NCJ Number
114468
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 16 Issue: 5 Dated: (1988) Pages: 385-393
Date Published
1988
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study examined the relationship between civilian law enforcement dispatchers and job burnout, utilizing a sample of dispatchers drawn from a large metropolitan police department in the San Francisco Bay area.
Abstract
Responses of 62 civilian dispatchers on the Maslach Burnout Inventory were compared with those of 115 sworn law enforcement officers from 5 other departments in the San Francisco Bay area, as has been previously reported. The latter included narcotics officers, former narcotics officers, and patrol officers. Results indicated that, in most cases, narcotics officers experience significantly more burnout than did dispatch personnel, but dispatchers exhibited significantly higher levels of burnout than did ex-narcotics and patrol officers. Policy implications for dealing with burnout among dispatchers are discussed. Some suggestions for minimizing burnout and for additional research are offered. (Author abstract)