Police Personnel Practices: Education, Participation, and Scheduling

• NCJ Number: 139508
• Author(s): E R Molder
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 45 pages
• Sale Source: International City/County Management Assoc
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Special Data Issue

Annotation

The International City/County Management Association surveyed police personnel practices in 1990 by mailing a questionnaire to all U.S. cities with a population of 10,000 and above.

Abstract

Cities not responding to the first mailing were sent a second survey. Of 2,769 cities surveyed, 46.1 percent responded. It was found that local governments encouraged police personnel to further their education by offering tuition reimbursement or educational loans, by offering a salary differential, and by giving extra credit toward promotion or limiting promotion to those whose education exceeded minimum requirements. The most popular and probably the most cost- effective incentives were tuition reimbursement and educational loans, used by slightly over 60 percent of responding local governments. Salary differential was used by slightly less than 50 percent of respondents. Only 12 percent of police departments linked promotion and education, either by giving extra credit for education or by requiring additional education. Fifty-five percent of respondents indicated that police officers had direct access to the chief without proceeding through a chain of command, while almost 50 percent reported regular meetings between the chief and the officers. Generally, local governments with a population of 50,000 or more showed higher use of meetings with bureau chiefs than they did with the police chief. Of respondents using a fixed bracket work scheduling system, 61 percent assigned officers on the basis of seniority. Of 711 local governments using the duty cycle system, 30 percent changed hours and days off weekly and 25 percent made these changes monthly. Only 5.7 percent of respondents used the proportional rotating schedule. Of 329 local governments indicating they introduced changes in schedules, all reported making the changes to increase productivity. Additionally, almost 61 percent reported changes in response to a reduction in force. Tabular listings identify the specifics of police programs that encourage officers to obtain additional education and that involve officers in intradepartmental issues. Types of schedules and reasons for schedule changes are also covered.