NCJ Number
51209
Journal
Canadian Police College Journal Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (1978) Pages: 177-189
Date Published
1978
Length
13 pages
Annotation
CANADIAN POLICE PERSONNEL PRACTICES ARE DESCRIBED IN SUMMARY, BASED ON FINDINGS FROM A SURVEY OF SAMPLE POLICE DEPARTMENTS. BENEFITS AND PROBLEMS OF CO-CORRECTIONS ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
TWO QUESTIONNAIRES WERE USED IN THE SURVEY--ONE TO BE COMPLETED BY DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THE OTHER BY DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL OF RANKS UP TO AND INCLUDING SERGEANT. WHERE APPROPRIATE, SUBJECTS WERE ASKED TO USE CALENDAR 1976 AS THE EXPERIENCE YEAR IN ANSWERING A QUESTION. EVERY SECOND FORCE FROM A LISTING OF CITY POLICE FORCES SERVING COMMUNITIES OF A POPULATION OF OVER 25,000 (EXCLUDING MONTREAL AND TORONTO) WAS SURVEYED; THUS, GIVING AN INITIAL SAMPLE OF 50 PERCENT OF THE FORCES. IN REPORTING RESULTS, THE FORCES SURVEYED WERE DIVIDED INTO FOUR GROUPS, BASED ON THE POPULATION OF THE COMMUNITIES SERVED, AS FOLLOWS: (1) GROUP I (OVER 250,000, WITH 5 OUT OF 5 RESPONDING; (2) GROUP II (100,000-250,000), WITH 7 OUT OF 8 RESPONDING; (3) GROUP III (50,000-100,000), WITH 8 OUT OF 9 RESPONDING; AND (4) GROUP IV (25,000-500,000), WITH 5 OUT OF 18 RESPONDING. IT IS NOTED THAT GROUP IV RETURNS WERE NOT SUFFICIENT TO MERIT FIRM CONCLUSIONS, THUS PRECLUDING THE PRESENTATION OF RESULTS ON A GEOGRAPHICAL BASIS--AN ORIGINAL INTENTION. DEPARTMENTAL PERSONNEL PATTERNS ARE DISCUSSED UNDER THE TOPICS OF POLICE FORCE CHARACTERISTICS, POLICE OFFICER CHARACTERISTICS, EDUCATION, REECRUITING EXPERIENCE, AND PROMOTION. TABLES OF RESULTS FROM SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ARE REPORTED ACCORDING TO THE GROUPS INDICATED IN THE CASE OF THE DEPARTMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE AND ACCORDING TO RANK FOR THE QUESTIONNAIRE SENT TO DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL. SUMMARY COMMENTS DESCRIBING THE FINDINGS IN PERSONNEL PATTERNS ARE OFFERED. (RCB)