NCJ Number
166247
Journal
Police Studies Volume: 19 Issue: 4 Dated: (1996) Pages: 25-37
Date Published
1996
Length
13 pages
Annotation
A job satisfaction survey of more than 300 police officers from the District of Columbia, conducted while they waited for court appearances, revealed police officers were satisfied with their jobs but morale was low.
Abstract
Questionnaires and pencils were distributed to police officers as they entered the police liaison room at Superior Court. More than 20 questions concerned police officer attitudes toward their jobs. It was found that background and situational variables did not adequately predict job satisfaction levels and that job satisfaction levels were better predicted by police officer attitudes toward peers and superiors, race relations, and the promotion process within the police department. Job satisfaction was relatively high but morale was somewhat low. Police officers were generally satisfied with daily aspects of their jobs, they had no overwhelming complaints about pay, and most were confident in their peers. Police officers, however, were concerned about how effective they were in controlling crime, the lack of community support, and problems with the promotion process. They also had negative perceptions of the police department bureaucracy. 20 references, 4 endnotes, and 3 tables