Discuss the rating criteria that the supervisor may utilize in appraising patrol and traffic personnel, investigative personnel, and staff and auxiliary personnel

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The following criteria are useful for evaluating officers assigned to patrol or traffic control:
• Are officers keeping themselves informed of what is happening on their beat or in their area? Are they making use of crime and traffic data or police incident summaries to gain an awareness of crime, developing traffic accident patterns, and/or exposed hazard areas?
• Are officers familiar with crime, delinquency, and traffic trends in their area of responsibility?
• Are officers familiar with patrol techniques, and are they performing their patrol functions effectively?
• Are reports complete and accurate? How many errors are observed in their reports?
• What is the quality of traffic enforcement citations issued? Are traffic citations reasonably related to accident-producing violations on a selective basis? Do citation books, turned in for inspection and filing when completed, reveal quality enforcement effort? Do errors or erasures appear on file copies?
• Are preliminary investigations made carefully? How do officers preserve evidence?
• Do activity logs reflect a high proportion of quality arrests based on observation?
• Do the officers' repressive patrol activities appear to be adequate? Do these activities involve adequate random inspections of business and residential premises and places exposed to criminal attacks, vehicle checks, and so forth?
• What is the quality of field interviews with pedestrians and motorists, juveniles and adults, as reflected by field contact reports?
• What type of image do the police officers project in their personal and public lives?
• How do the officers handle assigned calls? Do the follow-up inquiries and observations by the supervisor reveal that they lack enthusiasm, self-assurance, confidence, ability, or interest in handling called-for services?
• Does their court performance reflect poise, fairness, and preparation?
• How do the subordinates care for their personal equipment and that of the organization?
• Do the employees' medical records reflect a favorable attitude toward the job, or does their medical history reveal an inordinate use of sick time? Do sick patterns reflect evidence of malingering?
• How do the employees relate to other members of the organization (fellow workers and superiors) and the public?
• Do the employees observe the usual safety precautions in their work?
• Does the organization receive an unusual number of complaints about the officers' performance or conduct?
• Do officers strongly support their superiors and the organization, or are they passive, antagonistic, or hostile??What is the growth potential or promotability of officers??Is the overall quantity of their work acceptable?
• How do they react under stress??How do they carry out directives??What is their overall worth to the organization in comparison with others doing similar work??Does the officer learn neighborhood problems, solve problems, and use community resources effectively? Does the officer attend and participate in community meetings and identify and formulate plans of action to solve problems?

In addition to those listed above, here are some criteria for investigative personnel:
• Are follow-up calls made promptly in the interests of good investigative procedures and public relations?
• Are the officers thorough and systematic in their investigative activities??
• What percentage of their assigned cases is cleared by investigations?
• What percent is cleared by arrest resulting from investigations?
• Are clearance rates bona fide, that is, are they cleared by arrest or by investigative activity, or are there an excessive number cleared improperly by weak and inadequate modus operandi factors?
• Do they have an unusual backlog of cases that have not had preliminary follow-up calls made?
• Do progress reports reflect satisfactory progress on their assigned cases, or does it appear that investigators are directing their efforts primarily toward the investigation of those cases that are newsworthy or that may earn them some special recognition?
• Do the officers enjoy a high conviction rate on cases they have investigated?
• Do records reveal that an unusual number of their cases that have been submitted to the prosecutor for complaint are rejected because of improper or inadequate case investigation or preparation?
• How effectively do they deal with juveniles who have been involved in police incidents?
• Do they keep complete and accurate records of their investigative activities?
• Do the investigators work well with a minimum of supervision?
• Do the investigators' court performances indicate thorough investigation and case preparation?
• Do they work well with colleagues? Are they good team workers?

In addition to those listed above, here are some criteria that apply to staff and auxiliary personnel:
• Do the employees complete their assigned projects promptly, thoroughly, and objectively?
• Do they practice the principles of delegated staff work, or do they require an inordinate amount of direction?
• Do their reports meet accepted standards for staff writings?
• Do their relations with operating personnel reflect a clear understanding of their organizational function as advisor rather than director?