NCJ Number
69417
Date Published
1980
Length
231 pages
Annotation
THE REPORT DESCRIBES THE RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT MINORITY PERSONS PROJECT CONDUCTED FROM JUNE 1978 TO MARCH 1980, WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO ITS STUDY ON THE RETENTION OF MINORITIES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
Abstract
THE PROJECT ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO KEEP TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AT A LOW LEVEL AND CONCENTRATE ON RESEARCH TO IDENTIFY FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE DISPROPORTIONATE TURNOVER RATE FOR MINORITY POLICE OFFICERS. IT ALSO INTENDED TO SUGGEST STANDARDS TO INCREASE MINORITY PARTICIPATION IN LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREERS. REQUESTS FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, HOWEVER, WERE FAR GREATER THAN ANTICIPATED BECAUSE OF COMPLIANCE REVIEWS BY THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLIANCE AND INCREASING AGGRESSIVENESS BY MINORITIES AND FEMALES IN SEEKING EQUAL EMPLOYMENT. FOLLOWING A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE CONCERNING MINORITY POLICE OFFICERS AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT'S RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY, THE RESEARCH REPORT ON POLICE OFFICER RETENTION BY THE NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE IS REPRODUCED. MAJORITY AND MINORITY POLICE OFFICERS WHO HAD BEEN APPOINTED TO SEVEN DIFFERENT POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN FLORIDA, LOUISANA, MICHIGAN, COLORADO, AND CALIFORNIA DURING THE YEARS 1973-1978 WERE SURVEYED BY QUESTIONNAIRE. OF THE 700 QUESTIONNAIRES DISTRIBUTED, 381 WERE COMPLETED AND 303 WERE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL ANALYTIC SAMPLE. THESE RESPONDENTS WERE 54 PERCENT WHITE AND 46 PERCENT BLACK. OFFICERS WERE QUERIED ABOUT THEIR EARLY EXPERIENCES WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, SUCH AS SUPPORT RECEIVED DURING THE PROBATIONARY PERIOD, AND THEIR POTENTIAL REASONS FOR LEAVING THE DEPARTMENT. DEMOGRAPHIC DATA ON PRIOR OCCUPATION, RACE, AND SEX WERE ALSO COLLECTED. BLACK OFFICERS REPORTED HIGHER LEVELS OF FEEDBACK DURING SELECTION STAGES BUT LESS SUPERVISORY SUPPORT DURING THEIR PROBATIONARY PERIOD THAN DID WHITE OFFICERS. IN DISCUSSING REASONS FOR REMAINING POLICE OFFICERS, BLACKS WERE MORE LIKELY TO RESPOND WITH A COMMUNITY ORIENTATION WHILE WHITE OFFICERS WERE MORE LIKELY TO SELECT ATTRIBUTES OF THE JOB ITSELF. THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY INDICATED THAT WHITES MIGHT BE DRAWN AWAY FROM THE DEPARTMENT BY ATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVES, WHEREAS BLACKS WOULD BE PUSHED OUT BY NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES. POLICE DEPARTMENTS APPEAR TO BE IMPLEMENTING EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THE OBSERVABLE AREAS OF SELECTION AND JOB ASSIGNMENT, BUT RACE STILL AFFECTS THE WAY BLACK OFFICERS ARE TREATED BY THEIR COLLEAGUES. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICE DEPARTMENTS TO IMPROVE THEIR RETENTION RATES FOR MINORITIES INCLUDE MORE APPOINTMENTS OF MINORITY AND FEMALE OFFICERS, CONTINUAL MONITORING OF THE SELECTION PROCESS, RELATING SELECTION CRITERIA TO SPECIFIC JOBS, AND INCREASED SENSITIVITY TO PROBLEMS THAT MINORITY OFFICERS FACE WHEN CONFRONTED BY CONFLICTS WITH THEIR ETHNIC COMMUNITY. TABLES ILLUSTRATE THE DATA, AND A QUESTIONNAIRE USED IN THE SURVEY IS APPENDED, ALONG WITH 14 REFERENCES. LETTERS, CHARTS, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS RELEVANT TO THE EXECUTION OF PROJECT ACTIVITIES ARE ALSO APPENDED.