Using Personality Traits to Predict Police Officer Performance

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of personality traits, namely the Big Five, as a means of selection in good police officers. Design/Methodology/Approach – The current study examines a sample of 96 police officers from eight non-urban police departments. Findings – Age and attitude were found to be better predictors of job performance measures than were personality traits. A cynical work attitude was negatively related to ratings of job performance. Officer age was found to have a non-linear relationship to job performance. Research Limitations/Implications – Difficulties in measuring police performance are discussed, as is the relative importance of individual officer personality versus organizational culture. Originality/Value – The study extends the research on police officer selection and issues of job performance and measurement.