NCJ Number
61540
Date Published
1978
Length
20 pages
Annotation
REQUIREMENTS OF ENTRY-LEVEL POLICE OFFICERS AND THE VALIDITY OF SUCCESSFUL JOB PERFORMANCE PREDICTORS IN SELECTING POLICE OFFICERS WERE INVESTIGATED IN THE ST. PAUL-MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., SUBURBAN AREA.
Abstract
CITY MANAGERS, THROUGH THE METROPOLITAN AREA MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION, EXPLORED THE POSSIBILITY OF DEVELOPING VALID SELECTION PROCEDURES FOR USE IN SUBURBAN TWIN CITIES AREA COMMUNITIES. A PERSONNEL SELECTION STANDARDS COMMITTEE WAS ESTABLISHED TO ORGANIZE THE RESEARCH PROJECT, AND THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL WAS ASKED TO PROVIDE ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTION AND COORDINATION. THE PURPOSE OF THE INVESTIGATION WAS TO VALIDATE JOB-RELATED NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICE SELECTION STANDARDS IN SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES OF THE TWIN CITIES AREA. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES WERE TO DESCRIBE ACTIVITIES OF PATROL OFFICERS, TO DETERMINE SPECIFIC BEHAVIORS INVOLVED IN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THESE ACTIVITIES, TO DETERMINE THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTIVITIES PERFORMED BY PATROL OFFICERS, AND TO USE INFORMATION DERIVED FROM THE INVESTIGATION IN DEVELOPING A LIST OF SKILLS AND ABILITIES AND PERSONAL OR PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS REQUIRED TO PERFORM PATROL OFFICER DUTIES. DATA ON 285 PATROL OFFICERS, INCLUDING 8 FEMALE OFFICERS, WERE COLLECTED. OBSERVATIONS AND POSTSHIFT INTERVIEWS WITH PATROL OFFICERS IDENTIFIED 6,145 PATROL ACTIVITIES. FINDINGS OF ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT THERE WERE MANY MORE SIMILARITIES THAN DIFFERENCES ACROSS JURISDICTIONS. ACTIVITIES OF FEMALE OFFICERS DID NOT DIFFER FROM ACTIVITIES OF MALE OFFICERS. ALMOST ALL WORK TIME ENTAILED ROUTINE PATROL, HANDLING TRAFFIC, OR ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS. CRITICAL, EMERGENCY, OR THREATENING ACTIVITIES OCCURRED ONLY ABOUT ONCE A MONTH. THESE ALMOST ALWAYS INVOLVED THE HANDLING OF MEDICAL EMERGENCIES OR DOMESTIC DISPUTES. MOST JOB ACTIVITIES INVOLVED INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER PEOPLE IN WHICH INFORMATION WAS DISSEMINATED, EITHER ORALLY OR IN WRITTEN FORM. ON THE RARE OCCASIONS WHEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WAS REQUIRED, IT WAS JUDGED TO BE OF CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE. SPECIFIC ABILITIES THAT SHOULD BE ASSESSED IN SELECTING PATROL OFFICERS WERE IDENTIFIED: WRITTEN AND ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL ABILITIES, INFORMATION PROCESSING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS, FACTUAL RECALL SKILLS, LEARNING ABILITIES, WILLINGNESS TO PERFORM DESPITE DANGER OR DISCOMFORT, AGGRESSIVENESS OR ASSERTIVENESS, COOPERATIVENESS AND LACK OF PREJUDICE, DECISIVENESS AND ACCEPTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY, INTEREST IN LEARNING AND SELF-DEVELOPMENT, HONESTY AND INTEGRITY, INTEREST IN POLICE WORK, DEPENDABILITY, EMOTIONAL STABILITY AND STRESS TOLERANCE, HEARING ACUITY, COLOR AND DEPTH PERCEPTION, STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING, AND COORDINATION AND BALANCE. SUPPORTING DATA ARE PROVIDED. (DEP)