NCJ Number
87896
Journal
Journal of Community Psychology Volume: 9 Issue: 2 Dated: (April 1981) Pages: 133-139
Date Published
1981
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This case study of a consultative intervention with an internally conflicted police department illustrates the effectiveness of a flexible multidimensional approach which focused on training for supervisors and ways to improve communications between the police chief and supervisors.
Abstract
The newly hired police chief of a mid-sized city first contacted the psychological consultants because of his concern about the officers' negative reactions toward the community and the lack of departmental cohesiveness. The consultants obtained additional information by interviewing officers as they worked their beats from patrol cars. This data revealed that departmental problems stemmed from alienation and distrust between supervisory and patrol level staff with officers feeling that supervisors discouraged open feedback, rewarded compliant behavior, and were overly critical. The recommended intervention program consisted of a brief training course for supervisors; formalization of guidelines for duty assignments, promotions, and assignment of partners; and regular meetings between the supervisory staff and the police chief. The training session included discussion time to handle any negative feelings from the supervisors. Pretest and posttest measures using the Job Description Index showed a significant increase in job satisfaction among officers. At a 6-month followup, the chief and a sample of supervisors reported continued improvement in interpersonal relations and job efficiency. The article contains 2 footnotes and 22 references.