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College Education and Police Job Performance: A Ten-Year Study

NCJ Number
178437
Journal
Public Personnel Management Volume: 27 Issue: 2 Dated: Summer 1998 Pages: 269-280
Author(s)
Donald M. Truxillo; Suzanne R. Bennett; Michelle L. Collins
Date Published
1998
Length
12 pages
Annotation
The relationship between measures of college education and work performance was studied for a cohort of 84 police officers over a 10-year period.
Abstract
The data were collected as part of an ongoing validation study of police psychological and background evaluations. The participants included 84 police officers who were originally hired between 1980 and 1982 in a southern, metropolitan police agency. All employees were selected by the same criteria. Results of correlation analyses revealed that college education variables had a statistically significant relationship to promotions and supervisory ratings of job knowledge. However, an inconsistent relationship existed between college education and measures of disciplinary action. Findings suggested that these relationship patterns may indicate that college education is relevant to many aspects of police work, but it should not be assumed to predict all areas of job performance. Tables and reference notes (Author abstract modified)