Impact of Community Policing on Police Personnel: A Quasi-Experimental Test

An evaluation was conducted to estimate the effects of a well-funded community policing demonstration program in Joliet, Illinois. Using a nonequivalent pretest-posttest control group design, changes in officers' perceptions and behaviors were examined over a 2-year period, during which time they were exposed to new training programs, organizational restructuring, and problem-solving activities. The results showed few changes in officers' perceptions of management practices or job satisfaction, but documented positive gains in attitudes and knowledge about community policing and some street-level behaviors. Alternative explanations for the results are discussed.