NCJ Number
123849
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1990) Pages: 40-43
Date Published
1990
Length
4 pages
Annotation
A detailed questionnaire was administered to sworn personnel in three police departments to assess perceptions of real and ideal police officers and community expectations regarding ideal police officers.
Abstract
The sample included approximately 100 police officers from different police departments. Participants were asked to complete the semantic differential instrument three times to describe their perceptions. Although the three police departments differed in philosophies of law enforcement and in job satisfaction, there were striking similarities in their views of the ideal police officer. All departments agreed that the ideal police officer should be quite good, decisive, active, strong, fast, right, responsive, masculine, flexible, and considerate. The three departments also agreed that the community would like police officers to be good, decisive, active, strong, fast, and masculine. Overall, police officers had positive images of themselves and police work. 10 references, 3 figures.