NCJ Number
136795
Journal
Criminal Justice Research Bulletin Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: (1991) Pages: 1-9
Date Published
1991
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This report summarizes the principle findings of a study that addressed the effects that court mandated affirmative action policies have had in the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD): "The Impact of Fanchon Blake v. City of Los Angeles on Selection, Recruitment, Training, Appointment, and Performance of Women and Minorities for the Los Angeles Police Department and the City of Los Angeles."
Abstract
The two central research issues were the background characteristics of persons hired prior to the Consent Decree and those hired subsequent to it as well as the effects of increased demographic representation of female and minority officers on factors such as interest in police work, job attitudes, police role cynicism, and police professionalism. Of the 2,000 officers selected in the initial sample, 52.2 percent agreed to participate. The lack of substantial ethnic and gender differences among the officers surveyed suggests that the Blake decision has most likely not affected the level of experience, motivation, and preparation of officers seeking employment with LAPD. Failure to find significant differences in academy training experiences of female and minority officers indicates that Blake mandates have had, at best, minor influences on status quo operations within the LAPD police academy. Positive and negative indicators of officer performance during the first year of field service did not systematically vary as a function of either officer gender or ethnicity. Regardless of race or gender, levels of job satisfaction among all officers surveyed were extremely high and reflected a positive outlook toward the current LAPD administration and policies. Relative degrees of cynicism toward the role of being an LAPD police officer were the same for female and minority officers as they were for all other officers included in the study. 11 references