NCJ Number
148745
Date Published
1994
Length
68 pages
Annotation
In 1992, the Police Advisory Board (PAB) instituted part- time working and job sharing for police officers in six jurisdictions in England. This pilot program, which involved 220 officers, was evaluated in September 1993.
Abstract
Most of the part-time police officers were women combining a career in the police service with their child- rearing responsibilities. Many planned to return to full-time police work in the near future. Seven male offices were working part-time during the period of this evaluation, either while pursuing further educational objectives or preparing for retirement. Overall, this evaluation showed that most officers working at the constable level should be able to work part- time successfully provided that individual part-time workers are sufficiently flexible in their work patterns to accommodate the general requirements of their job, that some part-timers are willing to be assigned to specific duties rather than carrying out the entire range of responsibilities assumed by a full-time officer, and that the strength of police units is not adversely affected by the acceptance of part-time officers. It appears that supervisory roles and some specialist roles may be less well-suited to part-time working. Recommended management guidelines for maximizing the benefits of part-time working are provided in this report. 13 figures