MEASURING CITIZENS' PERCEPTIONS OF POLICE EDUCATION AND TRAINING - AN ANALYSIS BY RACE AND DOGMATISM

• NCJ Number: 49184
• Journal: QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF CORRECTIONS Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (WINTER 1978) Pages: 46-51
• Author(s): F I KLYMAN; J KRUCEKNBERG
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 6 pages
• Corporate Author: State Technical Institute of Memphis
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RACE AND DOGMATISM AS DETERMINANTS OF CITIZEN PERCEPTIONS OF POLICE TRAINING AND EDUCATION PRACTICES ARE EXAMINED IN A STUDY OF 1,000 SUBJECTS.

Abstract

SUBJECTS ANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF POLICE TRAINING PRACTICES AND HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND COMPLETED A SCALE DESIGNED TO MEASURE DOGMATISM. NONWHITE SUBJECTS EVALUATED POLICE TRAINING AND EDUCATION SIGNIFICANTLY MORE FAVORABLY THAN DID WHITE SUBJECTS. FOR BOTH WHITES AND NONWHITES, HIGHLY DOGMATIC SUBJECTS TENDED TO HOLD MORE FAVORABLE ATTITUDES ABOUT POLICE TRAINING AND EDUCATION THAN DID LESS DOGMATIC SUBJECTS; HOWEVER DOGMATISM HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON ATTITUDES ONLY AMONG NONWHITES. IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS RELATIVE TO IMPROVING COOPERATION BETWEEN POLICE AND CITIZENS ARE DISCUSSED. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)