NCJ Number
153480
Journal
American Journal of Police Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Dated: (1994) Pages: 113-124
Date Published
1994
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Local law enforcement agencies in Alabama were surveyed using a mailed questionnaire to measure the perceptions of preferred characteristics of good police officers and the use of 22 selected screening tools.
Abstract
A total of 224 of the 321 questionnaires were returned, for a response rate of about 70 percent. Results revealed considerable agreement about the characteristics desirable for police officers. The candidate should be honest, reliable, emotionally stable, patient, and of good character. Virtually all the departments would use a greater range of screening techniques if they could; the use of screening techniques is related to measures of financial resources but not to the degree to which the agency perceives the applicant pool as large enough to meet agency needs. Findings also indicated that training in the screening techniques would be useful and that if staff can be convinced that some techniques perceived as expensive can be applied with minimal expense, agencies might adopt these techniques and improve their selection process with minimal additional expense. Tables, research recommendations, notes, and 34 references