Whistle blown on police academy cheating scam

SEATTLE — Two classes of recruits at the regional police academy are under investigation after a cadet blew the whistle on a cheating scam.

A recruit came forward last week and told supervisors about a thumb drive that contained a real police academy tests and all the answers.

Cadets were passing the thumb drive around, cheating the system.

Authorities said the test being circulated has been used for many years, so several recruit classes may have been cheating for a long time.

Former King County Sheriff Sue Rahr, who is now the director of the police academy, said he cheating tarnishes the integrity of the law enforcement profession and damages public trust.

But she pointed out this was only one in a series of tests that recruits have to take at the academy.

And although it's disappointing, Rahr said, "It's highly unlikely that this compromise of testing materials would enable an unqualified candidate to become a police officer."

The academy is operating as if all tests have been compromised, so they've hired a curriculum specialist to rewrite all the tests given.

Also, recruits from two classes under suspicion of cheating will have to pass an additional comprehensive test in order to graduate.

KIRO