OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE MEASURES OF POLICE OFFICER PERFORMANCE (FROM POLICE SELECTION AN EVALUATION, 1979, BY CHARLES D SPIELBERGER - SEE NCJ-59208)

• NCJ Number: 59214
• Author(s): E C FROEMEL
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 25 pages
• Corporate Author: Hemisphere Publishing Corp
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RESULTS FROM A STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS CENTER FOCUSING ON POLICE PERFORMANCE MEASURES ARE PRESENTED; GENERAL CONCLUSIONS REGARDING SUCH MEASURES ARE INCLUDED.

Abstract

AS PART OF A STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS CENTER FROM 1967 TO 1972, INVESTIGATION OF POLICE PERFORMANCE MEASURE WAS CONTINUED TO PROVIDE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF POLICE OFFICER PERFORMANCE MEASURES, BOTH OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE. A TOTAL OF 509 OFFICERS PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY, SUPPLYING DATA FOR SUCH VARIABLES AS NUMBER OF ARRESTS MADE FOR FELONY OFFENSES, NUMBER OF TRAFFIC CITATIONS ISSUED, DEPARTMENT SERVICE RATING, YEARS OF SERVICE, YEARS OF EDUCATION, AND NUMBER OF CHARGEABLE ACCIDENTS. RESULTING DATA ASSUME LEADERSHIP ROLES, USE MORE SYSTEMATIC METHODS FOR ESTABLISHING OVERALL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION. IT WAS OBSERVED THAT OBJECTIVE MEASURES DEAL WITH SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF JOB PERFORMANCE, AND THAT DISCRETION BE EXERCISED TO ENSURE THAT ALL RELEVANT ASPECTS ARE COVERED. FOR EXAMPLE, AN OFFICER ASSIGNED TO DESK DUTY SHOULD HAVE A LOWER NUMBER OF ARRESTS THAN A PATROL OFFICER, BUT A HIGH NUMBER OF REPORTS COMPLETED; ONLY RELEVANT DATA CONSIDERING OFFICER ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD BE EVALUATED. SUBJECTIVE MEASURES, IN CONTRAST, TEND TO DEAL WITH OVERALL PERFORMANCE, BUT RELIANCE ON HUMAN JUDGMENT, IS BOTH THE STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS OF THE ACCURACY. SUBJECTIVE MEASURES SHOULD BE EXAMINED FOR EVIDENCE OF RATER EFFECTS PRIOR TO USE. DATA STABILITY THROUGHOUT THE 6 YEAR STUDY WAS SHOWN TO VARY FOR THE DIFFERENT MEASURES; SOME REMAINED FAIRLY CONSTANT FOR 4 YEARS, OTHERS HELD FOR ONLY 2. THE VARIABLES ALSO EXHIBITED DIFFERENTIAL CHANGE WHICH WAS CONSTANT AND THOUGHT TO REFLECT THE EFFECTS OF LEARNING OR DEVELOPMENT ON THE JOB. FINALLY, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT A STRUCTURAL MODEL IMPLEMENTING BOTH OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE MEASURES COULD BE DEVELOPED WHICH WOULD SHOW THE INFLUENCE OF THESE MEASURES ON EACH OTHER. EXTENSIVE TABULAR DATA, GRAPHS, AND REFERENCES PROVIDED. (LWM)