Police in AmericaPolice in America

Chapter ThirteenChapter Thirteen

Police officers: On the JobPolice officers: On the Job

Reality shockReality shock

Encountering citizensEncountering citizens• Attitude changes Attitude changes

significantly in first few significantly in first few monthsmonths– Hostility from citizensHostility from citizens– Being stereotypedBeing stereotyped– Perform society’s dirty Perform society’s dirty

workwork

Encountering the Encountering the criminal justice systemcriminal justice system• Observe shortcomings of Observe shortcomings of

the systemthe system• Feel that they are not Feel that they are not

respected by lawyers respected by lawyers and judgesand judges

Encountering the DepartmentEncountering the Department

• Feel that leadership doesn’t Feel that leadership doesn’t carecare

• Precinct-level supervisors Precinct-level supervisors inadequateinadequate

• Organizational politicsOrganizational politics

• Promotions not on abilityPromotions not on ability

• Favoritism governing Favoritism governing decisionsdecisions

Seniority systemSeniority system

• Eliminates favoritism and Eliminates favoritism and discriminationdiscrimination

• However, least experienced However, least experienced officers get the most difficult officers get the most difficult assignmentsassignments

Police SubculturePolice Subculture

Strong sense of solidarityStrong sense of solidarity• SecrecySecrecy• Justifies violence against citizensJustifies violence against citizens• Refuse to testify against fellow officersRefuse to testify against fellow officers• Working personality shaped by authority and Working personality shaped by authority and

dangerdanger Factors that shape police behaviorFactors that shape police behavior• LawLaw• Bureaucratic controlBureaucratic control• Adventure/machismoAdventure/machismo• Concern for safetyConcern for safety• CompetenceCompetence

Changing rank and fileChanging rank and file

WomenWomen• Broken up the Broken up the

traditional solidarity traditional solidarity of the work groupof the work group

• Percentage of Percentage of women among women among sworn officers sworn officers remains at around remains at around 13-14%13-14%

• Style of work the Style of work the same as mensame as men

• Less citizen Less citizen complaintscomplaints

African AmericansAfrican Americans• More likely to believe that More likely to believe that

officers use excessive officers use excessive forceforce

• More likely to support More likely to support innovation and changeinnovation and change

• More positive attitude to More positive attitude to assigned districtsassigned districts

• More likely to live in area More likely to live in area where they workwhere they work

• Do not perform differently Do not perform differently from white officersfrom white officers

Changing rank and fileChanging rank and file

Hispanic/Latino officersHispanic/Latino officers• Feel they are Feel they are

discriminated against in discriminated against in hiring and promotionhiring and promotion

• Do not perform differently Do not perform differently than white officers.than white officers.

Gay and lesbian officersGay and lesbian officers• Challenge to the Challenge to the

traditional stereotype of traditional stereotype of macho officermacho officer

EducationEducation• Levels risingLevels rising• Do they perform better Do they perform better

when better educated?when better educated?

Cohort effectsCohort effects• Generation gapGeneration gap• Dominant attitudes Dominant attitudes

change over timechange over time

Attitudes toward Attitudes toward community policingcommunity policing• Blacks and older officers Blacks and older officers

give more supportgive more support

Career developmentCareer development

PromotionPromotion• Severely limitedSeverely limited• Irregular intervalsIrregular intervals• Formal testingFormal testing

Salaries and benefitsSalaries and benefits• AttractiveAttractive• Good benefitsGood benefits

Assignments to special Assignments to special unitsunits• Discretion of chief and Discretion of chief and

seniority constraintsseniority constraints

Lateral entryLateral entry• Very limitedVery limited

Performance Performance evaluationevaluation• Definitions not clearDefinitions not clear• Halo effectHalo effect• Rating of all officers Rating of all officers

tend to cluster tend to cluster around one around one numerical levelnumerical level

• Tendency to rate Tendency to rate everyone highlyeveryone highly

StressStress

SourcesSources• Nature of police workNature of police work• Organizational factors such as perceived support Organizational factors such as perceived support

from leaders, relations with fellow officers, and from leaders, relations with fellow officers, and opportunities for career advancement opportunities for career advancement

• Relations with the community Relations with the community • Relations with the media and the political Relations with the media and the political

establishmentestablishment• Personal or family factors that influence a person’s Personal or family factors that influence a person’s

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