An analysis of rater-ratee race and sex influences upon field training officer program evaluations

How Far From the Tree Does the Apple Fall? Field Training Officers, Their Trainees, and Allegations of Misconduct

“…More importantly, the field training process acclimates trainees to the department's values-and to the community's values (e.g., Bahn, 1984;Bennett, 1984;Chappell & Lanza-Kaduce, 2010;Engelson, 1999;Ford, 2003). A number of FTO studies have been published over the years (e.g., Doerner & Patterson, 1992;Doerner, Speir, & Wright, 1989;Fagan, 1985;Haberfeld, 2013;Sun, 2000Sun, , 2002Sun, , 2003aSun, , 2003b, but most have either focused on attitudes and behavior or were largely descriptive accounts of the ideal training protocol. Our study built on prior FTO/trainee behavior studies and is distinguished by our efforts to identify the FTOs within the department, nest trainees within their respective FTOs, and determine whether those FTOs have an effect on their trainees' later behavior.…”

Officer retention patterns: an affirmative action concern for police agencies?

“…Some departments have instituted such perks as take-home cars, permanent shift assignments, bonuses for college graduates, and salary incentives for officers enrolling in college courses during off-duty hours. Others have found it necessary to revamp rookie training programs so as to replace outmoded practices (Doerner et al, 1989;. For example, fledgling officers now work their way through a standardized training curriculum.…”

The Interaction of Race and Gender on Rookie Evaluations of Their Field Training Officers (FTOs)

“…Such a task-oriented appraisal is predictive of later success or failure as an officer and is sufficient evidence of inaptitude to justify termination (Oettmeier, 1982). Also, Doerner, Speir, and Wright (1989) find that evaluations conducted with this type of instrument are not influenced by the gender or race of the rater, further supporting the validity of this assessment method.…”