The effects of the implementation of community oriented policing (COP) on police personnel job satisfaction remain a subject of considerable controversy. Although the dramatic changes associated with COP programs and the implementation of practices reflecting a COP philosophy commonly introduce uncertainty and insecurity in police agencies, a number of single-jurisdiction case studies of COP adoption have reported positive effects on police employee job satisfaction among officers engaged in COP activities. Using survey and archival data on job satisfaction among a cross-section of local government employees from 12 local government jurisdictions, this study finds evidence of positive effects on the mean job satisfaction levels for police officers attributable to the implementation of COP. It was found that: (a) police personnel in high COP implementation agencies report higher job satisfaction than police personnel in other agencies, and (b) the ubiquitous job satisfaction gap between police and nonpolice personnel in local governments is closed by the systematic adoption of COP.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Angell, J. E. (1971). Toward an alternative to the classic police organizational arrangements: A democratic model. Criminology, 9, 185-206.
2.
Bayley, D. H. (1976). Forces of order: Police behavior in Japan and the United States. Berkeley: University of California Press.
3.
Boydstun, J. E. , & Sherry, M. E. (1975). San Diego community profile: Final report. Washington, DC: Police Foundation.
4.
Community Policing Consortium . (1994). Understanding community policing: A framework for action (BJA Monograph). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.
5.
Cordner, G. W. (1999). Elements of community policing. In L. Gaines & G. Cordner (Eds.), Policing perspectives (pp. 137-149). Los Angeles: Roxbury Press.
6.
Crank, J. P. (1997). Celebrating agency culture: Engaging a traditional cop's heart in organizational change. In Q. Thurman & E. McGarrell (Eds.), Community policing in a rural setting (pp. 49-57). Cincinnati, OH: Anderson.
7.
Crank, J. P. (1998). Understanding police culture. Cincinnati, OH: Anderson.
8.
Crank, J. P. , Payne, B., & Jackson, S. (1993). Police belief systems and attitudes regarding persistent police problems. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 20, 199-221.
9.
Elliot, E. M. , & Williams, F. P. (1995). When you no longer need Maslow: Exchange professionalism, and decentralization in the management of criminal justice agencies. Public Administration Quarterly, 19, 74-88.
10.
Falcone, S. (1991). Self assessments and job satisfaction in police and private organizations. Public Productivity and Management Review, 14, 385-396.
11.
Gaines, L. K. , & Swanson, C. R. (1997). Empowering police officers: A tarnished silver bullet?Police Forum, 7, 1-7.
12.
Glisson, C. , & Durick, M. (1988). Predictors of job satisfaction and organizational commitment in human service organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 33, 61-81.
13.
Goldstein, H. (1979). Improving policing: A problem-oriented approach. Crime & Delinquency, 25, 236-258.
14.
Greene, J. R. (1989). Police officer job satisfaction and community perceptions: Implications for community oriented policing. Journal of Crime and Delinquency, 26, 168-183.
15.
Greene, J. R. , & Decker, S. H. (1989). Policy and community perceptions of the community role in policing: The Philadelphia experience. Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, 28, 105-123.
16.
Hackman, J. R. , & Oldham, G. R. (1974). The Job Diagnostic Survey: An instrument for the diagnosing of jobs and the evaluation of the redesign projects. Technical Report, Department of Administrative Services, Yale University.
17.
Hackman, J. R. , & Oldham, G. R. (1976). Development of the Job Diagnostic Survey. Journal of Applied Psychology, 60, 153-170.
18.
Hackman, J. R. , & Oldham, G. R. (1980). Work redesign. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
19.
Hayeslip, D. W., Jr. , & Cordner, G. W. (1987). The effects of community-oriented patrol on police officer attitudes. American Journal of Police, 6, 95-119.
20.
Herzberg, F. (1966). Work and the nature of man. Cleveland, OH: World Publishing.
21.
Herzberg, F. (1968). One more time now: How do you motivate employees. Harvard Business Review, 46, 53-63.
22.
Herzberg, F. , Mausner, B., & Snyderman, B. (1959). The motivation to work. New York: Wiley.
23.
Hickman, M. J. , & Reeves, B. A. (2001, February). Community policing in local departments, 1997 and 1999. Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report (NCJ 184794).
24.
Leonard, K. S. (1997). In search of praise. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 66(4), 15-18.
25.
Lipsky, M. (1980). Street-level bureaucracy: Dilemmas of the individual in public service. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
26.
Lurgio, A. J. , & Skogan, W. G. (1994). Winning the hearts and minds of police officers: An assessment of staff perceptions of community policing in Chicago. Crime & Delinquency, 40, 315-330.
27.
Maslow, A. (1970). Motivation and personality (2nd ed.). New York: Harper & Row.
28.
McElroy, J. E. , Cosgrove, C. A., & Sadd, S. (1993). Community policing: The CPOP in New York. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
29.
Neiderhoffer, A. (1967). Behind the shield: The police in urban society. New York: Anchor.
30.
Oettmeier, T. N. , & Wycoff, M. A. (1997). Personnel performance in the community policing context. Washington, DC: Police Executive Research Forum.
31.
Oleary-Kelly, A. M. , & Griffin, R. W. (1995). Job satisfaction and organizational commitment. In N. Brewer & C. Wilson (Eds.), Psychology and policing (pp. 367-394). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
32.
Poole, E. D. , & Regoli, R. M. (1979). Police professionalism and cynicism: An empirical assessment. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 6, 201-216.
33.
Russell, G. D. , & MacLachlan, S. (in press). Community policing, decentralized decision making and employee satisfaction. Journal of Criminal Justice.
34.
Schwartz, A. I. , & Clarren, S. N. (1977). The Cincinnati Team Policing Experiment: A summary report. Washington, DC: Police Foundation.
35.
Stohr, M. K. , Lovrich, N. P., Menke, B. A., & Zupan, L. L. (1994). Staff management in correctional institutions: Comparing DiIulio's “Control Model” and “Employee Investment Model” outcomes in five jails. Justice Quarterly, 11, 471-497.
36.
Travis, L. , & Winston, C. N. (1998). Dissension in the ranks: Officer resistance to community policing, cynicism and support for the organization. Journal of Crime and Justice, 21, 139-156.
37.
Trojanowicz, R. C. (1982). An evaluation of the neighborhood foot patrol program in Flint, Michigan. East Lansing: Michigan State University.
38.
Trojanowicz, R. C. (1986). An evaluation of a neighborhood foot patrol program: The Flint, Michigan Project. In D. P. Rosenbaum (Ed.), Community crime prevention: Does it work? (pp. 167-178). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
39.
Trojanowicz, R. C. , & Banas, D. (1985). Perceptions of safety: A comparison of foot and motor officers. East Lansing: Michigan State University.
40.
Trojanowicz, R. , & Bucqueroux, B. (1990). Community policing: A contemporary perspective. Cincinnati, OH: Anderson.
41.
Trojanowicz, R. C. , & Harden, H. (1985). Job satisfaction: A comparison of foot patrol versus motor patrol officers. East Lansing: Michigan State University.
42.
Trojanowicz, R. C. , Kappeler, V. E., Gaines, L. K., & Bucqueroux, B. (1998). Community policing: A contemporary perspective (2nd ed.). Cincinnati, OH: Anderson.
43.
Trojanowicz, R. C. , & Moore, M. H. (1988). The managing of community in community policing. East Lansing, MI: The National Neighborhood Foot Patrol Center.
44.
Vila, B. (2000). Tired cops: The importance of managing police fatigue. Washington, DC: The Police Executive Research Forum.
45.
Weisburd, D. , McElroy, J. E., & Hardyman, P. (1988). Challenges to supervision in community policing: Observations on a pilot project. American Journal of Police, 7, 29-59.
46.
Wycoff, M. A. (1988). The benefits of community policing: Evidence and conjecture. In J. R. Greene & S. D. Mastrofski (Eds.), Community policing: Rhetoric or reality? (pp. 103-120). New York: Praeger.
47.
Wycoff, M. A. , & Skogan, W. G. (1993). Quality policing in Madison: An evaluation of its implementation and impact. Washington, DC: The Police Foundation.
48.
Wycoff, M. A. , & Skogan, W. G. (1994). The effect of a community policing management style on officers' attitudes. Crime & Delinquency, 40, 371-383.
