DEMANDS ON SENIOR POLICE EXECUTIVES - AN ATTEMPT TO DEFINE REQUIREMENTS FROM THE STANDPOINT OF PRACTICAL POLICE SERVICE NEEDS - CAREER POLICE WORK AND TRANSFERS FROM RELATED FIELDS

• NCJ Number: 64914
• Journal: Schriftenreihe der Polizei-Fuehrungsakademie Volume: 6 Issue: 4, Dated: (1979) Pages: 306-319
• Author(s): H OLSZEWSKI
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 14 pages
• Corporate Author: Walter Rau Verlag
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: German
• Country: West Germany (Former)

Annotation

IN THE FRAMEWORK OF A LARGE EVALUATION PROJECT, SELECTION CRITERIA FOR SENIOR POLICE EXECUTIVES ARE ANALYZED.

Abstract

THE CURRENT WEST GERMAN REQUIREMENT PROFILES USED IN THE SELECTION OF SENIOR POLICE EXECUTIVES ARE THEORETICAL, IMPRECISE, AND PARTLY IRRELEVANT. A LARGE-SCALE PROJECT SPONSORED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OF NORD-RHEIN WESTFALEN IS DESIGNED TO ESTABLISH PRACTICE-ORIENTED SELECTION CRITERIA WITHIN THE NEXT 3-4 YEARS. IN ONE PART OF THAT PROJECT, PARTICIPATING POLICE OFFICERS RECEIVED CATALOGUES CONTAINING 173 ITEMS WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO SELECT THOSE ITEMS WHICH DESCRIBED (1) A POLICE OFFICER OF THEIR ACQUAINTANCE WHO POSSESSED EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE AND LEADERSHIP QUALITIES, (2) A POLICE OFFICER OF THEIR ACQUAINTANCE WHO HAD INFERIOR PERFORMANCE AND LEADERSHIP QUALITIES, AND (3) THE TEST PERSON HIMSELF (I.E., A SELF-EVALUATION). THE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE PROFILES INDICATED THAT FIVE CONTENT CRITERIA WERE CONSIDERED PARTICULARLY SIGNIFICANT IN DESCRIBING PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE: HUMAN RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS; ABILITY TO COPE WITH THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF WORK; LEADERSHIP, PLANNING, AND DECISON-MAKING; WILLINGNESS TO COOPERATE AND BE SUPPORTIVE OF OTHERS; AND PERSISTANCE AND PERSEVERANCE. OF THE 184 OFFICERS WHO TOOK THE TEST, 26.6 PERCENT WERE SUPERIOR POLICE EXECUTIVES, 48.4 PERCENT HAD UPPER-LEVEL POSITIONS, AND 26.1 PERCENT HELD MIDLEVEL POSITIONS. A STUDY OF THE INDIVIDUAL PROFILES REVEALED THAT ON ALL THREE LEVELS THE OFFICERS HAD VERY SIMILAR IDEALS OF A GOOD POLICE OFFICER, THAT THE SELF-EVALUATIONS GREATLY DIFFERED FROM LEVEL TO LEVEL,, AND THAT EVEN THOSE OFFICERS WHO WERE DESCRIBED AS UNSUCCESSFUL POSSESSED A DEFINITE PROFILE. THE STUDY CONFIRMED THAT NOT SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE BUT LEADERSHIP IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN SELECTING HIGHRANKING POLICE OFFICERS. A COPY OF THE ITEM CATALOGUE AND A STATISTICAL CHART ARE APPENDED. --IN GERMAN. (SAJ)