NCJ Number
58216
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1979) Pages: 206-210
Date Published
1979
Length
6 pages
Annotation
MOTIVATING FACTORS FOR JOINING THE POLICE FORCE AMONG RECENT TRAINING ACADEMY GRADUATES ARE EXPLORED.
Abstract
THE POPULATION FOR THIS RESEARCH CONSISTED OF 70 LAW OFFICERS (POLICE AND DETECTIVES) WHO HAD WORKING AS OFFICERS LESS THAN 5 YEARS AND WERE ATTENDING A 14-WEEK BASIC LAW ENFORCEMENT CLASS AT ACADEMIES IN ISSAQUAH, WASHINGTON, IN 1974. CLASSES WERE REQUIRED TTO FULFILL A STATE MANDATE THAT ALL OFFICERS RECEIVE STATE TRAINING-EDUCATION. A SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE WITH BOTH PRECODED AND OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS WAS DEVELOPED; QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY DEALT WITH MOTIVATING FACTORS FOR JOINING, SUCH AS HELPING THE PUBLIC, ENFORCING THE LAW, ACCOMPLISHING SOMETHING WORTHWHILE, ADVENTURE AND EXCITEMENT OF POLICE WORK, ENCOURAGEMENT BY FRIENDS OR RELATIVES TO JOIN, STEADY JOB OPPORTUNTIES, AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF LAW ENFORCEMENT. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA SHOWED THAT AMONG THESE POSSIBLE MOTIVATING FACTORS, ACCOMPLISHING SOMETHING WORTHWHILE RANKED FIRST, HELPING THE PUBLIC RANKED SECOND, AND THE ADVENTURE OF POLICE WORK THIRD. ONLY 27.1 PERCENT REPLIED THAT THEY VIEWED THE WORK AS A STEADY JOB WITH A SECURE FUTURE AS A VERY IMPORTANT REASON FOR JOINING. THEREFORE, IT APPEARS THAT THE PREDOMINANT REASON FOR JOINING WAS ALTRUISTIC AS OPPOSED TO PRACTICAL OR NONALTRUISTIC. SEVERAL REASONS EXIST TO EXPLAIN THESE RESULTS. FIRST, MANY DEPARTMENTS ARE MOVING AWAY FROM THE TRADITIONAL, PARAMILITARY STRUCTURE INITIATED BY MORE EXPERIENCED OFFICERS WHO SERVED DURING WORLD WAR II AND WERE TRAINED BY THE MILITARY. SECOND MANY DEPARTMENTS ARE DEVELOPING MORE SERVICE-ORIENTED PROGRAMS, SUCH AS TEAM POLICING AND CRISIS-INTERVENTION UNITS. IN CONCLUSION, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE 'NEW BREED' OF INDIVIDUALS JOINING THE FORCE DOES SO BECAUSE OF A DESIRE TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING WORTHWHILE AND TO HELP THE PUBLIC. THESE PEOPLE ARE LESS AUTHORITARIAN AND SOCIALLY ISOLATED, AND DESIRE GREATER INVOLVEMENT WITH THEIR COMMUNITIES. FINALLY, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT FURTHER RESEARCH BE CONDUCTED TO INVESTIGATE THE LEVELS OF DISSATISFACTION EXPRESSED BY THOSE WITH ALTRUISTIC MOTIVATIONS AS COMPARED WITH THOSE WITH PRACTICAL OR ADVENTURE-ORIENTED MOTIVATIONS. FOOTNOTES AND TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED. (LWM)