NCJ Number
69345
Date Published
Unknown
Length
166 pages
Annotation
THE RESULTS ARE REPORTED OF A NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE STUDY CONDUCTED ON FACTORS IN THE RETENTION OF MINORITY AND MAJORITY POLICE OFFICERS IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHETHER AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EFFORTS TO INCREASE THE APPOINTMENT RATES OF MINORITY POLICE CANDIDATES WERE BEING SUBVERTED BY DIFFERENTIAL RETENTION RATES.
Abstract
A SAMPLE OF 303 BLACK AND WHITE POLICE OFFICERS WHO HAD BEEN APPOINTED TO 7 DIFFERENT POLICE DEPARTMENTS DURING THE YEARS 1973 TO 1978 WAS SURVEYED BY QUESTIONNAIRE TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF A VARIETY OF FACTORS UPON RETENTION, DEPENDING UPON THE OFFICER'S ETHNICITY. DATA ANALYSIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY CHI-SQUARE, WHICH WAS SUPPLEMENTED BY CRAMER'S PHI, A DIRECT MEASURE OF THE IMPACT OF FACTOR CORRELATION. SURVEY QUESTIONS WERE FOCUSED UPON THE FOLLOWING FACTORS: (1) THE EFFECT OF MINORITY OFFICERS' EXPERIENCES IN DEPARTMENTAL SELECTION PROCEDURES IN SUBSEQUENTLY FORCING THEM OUT, (2) DEPARTMENTAL EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING JOB ASSIGNMENTS, RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR SUPERIORS AND THE DEPARTMENT IN GENERAL, (3) OFFICERS' OWN ACCOUNTS AS TO WHY THEY HAD OR MIGHT CHANGE THEIR INTEREST IN POLICE WORK, AND (4) THE INFLUENCE OF OFFICERS' OWN ACCOUNTS AS TO WHY THEY HAD OR MIGHT CHANGE THEIR INTEREST IN POLICE WORK, AND (4) THE INFLUENCE OF OFFICERS' GENDER AND PRIOR OCCUPATION UPON THEIR LIKELIHOOD OF LEAVING. RESULTS SHOWED THAT BLACK OFFICERS REPORTED THE FOLLOWING DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES: (1) HIGHER LEVELS OF FEEDBACK ON ORAL INTERVIEWS AND BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS THAN DID WHITE OFFICERS DURING SELECTION PROCEDURES, (2) LESS SUPERVISORY SUPPORT DURING THEIR PROBATION PERIODS, (3) LESS LIKELIHOOD OF REPORTING THAT THEY RECEIVED FAIR TREATMENT, AND (4) A GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF SELECTING COMMUNITY-BASED REASONS FOR REMAINING A POLICE OFFICER. FEEDBACK ON BOTH ORAL INTERVIEW AND BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION, AND REPORTS OF BEING TREATED FAIRLY, AS WELL AS REASONS WHICH MIGHT RESULT IN LEAVING THE DEPARTMENT, PREDICTED LIKELIHOOD OF LEAVING FOR BLACK OFFICERS BUT NOT FOR WHITE OFFICERS. REPORTS OF SUPPORT DURING THE PROBATIONARY PERIOD, THE EXPECTATION OF WORK BEING REWARDED, OR RECEIVING ANSWERS FROM THEIR SUPERVISORS WHEN ASKING ABOUT THEIR PERFORMANCE, AS WELL AS THE OCCUPATION THE OFFICERS HELD WHEN THEY FIRST APPLIED TO THE DEPARTMENT, ALL PREDICTED LIKELIHOOD OF LEAVING MORE SIGNIFICANTLY FOR BLACKS THAN FOR WHITES. A SERIES OF FIVE MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING RETENTION RATES OF MINORITY OFFICERS IS PRESENTED. THREE APPENDIXES PRESENT EXAMPLES OF SURVEY FORMS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA TABLES. FOURTEEN REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.