Examining Officer Support for and Perceived Effects of Police Consolidation

• NCJ Number: 255694
• Author(s): Jeff Gruenewald; Jeremy M. Wilson; Clifford A. Grammich
• Date Published: 2018
• Length: 16 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2013-IJ-CX-0019
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Survey; Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description
• Award: A Multi-Site Assessment of Police Consolidation

Annotation

This study reviewed officer support for the consolidation of law enforcement agencies.

Abstract

The study surveyed 139 officers employed by four agencies that had recently undergone a consolidation of police services. The survey asked officers their level of support for consolidation of services as well as their views on how consolidation has affected employment conditions, organizational characteristics, and the delivery of police services. The study found that although officers generally supported consolidation, their views on the effects of shared services varied significantly by level of support. Officers who most strongly supported consolidation were also most likely to view it as leading to improvements in some working conditions (e.g. job satisfaction and morale), elements of organizational capacity (e.g. professionalism, investigative/intelligence capacity, recruitment), and the delivery of services (e.g. cost-effectiveness, quality and efficiency of services, and reductions in crime). Although this study's sample size and response rate were low, it provides insights into officer views of consolidation not previously available, and it offers insights for communities considering the consolidation of police services regarding what organizational, employment, and service conditions are most likely to appeal to officers, whose support is necessary for successful implementation. (publisher abstract modified)