NCJ Number
182248
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 69 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2000 Pages: 19-25
Editor(s)
John E. Ott
Date Published
2000
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Research has found that mentoring may be crucial to a new police recruit's successful transition into the police organization and that mentoring benefits proteges, mentors, and police organizations alike.
Abstract
Whether it is an informal arrangement between two individuals or a structured program sanctioned by the police organization, mentoring involves the provision of assistance by a mentor to a protege. Mentoring operates on the assumption that people relate more readily and positively to peer assistance than to supervisory direction. Mentors help proteges by filling such roles as teachers, guides, confidantes, role models, advisors, sponsors, promoters, and protectors. Mentors benefit from their relationships with proteges as well. Components of a successful mentoring program are identified that include selecting and training mentors, pairing participants, monitoring participants, and evaluating the mentoring program. 9 endnotes and 2 photographs