NCJ Number
29695
Date Published
Unknown
Length
109 pages
Annotation
'POLICE BOUNDARY ACTIVITY' IS DEFINED AS THE GREY ZONE OF ORDER MAINTENANCE, SOCIAL SERVICE, AND SUPPORTIVE-TYPE ACTIVITIES (AS OPPOSED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT) IN WHICH POLICE OFFICERS SPEND A PORTION OF THEIR ON-DUTY TIME.
Abstract
THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THIS DISSERTATION STUDY WAS TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES WHICH COULD BE USED TO ENCOURAGE POLICEMEN TO WORK WITH AND UTILIZE THE SERVICES OF SPECIFIC SUPPORT AGENCY PERSONNEL AS REFERRAL AGENCIES IN THESE BOUNDARY ACTIVITIES. SPECIFIC RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN POLICE PERSONNEL IN A MUNICIPAL POLICE DEPARTMENT IN A SMALL MIDWESTERN CITY AND THREE SUPPORTIVE-TYPE AGENCIES JUVENILE PROBATION, DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, AND COMMUNITY ACTION AGAINST POVERTY - ARE INVESTIGATED. BOTH INTERORGANIZATIONAL RELATED POLICE ESTEEM TOWARD SUPPORT PERSONNEL, DISPARITY IN OPERATING PHILOSOPHIES, POLICE PERCEPTIONS OF INTERAGENCY INTEGRATION, POLICE ATTITUDE TOWARDS BLACKS) AND INTRAORGANIZATIONAL RELATED (POLICE JOB SATISFACTION AND POLICE OFFICER'S WORK STYLE) CORRELATES ARE ANALYZED USING MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS PROCEDURES. TWO STRUCTURAL VARIABLES, POLICE RANK AND FRIENDSHIP LINKAGE, WERE ALSO INTRODUCED INTO THE ANALYSIS. DATA FROM ALL PERSONNEL IN EACH OF THE AGENCIES WAS OBTAINED BY SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE. ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT POLICE RANK, FRIENDSHIP LINKAGE, POLICE ESTEEM FOR SUPPORT PERSONNEL, AND POLICE PERCEPTION OF INTERAGENCY INTEGRATION WERE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT FACTORS IN POLICE INTERACTION WITH SUPPORT AGENCY PERSONNEL AND REFERRAL OF CLIENTS, ALTHOUGH REFERRAL ACTIVITY WAS FOUND TO BE LOW FOR ALL THREE AGENCIES. DISPARITY IN OPERATIONAL PHILOSOPHIES SHOWED A STATISTICALLY WEAK CORRELATION. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INCREASING INTERAGENCY INTERACTION AND RESOURCE UTILIZATION ARE SUGGESTED BASED ON THESE RESULTS. A SEVEN-PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS COPIES OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE ITEMS THAT WERE CONSIDERED AS MEASUREMENTS OF CORRELATES AND TYPES OF BOUNDARY ACTIVITY. ALSO INCLUDED ARE TABLES OF ANALYTICAL PROGRAM DATA.