NCJ Number
54388
Date Published
1976
Length
184 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY EXAMINES AN APPROACH TO DESIGNING POLICE RECRUIT TRAINING PROGRAMS THAT REFLECTS RECRUIT READINESS TO LEARN AND DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS FOR RECRUITS.
Abstract
A QUESTIONNAIRE CONSISTING OF 12 STATEMENTS OF DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS AND 81 SUBTASKS PERTAINING TO PATROLLING WERE ADMINISTERED TO 3 GROUPS OF RECRUITS AT VARIOUS STAGES OF THE TRAINING PROGRAM AND THREE GROUPS OF POLICE OFFICERS WITH 4, 8, AND 12 MONTHS OF JOB EXPERIENCE RESPECTIVELY (A TOTAL OF 372 PERSONS). RESPONDENTS WERE ASKED TO SELECT AND RANK THE THREE DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS WHICH THEY FELT WERE MOST IMPORTANT TO THEIR JOB PERFORMANCE AND RATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SUB-TASKS ON A 5-POINT SCALE. DATA WERE ANALYZED BY COMPARING MEAN RESPONSES TO THE TASKS ACROSS THE SIX-POINTS-IN-TIME REPRESENTED BY THE SIX GROUPS OF RESPONDENTS. WHILE ALL SUBTASKS WERE FOUND TO BE OF IMPORTANCE TO ALL SIX GROUPS, ONLY 30 OF THESE TASKS EVIDENCED A READINESS TO LEARN. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AMONG DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS RESPONSES OCCURRED INDICATING A READINESS TO LEARN FOR ALL 12 DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS ACROSS ALL POINTS-IN-TIME. A READINESS TO LEARN ONE DEVELOPMENTAL TASK OCCURRED FOR BOTH RECRUITS AND GRADUATES, SEVEN OCCURRED ONLY FOR RECRUITS, AND FOUR OCCURRED ONLY FOR THE GRADUATES. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT POLICE RECRUIT TRAINING PROGRAMS MIGHT INCORPORATE A FIELD TRAINING EXPERIENCE IN THEIR PROGRAMS EMPHASIZING THOSE DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS UNIQUE TO RECRUITS IN THE TRAINING BEFORE THE FIELD EXPERIENCE, AND STRESS THOSE DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS UNIQUE TO GRADUATES IN SUBSEQUENT TRAINING. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)