NCJ Number
78369
Journal
Police Journal, 54 Issue: 3 Dated: (July-September 1981) Pages: 281-289
Date Published
1981
Length
9 pages
Annotation
The need for additional research into police management activities and problems is emphasized in this paper which reports the results of research conducted among the Scottish police forces.
Abstract
Over 45 percent of superintendents in the Scottish Police Service completed desk diaries giving information about their daily activities for 1 week. After data analysis, the information was grouped into the following categories: operations, criminal investigations, traffic, administration, licensing, community involvement, communications, and training. Results show that superintendents spend most of their time reading, writing, attending meetings, and talking and little time in the technical aspects of police work (i.e., apprehending criminals or inspecting units under their command). They have the human and conceptual skills required for command but need further training in the specific problems they cited, such as delegating authority and changing public attitudes. Further research is needed before a satisfactory training program can be developed. Tables and 19 references are supplied.