ASSESSING POLICE WORK EXPERIENCES - DEVELOPMENT OF THE POLICE DAILY HASSLES AND UPLIFTS SCALES

The development of two self-report scales that measure police daily ha ssles and uplifts is reported. These scales reflect the positive and n egative work experiences common to police officers. Self-report questi onnaire data were provided by 330 police officers drawn from a systema tic sample of all ranks and work sections within an Australian police department. Results showed that 19 dimensions of police hassles and 12 dimensions of police uplifts could be grouped into two broad domains of organizational and operational experiences. Correlations with job s atisfaction and perceived quality of life (PQOL) indicators supported the construct validity of the scales and suggested that organizational hassles and uplifts were more important than operational experiences in determining a police officer's PQOL. When compared to population no rms, police officers reported more favorable levels of PQOL. These res ults raise questions about the assertion that policing is highly stres sful, and they demonstrate the need for a more systemic view of police work that takes into account experiences that are beneficial as well as experiences that are harmful to an officer's well-being.