Chapter Six Police Officers: On the Job Police in America Chapter Six Police Officers: On the Job

REALITY SHOCK Citizens The Department The Criminal Justice System

Police Organizational Culture …the unwritten rules, mores, customs, codes, values, and outlooks – that creates the policing environment and style Organizational culture varies from one agency to another. An organization’s culture impacts its policing goals and strategies.

Police Subculture Strong sense of solidarity Secrecy Justifies violence against citizens Refuse to testify against fellow officers Working personality shaped by authority and danger Factors that shape police behavior Law Control Adventure/machismo Concern for safety Competence Morality

Changing Rank and File Women African-Americans Hispanics Gay & Lesbian Officers

Changing Rank and File: Women in Policing Broken up the traditional solidarity of the work group Percentage of women among sworn officers remains at around 13-14 Style of work the same as men Receive fewer citizen complaints Less likely to use force

African-American Police Different attitudes on police use of excessive force More likely to support citizen oversight More likely to support community policing More likely to live in area where they work Do not perform differently from white officers

Career Development Promotion Salaries and benefits Severely limited Irregular intervals Formal testing Salaries and benefits Attractive Good benefits Assignments to special units Discretion of chief and seniority constraints Lateral entry Very limited Coveted assignments More challenging May lead to promotion

Performance Evaluation Definitions not clear Halo effect Rating of all officers tend to cluster around one numerical level Tendency to rate everyone highly

Factors Associated with Job Satisfaction Nature of police work Organizational factors such as perceived support from leaders, relations with fellow officers, and opportunities for career advancement Relations with the community Relations with the media and the political establishment Personal or family factors that influence a person’s job

Related Issues Police Officers’ Rights Outside Employment Attrition