NCJ Number
114677
Date Published
1989
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This analysis of the processes of selection, training, and socialization of police sergeant contrasts the 'street sergeant' with the 'station house sergeant' and suggests placing more sergeants on the beat to preserve what is called the patrol officer's mentality throughout the ranks of police agencies.
Abstract
The discussion rests on an analysis of the promotion process in an actual city called by the pseudonym Union City, with emphasis on the perspectives of the officers who are interested in making the rank of sergeant. Although the process of becoming a sergeant is governed by departmental and civil service procedures, most officers view the process as both lacking in an obvious logic and biased in favor of individuals with visibility and contacts within the organization and with an orientation to the station house rather than to work in the street. In addition, the qualifying candidates move into the role of sergeants in a manner that is solitary, sudden, disjointed, and difficult to categorize. Patrol officers view their sergeants as being either 'station house sergeants,' who stay mainly in or near their offices and who focus on managerial and bureaucratic aspects of their work, or 'street sergeants,' who have a more collegial relationship with their subordinates and who emphasize action on the beat. Patrol officers view street sergeants as understanding the realities of work on the street and of avoiding excessive attention to formal procedures. They also view station house sergeants as having strong points, particularly their clout within the department and their availability to answer questions, sign forms, or arrange changes of shifts, precincts, or partners. In Union City, station house sergeants form the majority, taking a relatively remote supervisory stance toward the supervised. A change in their approaches and attitudes might be desirable. Footnotes and 23 references.