Created: 6/11/2009 5:00:40 PM 
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Six rookie JSO cops were fired last week, a day after graduation. The five men and one woman are accused of making crude sexual remarks during training.
That training didn't come cheap, with an estimated total cost of $246,000, according to the JSO (FOP gave a $400,000 estimate). Some have questioned if the intake process was stringent enough to weed out some of the recruits.
JSO says that process is one of the toughest and most stringent around the country.
"We don't just take you because you have passed. You have to be the best, and we will run short if we don't have the best," says Assistant Chief Michele Remolde.
To become a JSO officer takes about a year. Recruits first have to fill out an application.
Then there is an interview, a drug survey, a police entrance exam, fingerprints and credit check.
"We make sure they don't owe so much money. We have a limit. We don't want to put people in places where they could come across a lot of money."
Recruits then have to pass a physical training test, polygraph and background check. "We check jobs and family members. We check references, but we check neighbors, anybody we can."
If a recruit makes it to this point, there's another interview in front of three officers. Finally, it's a psychological and medical exam, but it still doesn't mean the recruit has the job.
"We then look at you and compare you with other applicants that have passed and see who best meets the qualifications," says Remolde.
Each class has about 30 recruits. On average, two or more of those recruits will not make graduation.
In last week's graduating class, the group started with 49 recruits. Only 43 made it to graduation. Two left at the very beginning and four others did not pass their firearm certification.
"For the most part, we'll lose them for firearms or defense tactics." Recruits are only allowed to fail a test once. Remolde says it's to make sure those representing JSO are the best of the best at protecting you.
"With the process we have in place, we are the best as far being very particular and stringent."
JSO has two recruit classes going on right now. Another starts in July.
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