Police in America Chapter Thirteen Police officers: On the Job

Reality shock n Encountering citizens Attitude changes significantly in first few monthsAttitude changes significantly in first few months –Hostility from citizens –Being stereotyped –Perform society’s dirty work n Encountering the criminal justice system Observe shortcomings of the systemObserve shortcomings of the system Feel that they are not respected by lawyers and judgesFeel that they are not respected by lawyers and judges n Encountering the Department Feel that leadership doesn’t careFeel that leadership doesn’t care Precinct-level supervisors inadequatePrecinct-level supervisors inadequate Organizational politicsOrganizational politics Promotions not on abilityPromotions not on ability Favoritism governing decisionsFavoritism governing decisions n Seniority system Eliminates favoritism and discriminationEliminates favoritism and discrimination However, least experienced officers get the most difficult assignmentsHowever, least experienced officers get the most difficult assignments

Police Subculture n Strong 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 dangerWorking personality shaped by authority and danger n Factors that shape police behavior LawLaw Bureaucratic controlBureaucratic control Adventure/machismoAdventure/machismo Concern for safetyConcern for safety CompetenceCompetence

Changing rank and file n Women Broken up the traditional solidarity of the work groupBroken up the traditional solidarity of the work group Percentage of women among sworn officers remains at around 13-14%Percentage of women among sworn officers remains at around 13-14% Style of work the same as menStyle of work the same as men Less citizen complaintsLess citizen complaints n African Americans More likely to believe that officers use excessive forceMore likely to believe that officers use excessive force More likely to support innovation and changeMore likely to support innovation and change More positive attitude to assigned districtsMore positive attitude to assigned districts More likely to live in area where they workMore likely to live in area where they work Do not perform differently from white officersDo not perform differently from white officers

Changing rank and file n Hispanic/Latino officers Feel they are discriminated against in hiring and promotionFeel they are discriminated against in hiring and promotion Do not perform differently than white officers.Do not perform differently than white officers. n Gay and lesbian officers Challenge to the traditional stereotype of macho officerChallenge to the traditional stereotype of macho officer n Education Levels risingLevels rising Do they perform better when better educated?Do they perform better when better educated? n Cohort effects Generation gapGeneration gap Dominant attitudes change over timeDominant attitudes change over time n Attitudes toward community policing Blacks and older officers give more supportBlacks and older officers give more support

Career development n Promotion Severely limitedSeverely limited Irregular intervalsIrregular intervals Formal testingFormal testing n Salaries and benefits AttractiveAttractive Good benefitsGood benefits n Assignments to special units Discretion of chief and seniority constraintsDiscretion of chief and seniority constraints n Lateral entry Very limitedVery limited n Performance evaluation Definitions not clearDefinitions not clear Halo effectHalo effect Rating of all officers tend to cluster around one numerical levelRating of all officers tend to cluster around one numerical level Tendency to rate everyone highlyTendency to rate everyone highly

Stress n Sources Nature of police workNature of police work Organizational factors such as perceived support from leaders, relations with fellow officers, and opportunities for career advancementOrganizational factors such as perceived support from leaders, relations with fellow officers, and opportunities for career advancement Relations with the communityRelations with the community Relations with the media and the political establishmentRelations with the media and the political establishment Personal or family factors that influence a person’s jobPersonal or family factors that influence a person’s job