NCJ Number
152478
Journal
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology Volume: 10 Issue: 2 Dated: (October 1994) Pages: 38-45
Date Published
1994
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Police officers in the Lafayette, Louisiana, City Police Department were surveyed to evaluate their behaviors and attitudes.
Abstract
The 102 usable questionnaires represented a police officer response rate of 58 percent. Questionnaires provided information on police officer attitudes toward certain facets of police work: community service, crime fighting, personal service, career satisfaction, social integration, action, and attitudes toward the street. Survey findings revealed a high level of career satisfaction. Three aspects of police work were equally related to career satisfaction: favorable attitude toward action, favorable attitude toward the street, and community service. Two other aspects of police work demonstrated lower but significant links to career satisfaction, personal service and crime fighting. The analysis of policing styles (crime fighting, community service, and personal service) found that police officers moved across policing styles, with a preference for one which became their primary behavioral mode. Social integration had low negative associations with crime fighting and community service. An appendix lists questionnaire response possibilities. 26 references and 2 tables