NCJ Number
213924
Journal
International Journal of Police & Science & Management Volume: 7 Issue: 4 Dated: Winter 2005 Pages: 245-263
Date Published
2005
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This paper presents findings from an exploratory study regarding the perceptions of police officers on policing in a small town in Pennsylvania.
Abstract
Overall, this paper paints a picture of a department that is somewhat confident in the job it is doing, but with room for improvement with regard to enhancing the work climate. More than half of the police officers with the Lebanon City Police Department (LCPD) in Pennsylvania rated their perceptions and feelings of the department as poor to fair. In particular, they perceive that promotions and other job-related merit and/or reward systems are not handled in an equitable manner. The same can be said regarding disciplinary procedures. They also seem to perceive that they do not get clear directives from the administration. Overall, LCPD officers see problems that could be described as “internal stressors,” influencing officers’ perceptions of the working climate within the department in a negative direction. However, LCPD officers did report having a positive rapport with their immediate supervisors. A large majority of officers said they found their job rewarding and challenging. They also believed that the local citizens thought they were doing a good job of policing the local communities. Even with a high response rate, 36 out of 47 sworn officers, the study was limited due to its small sample size. References