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Retention of British Columbia's Municipal Police Officers: An Examination of Reasons for Leaving

NCJ Number
163991
Author(s)
K Polowek
Date Published
1996
Length
250 pages
Annotation
This study explored and identified "motivators" for voluntary departure from British Columbia (Canada) municipal police agencies, examined if and why any gender differences in intent to leave developed, and developed recommendations for both improving personnel retention and the morale and productivity of municipal police officers.
Abstract
The research methodology involved a literature review, pilot interviews, a mail-out questionnaire to each of the 12 municipal police departments, requests for information, and interviews with randomly selected officers. Through interviews with a pilot sample and a comprehensive review of the literature on factors associated with dissatisfaction, stress, and turnover of both men and women, a variety of areas internal to the police organizations were identified as influential in police personnel turnover. They were job satisfaction, organizational mobility, human resource management practices, home and work life conflicts, and sexual harassment. The intent-to-leave was measured by four items that other researchers have theorized and found to be important precursors of turnover decisions: frequency of thoughts of quitting, intention to quit, planning to quit, and active job search behavior. Study findings were used to develop a comprehensive retention plan for police departments. In such a plan the areas suggested for action are recognition of the dangers of exaggerating career opportunities, consistency and equity in recruitment practices, an accurate portrayal of police work to potential recruits, a renewed emphasis on officer orientation, the monitoring of personnel management practices, the monitoring of academy training, development and distribution of guidelines for the management of work/family and other non- work concerns, diversity awareness training, and regular attitude surveys to monitor personnel morale. Appended supplementary information and a 415-item bibliography