NCJ Number
11770
Date Published
1973
Length
25 pages
Annotation
IN THIS ANALYSIS OF FACTORS AFFECTING SAFE EXERCISE OF POLICE DUTIES, HEIGHT IS FOUND TO BE A MAJOR FACTOR IN THE NUMBER OF TIMES AN OFFICER IS ASSAULTED.
Abstract
THE TYPICAL ASSAULTED POLICE OFFICER IN PORTLAND, OREGON IS ALMOST SIX FEET TALL, WEIGHS 182 POUNDS, HAS BEEN ON THE FORCE ABOUT FIVE YEARS AND TEN MONTHS, AND IS MOST OFTEN FOUND ON DUTY BETWEEN FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. AND MIDNIGHT. THIS COMPOSITE DESCRIPTION RESULTED FROM AN ANALYSIS BY PORTLAND'S BUREAU OF POLICE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUCH VARIABLE AS BODY MASS, TENURE AND RELIEF ASSIGNMENT, AND THE SAFE EXERCISE OF POLICE DUTIES. THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SOME OF THE FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ASSAULTS AGAINST PORTLAND'S OFFICERS DURING THE FIRST ELEVEN MONTHS OF 1972. PARTICULAR EMPHASIS WAS GIVEN TO HEIGHT OF THE OFFICER IN VIEW OF RECENT LEGAL AND SOCIAL PRESSURES FOR THE BUREAU TO LOWER ITS MINIMUM HEIGHT REQUIREMENT OF FIVE FEET-NINE INCHES. THE ANALYSIS, BASED ON DATA COLLECTED FROM REPORTS FILED BY EACH ASSAULTED OFFICER, SHOWED THE AVERAGE ASSAULTED OFFICER TO BE ONLY ABOUT ONE QUARTER INCH SHORTER THAN THE AVERAGE OF ALL OFFICERS. THOSE MOST PRONE TO ASSAULT WERE BETWEEN FIVE FEET-NINE INCHES AND FIVE FEET-TEN INCHES OR SIX FEETFIVE INCHES AND TALLER. THUS HEIGHT WAS FOUND TO BE A MAJOR FACTOR IN THE NUMBER OF ASSAULTS AN OFFICER RECEIVES EVEN IF IT DOES NOT DISTINGUISH ASSAULTED FROM NON-ASSAULTED OFFICERS. OTHER STATISTICAL RESULTS, AS WELL AS THE STUDY METHODS EMPLOYED, ARE FULLY DETAILED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED). (SNI ABSTRACT)