Assessing the Interrelationships between Perceptions of Impact and Job Satisfaction: A Comparison of Traditional and Community-Oriented Policing Officers

Abstract

The relationship between officer involvement in community policing and job satisfaction is poorly understood and in need of greater empirical articulation. Using data collected as part of a federally funded community policing program in Philadelphia, this article analyzes the relationships between assignment to a traditional or community policing role, officer perceptions of impact, and three dimensions of job satisfaction. Structural equation modeling is used to explore the causal relationships between these constructs. A series of structural models suggest that, in general, the path leading to job satisfaction is very similar for traditional and community-oriented police officers. In addition, the results suggest that perceived job impact is largely determined by job satisfaction such that officers who are more satisfied with their job are more likely to perceive that they are having an impact, a finding that was invariant across officer patrol type (motorized or community). The implications for improved service delivery through assignment to community policing roles are discussed.