NCJ Number
205347
Date Published
2004
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This British study identified reasons for officer transfers and resignations in 10 police forces.
Abstract
The study focused on those officers who voluntarily resigned from the service and those who transferred to another force during 2000 and 2001. The study surveyed over 300 "leavers" from the 10 forces, with attention to their experiences in the service, their reasons for leaving or transferring, and what they did after the change. The interviews were conducted face-to-face and included prompted, unprompted, and open-ended questions. The study found that most leavers joined the service for positive reasons, and many leavers continued to be satisfied with some aspects of their job, particularly the opportunity for varied work. Most leavers were dissatisfied with management attitudes and procedures, feeling that management did not value their work and required them to do too much paperwork. Fifty-five percent of those who transferred to another force desired to move to a new house or area. Some groups (women, officers from minority ethnic groups, probationers, and graduates) had higher resignation rates. Women left the service at different stages in their careers compared with men, with the reason for leaving most often being domestic responsibilities. Forces in the southeast of England generally had the highest losses from transfers and resignations. The desires to move to a new area and/or receive higher pay were the motives most often given for transferring. In order to address losses from transfers and resignations, this report recommends that management encourage openness and transparency in management policies and procedures; that team-working, appropriate training, and opportunities for more flexible ways of working be developed; and that record keeping be more efficient to take less of officer duty time. 2 tables and 2 references