NCJ Number
137569
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 32 Issue: 2 Dated: (Spring 1992) Pages: 167-182
Date Published
1992
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Data collected from a national survey of English and Welsh police forces was used to study the allocation and use of community constables. Permanent beat officers and general duty officers in 39 of the 43 forces completed a self-administered questionnaire.
Abstract
The findings showed that the proportion of uniformed patrol officers allocated to beat duties ranged from over 50 percent to fewer than 10 percent. Community constables were more likely to be male and over 30 years old than general duty officers. Most community constables were recruited from the ranks of general duty officers rather than from a special department of the uniform branch or from another branch of the service. Beat officers spent about 20 percent of their time performing duties unrelated to their community work. Permanent beat officers were more likely than general duty officers to view community constable work as important. There was a strong correlation between perceived importance and job satisfaction and age; younger beat officers were apparently less satisfied with their jobs than older officers. The results are encouraging in that they point out the widespread use of community constables, but discouraging because there appears to be a lack of commitment within the police forces to community constable work. 4 tables, 5 figures, and 21 references