The relationship between organizational policies and official misconduct: A quantitative survey of ethics in small and medium size municipal police departments in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Police organizations as a whole, and individual law enforcement officers within those organizations, are bestowed with a great deal of power and authority to carry out their assigned missions and achieve their expected objectives. Because of this, the citizenry of free and open civil societies expect and demand a great deal of integrity and accountability in the performance of law enforcement duties. Law enforcement organizations must have sufficient organizational policies and procedures in place to facilitate and encourage individual ethical integrity and compliance with high standards of performance. This study examines the relationship between certain policies and procedures in law enforcement organizations and the incidence of official misconduct within those organizations. The study uses a quantitative methodology based on survey research, utilizing a researcher-developed, self-completed thirty-four item survey instrument administered to 248 Chiefs of Police in Pennsylvania consisting of demographic and descriptive questions, closed-ended questions and Likert-type scale attitudinal assessment questions. Significant relationships are shown between groups of variables for pre-screening applicants and certain internal organizational control mechanisms and the measures for allegations of misconduct, disciplinary actions and terminations from employment. In particular, there are significant statistical relationships between the existence of Civilian Review Boards and drug testing of on-board employees and reductions in allegations of misconduct and disciplinary actions with departments. The size of the department is also significantly related, when considered in conjunction with other independent variable measures, with misconduct allegations and disciplinary actions.