EFFECTS OF TRAINING AND EDUCATION ON POLICE ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE (FROM POTENTIAL FOR REFORM OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, 1974 BY HERBERT JACOB - SEE NCJ-19989)

• NCJ Number: 19991
• Author(s): D C SMITH; E OSTROM
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 36 pages
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

REPORT OF A STUDY WHICH FOUND THAT THE AMOUNT OF POLICE TRAINING AND COLLEGE SCHOOLING IS NOT RELATED TO MORE FIRM ADHERENCE TO LEGAL PRINCIPLES, NOR RELATED TO PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF THE QUALITY OF THEIR POLICE.

Abstract

THE STUDY WAS BASED ON DATA COLLECTED DURING THE SPRING AND SUMMER OF 1972 IN THE ST. LOUIS METROPOLITAN AREA. DATA WAS OBTAINED FROM INTERVIEWS WITH 712 POLICE OFFICERS EMPLOYED IN 29 DIFFERENT POLICE DEPARTMENTS, AND FROM A SURVEY OF 4,000 CITIZENS DISTRIBUTED ACROSS JURISDICTIONS SERVED BY THE 29 POLICE DEPARTMENTS. LITTLE EVIDENCE WAS FOUND TO SUPPORT THE CLAIMS WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE FOR THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF LONGER PERIODS OF TRAINING FOR POLICE. AN OFFICER'S TOTAL WEEKS OF TRAINING OR LENGTH OF TRAINING AS A RECRUIT DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE AN IMPORTANT IMPACT ON HIS FEELINGS OF PREPAREDNESS FOR SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENTS OR HIS ATTITUDES TOWARDS SELECTED LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTROVERSIES. OFFICERS WITH A HIGHER LEVEL OF TRAINING DID NOT RECEIVE HIGHER EVALUATIONS FROM THE CITIZENS THEY SERVE THAN DID THEIR COUNTERPARTS. NOR WERE THEY PARTICULARLY MORE SUCCESSFUL IN OBTAINING WARRANTS WHEN THEY APPLIED FOR THEM FROM THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY. THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN COLLEGE EDUCATION LEVELS AND THE DEPENDENT VARIABLES INCLUDED IN THIS ANALYSIS WERE WEAKLY CONSISTENT WITH PREDICTIONS OF THOSE ADVOCATING EDUCATION AS AN IMPORTANT REFORM IN THE POLICE FIELD WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS. ALTHOUGH COLLEGE EDUCATED OFFICERS DID TEND SOMEWHAT TO MANIFEST THE REFORM PREDICTED ATTITUDES TOWARD USE OF FORCE, PROBABLE CAUSE REQUIREMENTS, THE SUPREME COURT, AND LATERAL ENTRY, THEY DID NOT DIFFER FROM LESS EDUCATED OFFICERS IN THE ASSESSMENT OF THE APPROPRIATENESS OF A MILITARY MODEL OF ORGANIZATION FOR POLICE DEPARTMENTS. ON QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR FEELING PREPARED FOR SPECIFIC POLICE ASSIGNMENTS, COLLEGE EDUCATED OFFICERS TENDED TO BE LESS CONFIDENT. DEPARTMENTS WHOSE OFFICERS HAD HIGHER LEVELS OF COLLEGE EDUCATION WERE NOT GIVEN HIGHER RATINGS BY THE CITIZENS THEY SERVE. NOR WERE THEY MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN LESS EDUCATED DEPARTMENTS IN OBTAINING WARRANTS. THE AUTHORS CONCLUDE THAT WHILE CONSIDERABLY MORE ANALYSIS IS REQUIRED, THE RESULTS FROM THIS STUDY THUS FAR PROVIDE SLIGHT CONFIRMATION FOR HYPOTHESES DERIVED FROM POLICE REFORM LITERATURE CALLING FOR HIGHER LEVELS OF TRAINING AND EDUCATION.