NCJ Number
84176
Date Published
1980
Length
271 pages
Annotation
Police management training programs were assessed with respect to the manner in which they were developed, their ability to be evaluated, and their effectiveness.
Abstract
Information was gathered by means of a mail survey of over 200 programs, visits to 16 programs, and contacts with both State officials and experts in management training and training evaluation. The development of police management training was found to be deliberate, phased, and fairly systematic, although it did not correspond with the industrial model of training program development. Program development was affected by funding, legal requirements, organizational environment, community environment, and the ready availability of resources and materials from prior programs. Fourteen different training models were identified. Some programs mixed different models. Programs generally fell short of such evaluability criteria as clear definitions of program expectations and activities. Significant gaps and contradictions existed between program descriptions offered by policymakers, program managers, and program operators. Few programs tried to determine whether the training made any difference in later job behavior. However, reaction surveys showed that trainees leave nearly all programs satisfied that their time has not been wasted. Final examinations also indicated that trainees gained knowledge during their courses. The available evidence does not permit conclusions regarding overall effectiveness. Among crucial policy issues related to management training are the relative merits and costs of residential and nonresidential programs and the relative influence of experiential and nonexperiential training methods on later job behavior. Additional policy issues, charts, appendixes presenting study instruments and background information, footnotes, and 64 references are provided.