NCJ Number
192900
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 30 Issue: 1 Dated: January/February 2002 Pages: 51-64
Date Published
2002
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether patrol supervisors can effectively influence their officers' behavior under a community-policing structure.
Abstract
The study examined data collected for the Project on Policing Neighborhoods (POPN), a systematic observational study of patrol officers and first-line supervisors in two metropolitan police departments in 1996-97. Using four distinct supervisory styles created through factor analysis of attitudinal constructs identified in the management and policing literatures, the researchers assessed the influence of various supervisory styles over the time officers spent per shift in conducting particular types of activities and encounters. Only the 239 officers matched with a sergeant were included in the analyses. Analyses were conducted at the shift (or ride) level; officers were observed during 518 shifts. To explore the effects of supervision on police officer behavior, the time officers spent per shift conducting four general types of behaviors were examined: proactivity (i.e., police-initiated activities); community-policing/problem-solving activities; administrative activities; and personal business activities. Each of these behaviors was measured as the percent of time spent engaging in that particular activity per 8-hour shift. Findings from multivariate analyses show that officers with "active" supervisors spent significantly more time per shift engaging in self-initiated and community-policing/problem-solving activities; and officers with "innovative" supervisors spent significantly more time engaging in administrative tasks. Implications for policy and future research are explored. 4 tables, 7 notes, and 47 references