FOUR YEARS OF TRAINING POLICE IN INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS (FROM URBAN POLICEMAN IN TRANSITION - A PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL REVIEW, 1973 BY JOHN R SNIBBE ET AL - SEE NCJ-10410)

• NCJ Number: 47067
• Author(s): V J BIELIAUSKAS; D T HELLKAMP
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 14 pages
• Corporate Author: Charles C. Thomas
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE GOALS AND TECHNIQUES OF A CINCINNATI POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS TRAINING PROGRAM AND AN EVALUATION OF THE PROGRAM AFTER ITS FIRST 4 YEARS OF OPERATION ARE DISCUSSED.

Abstract

THE TRAINING PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED BY TWO UNIVERSITY PSYCHOLOGISTS AT THE REQUEST OF THE CINCINNATI POLICE DEPARTMENT. BACKGROUND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM WAS OBTAINED THROUGH FIRST-HAND OBSERVATION OF POLICE ACTIVITIES, VISITS TO POLICE DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY TO STUDY THEIR COMMUNITY-RELATIONS EFFORTS, AND SURVEYS OF EXISTING CITIZEN AND POLICE ATTITUDES. THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE TRAINING WAS TO PROVIDE A BASIS FOR CHANGES OF ATTITUDES TOWARD COMMUNITY RELATIONS AMONG POLICE OFFICERS AND TO GIVE THEM A BACKGROUND IN INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS AS A WHOLE RATHER THAN IN A TYPICAL BLACK-WHITE EXPERIENCE. THE 3-DAY TRAINING SESSIONS WERE GIVEN, FIRST TO SUPERVISORS, THEN TO LINE OFFICERS, FOR GROUPS OF 25 TO 40 OFFICERS AT A TIME. THE OFFICERS LIVED ON THE CAMPUS WHERE THE WORKSHOPS WERE HELD, AS THE SCHEDULE WAS INTENSIVE, CONSISTING MAINLY OF DISCUSSION AND SMALL GROUP ACTIVITIES, WITH AS LITTLE LECTURE TIME AS POSSIBLE. EACH OFFICER WAS THEN BROUGHT BACK TO THE CAMPUS 6 MONTHS TO A YEAR LATER FOR A HALF-DAY 'REINFORCEMENT' SEMINAR. THE TRAINING PROGRAM WAS PLANNED TO HELP THE PARTICIPANTS (1) BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE IN INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS IN GENERAL; (2) DEVELOP A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE POLICE ROLE IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY; AND (3) BECOME PERSONALLY INVOLVED IN POLICE COMMUNITY-RELATIONS PROBLEMS THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE OF PROBLEMSOLVING. RESULTS OF PRE- AND POSTWORKSHOP QUESTIONNAIRES GIVEN POLICE OFFICERS TO DETERMINE ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS ARE PRESENTED. A HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN POSITIVE ATTITUDES OCCURED ON EACH ITEM OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE AFTER TRAINING. A SURVEY WAS ALSO CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE CITIZEN ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE, ONCE IN 1968 AND AGAIN IN 1969. MORE POSITIVE ATTITUDES WERE FOUND IN ONE ITEM -- RESPONDENTS FELT ON THE SECOND SURVEY THAT THEY KNEW POLICEMEN MORE PERSONALLY. RESULTS OF THE POLICE AND CITIZEN SURVEYS ARE PRESENTED IN TABLES. THE GENERAL CONCLUSION IS THAT THE WORKSHOPS HAVE BEEN MAKING AN IMPACT UPON THE TRAINEES. (VDA)