| The present study evaluated job or unit assignment within police departments as to its effect on the job satisfaction of 160 law enforcement officers from four police departments and one sheriff's office in Middle Tennessee. A Likert scale instrument was used consisting of 20 items designed to measure officer satisfaction with various aspects of their job. Results indicated officers working in specialized units were more satisfied than those working in patrol within law enforcement agencies although it was not found to be statistically significant. Furthermore, none of the demographic variables analyzed were found to have a statistically significant effect on police job satisfaction. Additionally, officers, overall, had high levels of satisfaction with their coworkers, but low satisfaction with promotions and involvement with departmental decisions. Implications for future research are discussed. |
