Abstract
This article assesses whether police Field Training Officers (FTOs) display patterns of attitudes that distinguish them from non-field training officers. The analysis focuses on attitudes toward four important groups: fellow officers, immediate supervisors, top managers, and neighborhood residents. Interview data used were collected from Indianapolis Police Department (IPD) during the summer of 1996. Findings show that FTOs are more critical of their immediate supervisors and district managers than non-FTOs, whereas FTOs and non-FTOs hold similar attitudes toward their co-workers and neighborhood residents. Implications for future research and policy are discussed.
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This manuscript was based on data collected by the Project on Policing Neighborhoods. The project was supported by Grant No. 95-IJ-CX-0071 by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice and was directed by Stephen D. Mastrofski, Roger B. Parks, Albert J. Reiss, Jr., and Robert E. Worden. Points of views are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. The author would like to thank Ruth Triplett, Brian Payne, and the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.
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Sun, I.Y. Police officer attitudes toward peers, supervisors, and citizens: A comparison between field training officers and regular officers. Am J Crim Just 27, 69–83 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02898971
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02898971