NCJ Number
52596
Date Published
1978
Length
94 pages
Annotation
THE WATERLOO, ONTARIO, POLICE FORCE DEVELOPED AND TESTED A MODEL APPROACH TO THE USAGE OF SUPPORT CIVILIAN PERSONNEL. THE STUDY CONCLUDED THAT SUPPORT PERSONNEL CAN BE EFFECTIVELY INTEGRATED INTO POLICE WORK.
Abstract
DEPARTMENTS CONSIDERING CIVILIAN PERSONNEL USE SHOULD ANALYZE EACH POSITION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, IN TERMS OF JOB RESPONSIBILITIES, AGAINST A NUMBER OF PREDEFINED CRITERIA--COMMUNITY CONSIDERATIONS, PROFESSIONAL ISSUES, OPERATIONAL FACTORS, AND ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS. IT IS POSSIBLE TO CATEGORIZE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES INTO ROUTINE ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS, SPECIALIST SKILLED TASKS IN ADMINISTRATION AND POLICE SUPPORT FUNCTIONS, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT FUNCTIONS, AND THEN AGAIN INTO CATEGORIES OF PURE POLICING, ADMINISTRATION, AND NONPOLICING. CRITICAL TO CIVILIAN PERSONNEL SUCCESS IN POLICE WORK IS SWORN OFFICER ACCEPTANCE, IMPACT ON QUALITY OF POLCE WORK, INFLUENCE ON PROFESSIONAL OFFICERS CAREERS, COMMUNITY REACTIONS, TRAINING FEASIBILITY, AND COST. THESE CONSIDERATIONS CAN BE SYSTEMATICALLY RATED AND SCORED ACCORDING TO THE WATERLOO SYSTEM, THE RESULTS INDICATING WHICH JOBS ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE BENEFITED BY CIVILIAN PERFORMANCE. IMPLEMENTATION OF A CIVILIAN PROGRAM WOULD REQUIRE DEVELOPMENT OF POSITION DESCRIPTIONS, PAY SCALES, AND TRAINING PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS OF OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES AND MANUALS. FOR VOLUME II, SEE NCJ-61569. (MJW)