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ASSESSING A POLICEMAN'S PERFORMANCE

NCJ Number
29168
Journal
Canadian Police Chief Volume: 64 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1975) Pages: 8-10
Author(s)
J E BOYD
Date Published
1975
Length
3 pages
Annotation
A DESCRIPTION OF THE DEVELOPMENT, VALIDATION, AND APPLICATIONS OF A POLICE PERFORMANCE RATING SCALE DESIGNED FOR THE 800 MAN POLICE FORCE IN A CANADIAN CITY.
Abstract
COMMON PROBLEMS IN PERFORMANCE RATING METHODS ARE FIRST OUTLINED. IN DEVELOPING THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL PROCEDURE DESCRIBED IN THIS ARTICLE, A FOUR STEP METHOD WAS USED. DATA ON PERFORMANCE CRITERIA WAS COLLECTED FROM POLICE SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL. THE SUPERVISORS WERE THEN ASKED TO SPECIFIY BEHAVIORS TYPICAL OF THESE PERFORMANCE CRITERIA. BEHAVIORS INDICATIVE OF HIGH PERFORMANCE, AVERAGE PERFORMANCE, AND LOW PERFORMANCE FOR EACH OF THE PERFORMANCE CRITERIA WERE LISTED IN A RATING SCALE; HIGH PERFORMANCE BEHAVIORS WERE GIVEN A VALUE OF 7, AVERAGE PERFORMANCE HAD A VALUE OF 4, AND LOW PERFORMANCE HAD A VALUE OF ONE. USING THIS SCALE, RATERS COULD OBJECTIVELY COMPARE THE BEHAVIORS OF THE OFFICER BEING APPRAISED TO THE BEHAVIORS INDICATED ON THE SCALE. A HIGH INTERRATER AND TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY WAS FOUND FOR THIS RATING SCALE.