HOUSTON (TX) - A VALIDITY STUDY OF POLICE OFFICER SELECTION, TRAINING AND PROMOTION, V 3 - ADVERSE IMPACT ANALYSES OF THE SELECTION, TRAINING, ASSIGNMENT AND PROMOTION PROCEDURES OF THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

• NCJ Number: 51943
• Author(s): P R JEANNERETT; J A DUBIN
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 171 pages
• Grant Number(s): AC-75-B-0331-57
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Lifson, Wilson, Ferguson and Winick, Inc
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

USING THE CHI-SQUARE STATISTIC FOR ANALYSIS, THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT (TEX.) EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES ARE EVALUATED FOR ADVERSE IMPACT ON MINORITY GROUPS INCLUDING FEMALES, BLACKS, AND HISPANICS.

Abstract

THE DEPARTMENT'S CURRENT WORKFORCE IS COMPARED TO THE COMPOSITION OF THE LABOR FORCE IN THE DEPARTMENT'S RECRUITING AREA AND IT IS FOUND THAT BLACKS, HISPANICS, AND FEMALES ARE UNDERREPRESENTED. BLACKS HAVE A LOWER GRADUATION RATE FROM THE POLICE ACADEMY BECAUSE OF ACADEMIC FAILURE, AND FEMALES OFTEN DROP OUT FOR PERSONAL REASONS. ADVERSE IMPACT ANALYSES OF JOB ASSIGNMENTS INDICATE THAT ETHNIC MINORITIES WERE MORE FREQUENTLY ASSIGNED TO AREAS SUCH AS RECRUITING AND NARCOTICS AND THAT FEMALE OFFICERS HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED MORE FREQUENTLY TO JOBS IN THE JUVENILE AND STAFF SERVICES DIVISIONS. THE PROMOTIONAL PROCESS FOR COMMISSIONED PERSONNEL IS BASED ON TENURE, PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, AND COMPETITIVE EXAM SCORES. ANALYSIS OF THIS PROCESS AND AN ESTIMATION OF EXPECTED PROMOTIONS REVEAL THAT THERE IS NO ADVERSE IMPACT FOR FEMALES IN THE PROMOTIONAL SYSTEM. HOWEVER, THE RESULTS ARE INCONCLUSIVE FOR BLACKS AND HISPANICS. GENERALLY, ETHNIC MINORITIES HAVE BEEN PROMOTED AT RATES THAT WOULD BE EXPECTED, GIVEN THE OFFICERS' TENURE AND RATES OF SEEKING PROMOTION. IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE IS NO ADVERSE IMPACT ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEPARTMENT'S PERFORMANCE EVALUATION PROCESS INFLUENCING PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITY, ALTHOUGH BLACKS AND HISPANICS SCORE LOWER ON THE HOUSTON CIVIL SERVICE WRITTEN EXAMS AND THUS HAVE RECEIVED LOWER POSITIONS ON PROMOTIONAL LISTS. THE APPENDIXES CONTAIN STUDY INSTRUMENTS AND DATA. FOR VOLUMES 1-2, SEE NCJ 51941-51942; FOR VOLUMES 4-5, SEE NCJ 51944-51945; FOR VOLUME 4A, SEE NCJ 51917, AND FOR VOLUMES 6-9, SEE NCJ 51910-51913. (DAG)