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STUDY OF POLICE HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS

NCJ Number
14210
Author(s)
C A DEMPSEY
Date Published
1974
Length
88 pages
Annotation
A STUDY TO DETERMINE IF THE HEIGHT OF POLICE OFFICERS IS RELATED TO POLICE PERFORMANCE.
Abstract
THE FACTORS THAT WERE CONSIDERED ARE ASSAULTS ON POLICE OFFICERS, INJURIES INCURRED BY POLICE OFFICERS, CITIZEN COMPLAINTS AGAINST POLICE OFFICERS, AND MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS BY POLICE OFFICERS. IT WAS FOUND THAT POLICE OFFICERS OVER 70 INCHES TALL WERE ASSAULTED LESS, WERE INJURED LESS FREQUENTLY, HAD FEWER COMPLAINTS LODGED AGAINST THEM AND, HAD FEWER AUTO ACCIDENTS THAN THEIR DIMINUTIVE BRETHREN. THE RESEARCHERS RECOMMEND THAT THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY RETAIN THEIR MINIMUM HEIGHT REQUIREMENT OF 68 INCHES.