NCJ Number
166997
Date Published
1996
Length
115 pages
Annotation
In surveying ethical attitudes of police officers, the Oregon State Police (OSP) Department examined whether a shared sense of values prevailed within the police organization, whether police officers received consistent information on organizational values and policies, and how police officers viewed the integrity of the police organization.
Abstract
Of 780 sworn personnel, 615 responded to the survey, for a 79 percent response rate. Survey findings revealed values promoted by police supervisors affected attitudes and behavior of their subordinates. When police supervisors were perceived as having strong values and behavior, they often received more loyalty. Rank was associated with ethical values; ratings of values and behaviors in relation to the OSP went up as rank went up. The position of sergeant had some role ambiguity; attitudes of sergeants differed widely, with some favoring the management role and others favoring the fellow police officer position. Sergeants had to balance management considerations with fellow police officer concerns, a role that sometimes led to alienation from the ranks. Management personnel working at the OSP headquarters rated their ethical values and behavior higher across the board. Implications of the survey findings for establishing standards governing police professionalism and ethical behavior are discussed. Appendixes present the OSP's Code of Ethical Conduct, information on the survey methodology, a list of reasons for not returning the survey, a list of issues not covered by the survey, and correlation data. 4 references and 77 tables