Research
The Influence of Higher Education on Police Officer Work Habits
Some social scientists believe that a college education matters greatly and likely improves a police officer's effectiveness. However, data supporting this proposition are difficult to find. This study was designed to determine whether there is any relationship between police officer work habits and higher education. The method involved examining the level of education of Saint Paul police officers and noting any correlations between it and the officers' work habits.
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Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention of Community Policing Officers: Character Based Selection and Assessment
This work is a continuation of the character based hiring program that was instituted under a U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Grant #2001-HS-WX-K046. Under that grant 15 character traits were identified by community members as being essential in police officers. This grant continues this program by developing a selection process based on these character traits as selection criteria. The program starts with an overall summary of the character based hiring process from community involvement in trait identification through the final probationary evaluation. This process is described with a focus on character based hiring rather than traditional knowledge or experience based hiring. Initial oral interview strategies are discussed and sample questions are included with a
focus on an evaluation of character through a description of behavior.
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