DETERMINANTS OF POLICE BEHAVIOR

• NCJ Number: 10827
• Author(s): D CRUSE; J RUBIN
• Date Published: 1972
• Length: 244 pages
• Grant Number(s): 70-038
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Miami Police Dept
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DISCUSSION OF A METHODOLOGY FOR ANALYZING POLICE BEHAVIOR AND EXAMINING THE INTERRELATIONSHIP OF VARIABLES WHICH EFFECT POLICE PATROL PERFORMANCE.

Abstract

IT WAS THE GOAL OF THE STUDY TO INTERRELATE FATIGUE, STRESS, CITIZEN BEHAVIOR, TYPE OF CALL, NEIGHBORHOOD, SHIFT, DAY OF WEEK, NUMBER OF CITIZENS, TYPE OF CITIZENS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES (AS MEASURED BY A STANDARDIZED, SELF-ADMINISTERED PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST) TO VARIATIONS IN POLICE BEHAVIOR IN ORDER TO SEE WHICH WERE DETERMINING FACTORS IN POLICE BEHAVIOR. A GROUP OF FOUR OBSERVING PATROLMEN WERE TRAINED IN BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATION TECHNIQUES. A GROUP OF TWELVE RADIO-PATROLMEN TO BE OBSERVED WERE SELECTED RANDOMLY, EXCEPT FOR THE CRITERIA THAT THEY MUST REPRESENT VARYING LEVELS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE FORCE. FOR A SIX MONTH PERIOD, THE OBSERVING PATROLMEN RODE WITH OBSERVED PATROLMEN ON A PRE-DETERMINED ROTATING SCHEDULE AND OVER 1000 POLICECITIZEN INTERACTIONS INVOLVING OVER 1400 CITIZENS WERE ANALYZED. SELECTED RESULTS OF THE STUDY INCLUDE - (1) THE PATROLMEN STUDIED SPEND THE MAJORITY OF THEIR TIME IN GENERAL SERVICE AND PEACE KEEPING OPERATIONS, WITH VERY LITTLE TIME DEVOTED TO ACTUAL CRIME FIGHTING ACTIVITIES. THE LARGEST SINGLE BLOCK OF TIME WHICH POLICE SPEND IS SIMPLY RIDING AROUND ON PREVENTIVE PATROL, WRITING REPORTS, AND TAKING BREAKS. (2) MOST POLICE-CITIZEN CONTACT IS THE RESULT OF A RADIO INITIATED CALL. (3) ON THE WHOLE, POLICE-CITIZEN INTERACTIONS INVOLVE VERY LITTLE VIOLENCE. (4) AN ANALYSIS OF THE CITIZEN ROLES WITH WHOM POLICE COME IN CONTACT REVEALS THAT HE MOST OFTEN CONTACTS PEOPLE HE BELIEVES TO BE OFFENDERS. (5) MEASURES OF CITIZEN BEHAVIOR REVEALS THAT CITIZENS ON THE WHOLE ARE EXTREMELY DOCILE WHEN CONFRONTING POLICEMEN. (6) APPROXIMATELY 6 PERCENT OF POLICE CALLS WERE PERCEIVED BY THE OBSERVER AS BEING STRESSFUL, AND (7) THE THE AMOUNT OF STRESS PRESENT IN A SITUATION SEEMS TO HAVE A GOOD DEAL OF EFFECT ON THE BEHAVIOR OF THE OFFICER. DOCUMENT SUMMARY IS NCJ-10828 (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)