NCJ Number
169574
Date Published
1992
Length
23 pages
Annotation
Police personnel issues are discussed, with emphasis on the current status of police human resource management, current issues, and the relationship between these issues and other longstanding issues in policing.
Abstract
The managerial activity termed human resource planning provides a framework for considering police personnel issues, although few police agencies are involved in extensive human resource planning. Current issues related to police personnel management include the employment of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities; the desirability of higher education; the importance of intelligence; the viability of psychological and physical fitness testing; the use of assessment centers; chronic complaints about police performance evaluation; and debates over patrol scheduling. These issues intersect with the endemic police issues of matching structure to objectives, the alliance between the police and the community, enriching traditional roles, the activity trap, creativity with accountability, and stability amid change. Finally, determining the kinds of people wanted in policing is the first and perhaps most challenging step in the human resource management process. 38 references