Empirical Assessment of the Criteria Utilized for Promoting Police Personnel - A Secondary Analysis

• NCJ Number: 69659
• Journal: Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1980) Pages: 183-187
• Author(s): R R Roberg; J E Laramy
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 5 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study empirically assesses the promotional criteria used by a Midwest police department to establish individual rankings for advancement to first-level supervisor (patrol sergeant).

Abstract

The sample consisted of 190 police personnel representing all nonsupervisory positions. The participants chose to compete for promotion to first-level patrol supervisor, with the sole requirement of 4 years of satisfactory department service. Data were collected on city pesonnel written test score, departmental performance evaluation, years of service, number of college hours, and department promotional rank score. These data were analyzed first by forward stepwise multiple regression analysis and then subsequent to the analysis a new department promotional rank score was calculated for each participant. The first set of findings showed that most participants had few or no college hours and few years of seniority. The variable most strongly related to promotional rank score was the written test score. College hours were more strongly related to promotional rank than either seniority or performance evaluation. That seniority was negatively correlated with college hours and the written test score suggested that seniority may be a suppressor rather than a contributor to promotional rank. The second analysis with a new scale showed 80 percent of the top 25 participants changing their position. New promotional rankings did differ from departmental rankings when the predictor variables were weighted according to the actual change on the criterion variable. In reference to higher education, 36 percent of the top 25 had college degrees, compared to a total sample percentage of 6.8. Thus a relationship between higher education and promotion existed. These findings suggest that the use of seniority, above the minimum requirement considered essential, should not be used in determining overall promotional rank and that college hours will have a significant impact on the promotional process when a written test score is assigned a heavy weighting. Most important however, is that police departments must empirically assess their promotional programs criteria and validate them through careful analysis. Footnotes are provided.