City still searching for firm to do psych exams for police

evaluations of Baltimore police recruits and as-needed “fitness for duty” evaluations of current Baltimore police. Such exams check for “mental or physical instability or incapacity.”

Currently, the city uses Lanham-based Interdynamics, Inc. to conduct such work.

The department has had issues with its psychological exams in the past.

Last year, the Board of Estimates — then controlled by former Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake — voted to end a contract with a firm that conducted mental health screenings for many prospective Baltimore police officers, after determining the screenings were far shorter than required.

The city’s inspector general reported that its investigation found nearly threequarters of officers and trainees said their pre-employment screenings with Psychology Consultants Associated of Lutherville lasted 30 minutes or less. The firm’s contract with the city required at least an hour-long screening.

In a letter to the inspector general, Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis accused the firm of “cutting corners” and putting the public and the department “at risk.”

Kenneth Sachs, the firm’s president, defended the company, telling city investigators in 2015 that police evaluations “typically last about 45 minutes.” He said he conducts “an interview as long as it takes me to get a clear idea of what’s going on.”

After the city parted ways with Psychology Consultants Associated, police briefly used Towson-based Atlantic OccuPsych to conduct psychological evaluations.