important workplace skills.

Additional findings include:

  • The struggle for talent is still very real and has forced employers to do things differently. Half of employers (53%) struggle to find talent (down from 65% in 2022), which has improved their willingness to interview candidates with experience but no degree (66%; up from 53% in 2022). Additionally, employers are more open to upskilling with nearly half of employers (48%) admitting they will hire talent with some but not all the skills needed for a role and upskill them, and 17% open to finding and upskilling talent from within the company.
  • Dropping degree requirements has increased grad confidence. With half of employers dropping degree requirements on entry-level job listings, grads are more confidently applying to jobs with 3 in 5 (61%) employers seeing an uptick in non-degree applicants. In fact, recent degree and non-degree graduates are feeling more confident regarding their qualifications to apply for entry-level jobs, with only one-third (33%) stating they felt underqualified, down significantly from the last two years in which roughly half of graduates felt underqualified.
  • There’s still work to be done to connect education to the workforce. Half of all graduates (49%) say their educational institution should be held accountable for placing them in jobs upon graduation, however fewer graduates gained important workforce experience before graduating. Less than half of graduates (47%) participated in an internship, externship or apprenticeship this year, compared with 63% in 2022. Of those graduates who did, more than a third (35%) did not receive any guidance from their school in finding the opportunity.
  • The “Great Reskilling” is coming as employer priorities shift. With more than half of employers (57%) saying certain entry level jobs, teams and skills could be replaced by AI, they are calling for employees to upskill. More than two-thirds of employers (68%) say many of their employees will need to reskill or upskill in the next 3-5 years because of emerging technology and grads agree – 3 in 5 (61%) say they will need to develop or strengthen their digital skills due to AI. The good news for employers: graduates (65%) recognize that and say they need more training in working alongside new technology.

“No part of the workforce is immune to the changes AI will bring. Many workers will need to develop new skills to work alongside new technology or perhaps even find new careers as a result of AI disruption. As we collectively navigate these changes, we are laser-focused on helping people develop in demand skills and connect to sustainable employment,” said Hansen.

For more information on the 2023 Cengage Group Graduate Employability Report, click here. To learn more about workforce training and career development, visit Cengage Group at www.cengagegroup.com.

Survey Methodology:
The findings in the Cengage Group 2023 Graduate Employability Report are the result of two surveys conducted by Cengage Group via the online platform Pollfish in June 2023. The graduate survey targeted 1,000 U.S. men and women between the ages of 18 and 65 who had completed an education program (ie., associate, bachelor’s or graduate degree or vocational training or certification) for their perspectives on their recent experience seeking employment. The employer survey targeted 1,000 U.S. men and women between the ages of 18 and 65 who have hiring responsibilities within their organization for their views on determining a candidate’s fitness for a specific role.

About Cengage Group
Cengage Group, a global education technology company serving millions of learners, provides affordable, quality digital products and services that equip students with the skills and competencies needed to be job ready. For more than 100 years, we have enabled the power and joy of learning with trusted, engaging content, and now, integrated digital platforms. We serve the higher education, workforce skills, secondary education, English language teaching and research markets worldwide. Through our scalable technology, including MindTap and Cengage Unlimited, we support all learners who seek to improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education. Visit us at www.cengagegroup.com or find us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Another Very Creative Police Recruitment Strategy

Earlier this year, I reported on a very creative police recruitment strategy. The strategy was in response to a disturbing trend in law enforcement which is, recruiting cops ain’t easy. According to the Police Executive Research Forum, hiring has been a challenge, with many applicants failing to meet minimum eligibility requirements. Resignations and retirements have been higher than in previous years, and officers are seeking jobs outside of urban policing. This is causing an already stressful occupation to become even more hazardous. The International Association of Chiefs of Police cited the issue this way…

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, despite an increase in the raw number of law enforcement jobs, a more considerable growth in U.S. population has actually led to a slow decline in the ratio of residents to police officers.2 As a result, officers are responsible for serving more people—often with fewer resources.

In light of these challenges, who can blame authorities for being as creative as possible to fill their ranks? Is there a step too far? Some would say yes and that this latest recruitment drive is it. The National Pulse reported…

Immigrants without U.S. citizenship will soon be able to get badges and guns, and authorized to arrest Americans in the nation’s capital, as the city’s Police Department (DC MPD) struggles to recruit and retain police officers. New hires, including non-citizen green card holders, will even be offered up to $25,000 in signing bonuses.

“As an agency, we truly believe that a workforce that represents our community brings a variety of ideas, experiences, and perspectives. Together, this blend drives innovation and growth,” said Ashan Benedict, Interim Chief of Police, whose own parents are Sri Lankan immigrants.

Is DC the only area that will allow non-citizens to act as police? Nope.

  • In California, anyone who can legally work in the state under federal law can be a police officer, regardless of citizenship.
  • Colorado has no citizenship requirement or law enforcement officer positions. The cities of Aurora, CO and Boulder, CO do not maintain a citizenship requirement either, but applicants must at least be lawful permanent residents. Denver, CO and El Paso, CO, however, instituted their own citizenship requirements for applicants seeking law enforcement jobs. However, Denver’s citizenship requirement is in its city charter, but only applies to the city’s police and fire departments, and not the Denver Sheriff’s Department. After legal action from the U.S. Department of Justice in 2016 for turning away non-citizen applicants in the absence of a formal citizenship requirement, the Denver Sheriff’s Department now hires non-citizen applicants.
  • Vermont has no citizenship requirement, but Burlington, VT requires that applicants be at least lawful permanent residents. West Virginia has no citizenship requirement, but Huntington, WV has established its own citizenship requirement.
  • In Illinois, a bill (House Bill 3751) that would allow non-U.S. citizens to become police officers in the state is now on the governor’s desk. The bill would change the current federal law that states only U.S. citizens can serve as police officers and deputies.

The original press release announcing the change in DC law is no longer available, but screenshots of the release can be seen below.

As you might imagine, the idea of hiring non-citizens to police Americans has been met with passionate resistance and tolerance, depending on which side of the political aisle you are on.

People who argue for non-citizens to police Americans say, in so many words:

  • Police departments across the United States are struggling to find qualified candidates to serve as officers, and allowing non-citizens to apply would expand the pool of potential recruits.
  • Non-citizens with legal status can enlist in the U.S. military and risk their lives in combat, so they should also be able to serve as police officers.
  • Allowing non-citizens to serve as police officers could help increase diversity in law enforcement agencies, which is important for building trust with communities of color.
  • Non-citizens may have valuable foreign language skills that could be useful in law enforcement.

And the opponents of this action, have this to say:

  • The right of states to restrict police recruiting based on citizenship rests on a 1978 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld the New York State Police’s refusal to accept the application of a legal permanent resident named Edmund.
  • Some people argue that government authority should be embodied by citizens.
  • There are concerns about the potential security risks of allowing non-citizens to serve as police officers.
  • Some people argue that non-citizens should not be allowed to serve as police officers until they become citizens.

As for me, I think it opens up a Pandora’s box of unintended consequences. Among them…

  • Legal and Jurisdictional Challenges: Law enforcement in the United States is generally a function of local, state, and federal governments, each with its own set of rules, responsibilities, and laws. Allowing non-citizens to serve as police officers could raise questions about jurisdiction and the authority to enforce laws on American citizens.
  • National Security Concerns: Law enforcement agencies have access to sensitive information and play a crucial role in safeguarding national security. Allowing non-citizens to have access to such information could raise concerns about espionage, loyalty, and the potential for foreign influence.
  • Political Implications: The appointment of non-citizens as police officers could lead to political controversies, debates, and division among the American public, with some supporting the idea as a means of diversity and inclusion, while others may view it as a threat to national identity and security.
  • Public Trust and Confidence: The public’s trust in law enforcement is essential for effective policing. Allowing non-citizens to police Americans may result in reduced trust and confidence in the police force, leading to difficulties in carrying out their duties effectively.
  • Recruitment and Training: The process of recruiting and training non-citizen police officers might require additional resources and considerations to ensure they understand American laws, cultural norms, and their responsibilities as law enforcement officials.
  • Immigration and Naturalization Concerns: Policemen and women are often granted certain legal powers and authorities, and non-citizens may face legal challenges when it comes to exercising such powers, particularly if there are conflicts with immigration or naturalization laws.
  • Impact on International Relations: If non-citizen police officers are drawn from specific countries or regions, it could impact diplomatic relations with those countries and may lead to international tensions if any issues arise from their policing actions.

But that’s just my opinion, what do you think? Please leave your comments below. Inquiring minds want to know.