The Scary Blue Line

With Los Angeles and many other cities struggling to fill police ranks, a new survey among teenagers and young adults interested in law enforcement careers finds that they face many internal hurdles to crossing the thin blue line.

Fear of the entrance exam was a major concern of 60% of the young people who aspire to a career in policing. Almost a third was concerned about passing the physical fitness test; another third was concerned about the interview.

Only 3% said they were encouraged to pursue a police career by high school counselors. More than twice as many--8%--said they were turned on by Hollywood portrayals of cops.

Exposure to real cops through organizations such as Explorers or Cadets was credited with attracting 51% to the career, according to the survey of 914 people aged 15 to 22 by LearnATest.com, an online test-preparation concern based in New York.