NCJ Number
158251
Journal
Focus on Police Research and Development Issue: 6 Dated: (September 1995) Pages: 41-43
Date Published
1995
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The Devon and Cornwall (England) Constabulary conducted a survey of two police divisions to assess the effectiveness of basic equal opportunities training which all officers had received, and to evaluate the impact of extra seminars, focusing on the subject of sexual harassment and use of the agency's grievance procedure, which one group of police officers had attended.
Abstract
The responses to the survey indicated that the extra training had an impact on the extent of officers' knowledge surrounding use of the grievance procedure, and marginally increased respondents' apparent willingness to use the procedure. While women were more willing than men to use the procedure, the results indicated that the nature of the complaint did not have a significant bearing on whether or not the procedure would be invoked. Most staff seemed to believe that they were responsible for solving their own workplace issues, including dealing with sexual harassment. Primary problems surrounding use of the grievance procedure focused on issues of confidentiality and trust and the perceived impact that filing a grievance could have on career advancement. 2 figures