Police Personnel Management

Book excerpt: A reference work for use by personnel managers in police agencies is presented; topics discussed include personnel planning, recruiting, the selection process, basic training, performance appraisal, and labor relations. Police personnel management must find, hire, and keep police employees who can and will work at above-average levels and achieve meaning and satisfaction in so doing. The historical development of police agencies, personnel planning, and equal employment opportunity are highlighted. The job of patrol officer constitutes the core of all police work. The changes in hiring policy include the acceptance on an equal basis of women applicants and increased use of civilians in various specialist capacities. Legislation and case law forbid discrimination in employment; however, ratio hiring and promotion may temporarily produce unequal employment opportunities. The recruiting and the selection process also are described. Several modern developments enlarged recruitment from any target population, including an end to local residence requirements, modification of age, eyesight, and height requirements, and implementation of equal employment opportunity legislation. Applicants' achievement on physical performance and written tests, oral interviews, psychological screening, medical examination, and background investigation are used in the selection process. Also discussed are career development aspects such as basic training, personnel information systems, employee development programs, and employee education. Internal justice administration includes performance appraisal, discipline, and grievances. The topic of employee support and retention covers jobs structure and salary planning, labor relations, collective bargaining, police union contracts, and terminations. Finally future trends in research and development, such as the investigation of adequately measuring police officer effectiveness, are discussed. Photographs, diagrams, charts, an index, and a selected bibliography are provided in the book.