A 20-year longitudinal study of biographical, psychological, and aptitudinal variables predictive of successful police performance is described. Subjects were 95 men appointed as deputy sheriffs in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department between 1947 and 1950. Among the significant predictors, stepwisediscriminant analysis yielded as "best" predictors of at least one criterion of success, age, height, the civil service written test score, scale 9 of the MMPI, the Kuder Mechanical scale, and the Guilford-Martin General Activity scale.There is need for work identifying reliable and valid predictors of police performance (for a review, see Becker & Felkenes, 1968). Although most studies have involved concurrent validity (e.g., Sterne, 1960; Baehr, Furcon, & Froemel, 1968), a 7-year prediction study by Blum (1964) found correlations between predictors (including MMPI scales) and such criteria as supervisors' ratings, misconduct and commendations. Marsh (1962), in a 10-year predictive study of sheriffs employed in Los Angeles County, established that certain performance criteria could be successfully predicted by various test scores, ratings and biodata. The present paper reports the results of a follow-up of some of these same officers after a 20-year period. The primary objectives of the study were (a) to evaluate the continued significance of Marsh's 10-year predictors as 20-year predictors and (&) to determine for each criterion the "best" among those predictors found significant. METHOD SubjectsThe subjects were 95 male law enforcement officers chosen from two randomly selected classes from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Academy. All subjects were appointed as deputies in 1947-1950.

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The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire was administered to 461 Los Angeles patrolmen to abtain a normative police profile. Multivariate analysis revealed that the average patrolman appeared brighter, more reserved, dominant, and tough-minded (p less than .001) than the average male. Comparisons were made for 29 black, 33 Mexican-American, and 399 white officers. Mexican-American officers emerged as more conservative and relaxed than whites, while black officers appeared more experimental, analytical, and group-oriented. A comparison with an idependent police sample revealed common traits of self-assurance and conservatism. Results were compared with a social workers' profile and discussed in relation to police officers' actual job activities and community needs.

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