HOUSTON (TX) - VALIDITY STUDY OF POLICE OFFICER SELECTION, TRAINING AND PROMOTION, V 4 - JOB ANALYSES OF POSITIONS WITHIN THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

• NCJ Number: 51944
• Author(s): P R JEANNERET; J A DUBIN
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 193 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/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

METHODOLOGIES AND RESULTS ARE DISCUSSED OF THE JOB ANALYSIS OF POSITIONS WITHIN THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT (TEXAS). WITHIN CLASS A (UNIFORMED AND DETECTIVE) CATEGORIES.

Abstract

CHANGE BETWEEN BASELINE (1969-1971) AND OPERATIONAL 1972-76) PERIODS REGARDING MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH RATES IS CLASS B AND C (TECHNICAL AND COMMUNICATIONS) POSITIONS. PROCEDURES INCLUDED REVIEWS OF SOURCE MATERIALS AND PUBLISHED RESEARCH, PERSONAL INTERVIEWS, DIRECT OBSERVATION, TASK ANALYSIS, USE OF THE CRITICAL INCIDENT TECHNIQUE, POSITION-ANALYSIS QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEYS, PHYSICAL TASK INVENTORY, AND MAINTENANCE OF A WORK DIARY. THE TASK-ANALYSIS PROCESS RESULTED IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF 26 FUNCTIONAL JOB TYPES THROUGHOUT THE CLASS A POSITIONS. THESE JOB TYPES INCLUDED SUCH AREAS AS SCHOOL SAFETY, HELICOPTER PATROL, PRISONER CONTROL, AND DISPATCHING. DATA COLLECTED DURING THE OBSERVATION PERIOD WERE GROUPED INTO EIGHT BROAD CATEGORIES: PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AND BEHAVIORS, SKILLED PSYCHOMOTOR ACTIVITIES AND BEHAVIORS, PUBLIC RELATIONS, REPORTING/COMMUNICATING, INVESTIGATIVE ACTIVITIES AND BEHAVIORS, ARREST ACTIVITIES AND BEHAVIORS, TRAFFIC CONTROL ACTIVITIES AND BEHAVIORS, AND ACTIVITIES REQUIRING INTERPERSONAL SKILLS. MAJOR BEHAVIORAL DIMENSIONS OF POLICE OFFICERS, DEVELOPED FROM THE CRITICAL INCIDENT DATA, INCLUDED SUCH ASPECTS AS PERSONAL CHARACTER AND RESPONSIBILITY, EMOTIONAL STABILITY, JUDGMENT AND DECISIONMAKING, AND CONSCIENTIOUSNESS TO DUTY. THE RESULTS OF THE POSITION-ANALYSIS QUESTIONNAIRE INDICATED THAT JOBS WITHIN THE PATROL AND TRAFFIC BUREAUS COULD BE CONSIDERED ENTRY-LEVEL JOBS. JOB ANALYSES OF THE CLASS B AND C POSITIONS ARE ALSO PRESENTED. TABULAR DATA AND GRAPHS ILLUSTRATE THE REPORT.