NCJ Number
128061
Date Published
1991
Length
22 pages
Annotation
A content analysis of disciplinary policies, procedures, collective bargaining agreements, and other documents from 20 major police departments in the United States was conducted to develop a descriptive model for the police disciplinary process.
Abstract
The departments were selected through purposive sampling and employed more than 1,000 sworn personnel or served more than 500,000 citizens. The analysis resulted in the development of a model containing five components: (1) the grounds for discipline, (2) internal investigations, (3) the adjudication of the complaint, (4) disciplinary sanctions and alternatives, and (5) disciplinary appeals. Results showed that the 20 agencies varied on many procedural points but were similar with respect to major tends in the disciplinary process. Perhaps the most significant factor affecting the structure of a police disciplinary system was the presence of a collective bargaining agreement with a police officers' association. In addition, over the last 20 years the most significant change in police disciplinary practices is the institutionalization of more explicit due-process rights of police personnel. Notes, 9 references, and 5 study questions