PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ASSAULTED AND NON-ASSAULTED OFFICERS

• NCJ Number: 27926
• Author(s): C D HALE; W R WILSON
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 170 pages
• Grant Number(s): 73-TA-06-0004; 73-DF-06-0053
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: University of Oklahoma
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; University of Oklahoma
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AS PART OF A LARGER STUDY OF ASSAULTS ON POLICE CONDUCTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA THIS STUDY SOUGHT TO DETERMINE CHARACTERISTICS USEFUL IN DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN ASSAULTED AND NON-ASSAULTED OFFICERS.

Abstract

THE STUDY WAS BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT ASSAULTS ON POLICE OFFICERS ARE NOT ENTIRELY RANDOM PHENOMENA, BUT RATHER OCCUR MORE FREQUENTLY TO MEMBERS OF POLICE AGENCIES WHO SHARE CERTAIN PERSONAL OR PHYSICAL TRAITS. DATA WERE GATHERED FROM 13 MUNICIPAL POLICE AGENCIES AND ONE STATE HIGHWAY PATROL. A GENERAL PROFILE IS CONSTRUCTED WHICH PROVIDES A DESCRIPTION OF POLICE PERSONNEL IN THESE AGENCIES. IT ALSO DESCRIBES THE TYPICAL TRAITS OF THE ASSAULTED AND NON-ASSAULTED OFFICERS. IN ADDITION, AN INDIVIDUAL AGENCY PROFILE PROVIDES THE TYPICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF POLICE OFFICERS WITHIN A SINGLE JURISDICTION AS WELL AS ATTRIBUTES OF BOTH ASSAULTED AND NON-ASSAULTED OFFICERS. AMONG OTHER CONCLUSIONS, IT WAS FOUND THAT AN AGENCY'S BUDGET SHOWED NO CORRELATION WITH ITS ASSAULT RATIO. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT THE CORRELATIONS THAT DO EXIST FOR ALL AGENCIES OFTEN DO NOT HOLD TRUE FOR A PARTICULAR AGENCY. PERHAPS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CONCLUSION TO BE DRAWN IS THAT THE ASSAULT PHENOMENON SHOULD BE STUDIED ON A DEPARTMENT-BYDEPARTMENT BASIS UNTIL THE FACTORS WHICH EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AGENCIES ARE IDENTIFIED. EXTENSIVE DATA TABLES AND CHARTS ON POLICE ASSAULTS AND POLICE CHARACTERISTICS ARE INCLUDED. FOR OTHER REPORTS OF THE POLICE ASSAULTS STUDY, SEE NCJ-27927, 27929, 27930, 27932 NCJ-27862, 27863, 27864, AND 27867. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)