A CRITIQUE OF THE BELLMAN POLICE SERVICE RATING SCALE.

This article presents a criticism of the Bellman police service rating scale. In his "Police Service Rating Scale," writer Arthur Bellman points a direction toward the increase in objectivity in measurement of police functioning. He has presented his instrument in a commendable spirit, recognizing that it is "by no means a finished product," and further that "it is only in the beginning and experimental stages and needs to be subjected to practical use in order that further improvements may be made and its ultimate value determined." There are, however, some matters involving theoretical and conceptual considerations which appear worth presenting as commentary to Bellman's study with a purpose of increasing the final success of scaling in the general field of police administration, but which emphasize the experimental nature of the Bellman Scale as it is offered at the present time. That Bellman is seeking to increase the realism of evaluating police administration indicates a faith in newer techniques of approach to a subject which has resisted traditional academic penetration.