Learning strategies of selected urban police related to community policing

• Published in: Policing : an international journal of police strategies & management 2002-01, Vol.25 (2), p.242-255
• Main Authors: Birzer, Michael L., Nolan, Robert E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Community policing; Learning; Police; Skills; Urban areas
• ISSN: 1363-951X; 1758-695X
• DOI: 10.1108/13639510210429356

The purpose of this case study was to investigate the learning strategies of police officers. Participants were 80 police officers serving in a Midwestern police agency. Of these, 49 were assigned to patrol duties and 31 were assigned to community oriented policing duties. Each participant completed the "Assessing the Learning Strategies of Adults" (ATLAS) instrument. When individual variables were examined in describing learning strategies among police officers, no significant differences were found using both chi-square and a one-way ANOVA. A multivariate discriminant analysis produced a recognizable discriminant function, and three variables met the criteria to be included in the interpretation of the meaning of the discriminant function. Predominately, male police officers prescribed to the learning strategy traits that are desired in community oriented policing. Police officers who ascribed to the learning strategies which are more congruent with traditional policing were slightly younger than the officers who ascribed to the learning strategy appropriate for community policing. Furthermore, more females in this study ascribed to learning strategies more related to traditional policing.