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FOUR-DIMENSIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON POLICE TYPOLOGIES

NCJ Number
19260
Journal
Criminology Volume: 12 Issue: 3 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1974) Pages: 328-337
Author(s)
R A SUNDEEN
Date Published
1974
Length
10 pages
Annotation
USING FACTOR ANALYSIS, TEN VARIABLES PREVIOUSLY ASSUMED TO BE CONCEPTUALLY BIPOLAR (SIMILAL TO PROFESSIONAL FRATERNAL), WERE ORDERED INTO FOUR THEORETICAL DIMENSIONS CONCERNING ORIENTATIONS OF POLICE BUREAUS.
Abstract
THESE DIMENSIONS WERE JUVENILE SPECIALIST, COMMUNITY SERVICE, LOCAL, AND ORGANIZATIONAL ORIENTATIONS. FURTHER ANALYSIS USPPORTED THE POSSIBILITY OF THE EXISTENCE OF FOUR TYPES. THERE WERE DIFFERENCES AMONG THE FOUR IN TERMS OF POLICE FUNCTIONS (LEGALISM) AND ATTITUDES TOWARD THEIR COMMUNITIES AND PERSONALIZED TREATMENT OF JUVENILES. ALSO, THERE WAS SOME CONSISTENCY IN THE MANNER BY WHICH THE TYPES RELATED TO THE FUNCTIONS AND ATTITUDES-I.E., HIGH NEGATIVE COEFFICIENT WITH DIVERSION IS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH POSITIVE COEFFICIENT WITH COMMUNITY SATISFACTION AND PERSONALIZED TREATMENT. IT WOULD SEEM THAT THESE RESULTS WARN AGAINST THE USE OF BIPOLAR CONCEPTS TO DESCRIBE ORIENTATIONS OF POLICE ORGANIZATIONS AND SUGGEST THE NEED FOR FURTHER STUDY IN UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEXITIES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)