NCJ Number
174212
Journal
Justice Quarterly Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Dated: June 1996 Pages: 291-320
Date Published
1996
Length
30 pages
Annotation
The effects of police training on productivity in arresting drunk drivers was examined using data from 443 police officers in 6 Pennsylvania police agencies.
Abstract
The data were analyzed through multiple regression techniques. When various other factors expected to influence arrest productivity were controlled, training had a significant positive effect on driving-under-the-influence (DUI) arrests in police agencies that provided a supportive setting. However, training did not have an effect in police agencies that were otherwise indifferent or hostile to DUI enforcement. These results could be explained through a technical/rational model of police organizations. Thus, in some organizations, training did not contribute to arrest productivity, but it supported the institutional objective of obtaining legitimacy for the organization and that this was accomplished precisely because technical operations were decoupled from street-level arrests. Tables, figures, and 39 references (Author abstract modified)