EFFECTS OF TRAINING AND EDUCATION ON POLICE ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE - A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS

• NCJ Number: 15465
• Author(s): D C SMITH; E OSTROM
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 61 pages
• Grant Number(s): 5 R01 MH 19911
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: Indiana University
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DETERMINED THAT HIGHER LEVELS OF TRAINING AND COLLEGE EDUCATION DID NOT AFFECT THE ATTITUDES OF POLICE TOWARD THEIR WORK, COMMUNITY ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE, OR THEIR SUCCESS IN OBTAINING WARRANTS.

Abstract

IN EVALUATING POLICE ATTITUDES TOWARD THEIR WORK, DATA WAS OBTAINED FROM INTERVIEWS WITH 712 POLICE OFFICERS EMPLOYED IN 29 DIFFERENT POLICE DEPARTMENTS. COMMUNITY ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE WERE ASSESSED FROM SURVEYS OF ABOUT 4,000 CITIZENS SERVED BY 29 POLICE DEPARTMENTS. IT WAS PREDICTED THAT HIGHLY EDUCATED OFFICERS WOULD HAVE A LOW ESTIMATE OF THE EFFICACY OF FORCE, HAVE A STRONG CONCERN TO PROTECT CIVIL LIBERTIES, BE LESS CRITICAL OF SUPREME COURT DECISIONS, BE MORE TOLERANT OF PUBLIC PROTEST, ACCEPT DEPARTMENTAL INNOVATION READILY, CRITICAL OF POLICE MILITARY MODEL, AND HAVE GREATER CONFIDENCE IN CARRYING OUT ASSIGNMENTS. NONE OF THE PREDICTIONS WAS VALIDATED. DEPARTMENTS WITH HIGHER LEVELS OF TRAINING DID NOT RECEIVE APPRECIABLY HIGHER EVALUATIONS FROM THE CITIZENS THEY SERVE, NOR WERE THEY MORE SUCCESSFUL IN OBTAINING WARRANTS WHEN APPLIED FOR FROM THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY.