NCJ Number
53095
Date Published
1978
Length
30 pages
Annotation
THE OPINIONS AND ATTITUDES OF RECRUITS AND NEW POLICE OFFICERS TOWARD THEIR JOBS AND THEIR TRAINING ARE ASSESSED AS PART OF AN EVALUATION OF BASIC POLICE TRAINING IN HOLLAND.
Abstract
HOLLAND'S MUNICIPAL AND NATIONAL POLICE ARE TRAINED SEPARATELY, BUT THE SAME CURRICULUM IS USED BY BOTH FORCES. TRAINING LASTS 1 YEAR AND STRESSES KNOWLEDGE OF THE PENAL LAW AND THE LIMITS OF POLICE POWER, SPEAKING AND WRITING ABILITY, PHYSICAL CONDITIONING, INTERACTION SKILLS IN POLICE-CITIZEN ENCOUNTERS, UNDERSTANDING OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS, AND RECOGNITION OF DIFFERENT VALUE SYSTEMS. THREE OF THE 10 BASIC TRAINING SCHOOLS PARTICIPATED IN THE EVALUATION, IN WHICH QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADMINISTERED TO 359 RECRUITS ON THEIR FIRST DAY OF TRAINING, TO 216 OTHER RECRUITS AT THE END OF TRAINING, AND AGAIN TO THE SECOND GROUP AFTER THEY HAD BEEN ON THE JOB FOR 7 TO 10 MONTHS. THE NEW RECRUITS AND TRAINED RECRUITS GENERALLY HELD SIMILAR VIEWS ON JOB MOTIVATION, REQUIREMENTS, AND EXPECTATIONS--AN INDICATION THAT RECRUITS ENTER POLICE SCHOOL WITH A FAIRLY REALISTIC ATTITUDE. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ATTITUDE MAY INCLUDE, (1) THE FACT THAT MANY RECRUITS HAVE RELATIVES ON THE FORCE; (2) THE TENDENCY OF RECRUITS TO GIVE CONSIDERABLE THOUGHT TO THEIR CHOICE OF PROFESSION; AND (3) POLICE INFORMATION, RECRUITING, AND ADMISSION POLICIES. TRAINING APPEARS TO HAVE RELATIVELY LITTLE EFFECT ON THE VIEWS OF RECRUITS, ALTHOUGH TRAINED RECRUITS TEND TO SEE POLICE WORK AS MORE DIVERSE AND MORE DIFFICULT THAN DO NEW RECRUITS. TRAINED RECRUITS ALSO TEND TO VIEW THEIR POWERS AS MORE LIMITED THAN THEY HAD EXPECTED AS NEW RECRUITS. HOWEVER, ONCE THEY BEGIN PATROL DUTIES, THE NEW OFFICERS FIND THEY ACTUALLY HAVE MORE DISCRETIONARY POWER THAN THEIR TRAINING IMPLIED AND ARE CRITICAL OF THE TRAINING PROGRAM'S FAILURE TO PREPARE THEM TO EXERCISE THIS DISCRETION. THE TRAINING PROGRAM APPEARS NOT TO PREPARE RECRUITS TO ACCEPT THEIR SERVICE ROLE AS WELL AS THEIR CRIME-FIGHTING AND ORDER MAINTENANCE ROLES. IN ADDITION, NEW OFFICERS FEEL INADEQUATELY PREPARED FOR THEIR EXTENSIVE PEACE-KEEPING CONTACTS WITH ETHNIC MINORITIES, DRUG ABUSERS, ALCOHOLICS, AND JUVENILES. SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED.