Effects of Community-Oriented Patrol on Police Officer Attitudes

• NCJ Number: 106445
• Journal: American Journal of Police Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1987) Pages: 95-119
• Author(s): D W Hayeslip; G W Cordner
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 25 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

This study examines the job satisfaction effects of police officer participation in a community-policing program in Baltimore County, Md.

Abstract

Job satisfaction attitudes of participating Citizen Oriented Police Enforcement (COPE) officers were contrasted with those of a control group of nonparticipating officers over 33 months. Included in the analysis were several individual-level variables (age, education, length of service) previously associated with job attachment and satisfaction. The findings suggest that participation in the COPE program dramatically affected officer self-reported job satisfaction and attachment to this community policing strategy. After the project's first 3 years, those officers participating in COPE had higher levels of reported job satisfaction, more cooperative and service-oriented attitudes about the police role, more positive attitudes toward the community, and more positive evaluations of COPE's effects than did officers in the control group. The original high job satisfaction of COPE officers was maintained and slightly increased over the 3 years. Attitudes toward the community tended to be more positive among COPE officers, who reported better police-community relationships than did control officers. COPE officers also felt more strongly than control officers that people look up to the police. COPE officers were more likely to characterize police work as the delivery of services. It is believed that COPE participation rather than age, tenure, or education caused the differences between COPE and control officer attitudes. Neighborhood variables have little effect on COPE officers, who work for short periods in all kinds of neighborhoods. Community-oriented policing seems to cause more job satisfaction, more positive attitudes toward the community, and a broader conception of the police role. A citizen-oriented strategy appears to avoid alienation and rigidity and fosters favorable work-related attitudes. 5 tables and 20 references. (Author abstract modified)