Law Enforcement as a Diverse Culture Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education PART II 3939

6.0. To understand the premise of Law Enforcement as a culture Identified as a sub-culture Blue Brotherhood“The Blue Brotherhood” Lack of trust Looking to each other for support –Shared norms, values, goals, career patterns, life styles, occupational structures Created culture?

hides “ Culture hides more than it reveals and, strangely enough, what it hides, it hides most effectively from its own participants.” blindPeople are blind to their own embedded cultural behavior interpret behaviorNatural tendency to interpret behavior from your cultural point of view

6.1. Explain the concept of law enforcement as a culture An organization can be defined as a culture –Key values –Beliefs –Actions Sustained by: –Selection of new members –Members trained –Acceptance into organizational ranks –Assimilation

Ethnocentrism Challenge in the interpretation and enforcement of law Due to one set of laws to which all citizens must adhere, one’s culture affects its interpretations, meaning, and intentions

6.2. Define “Cultural Competence” in the realm of law enforcement Four basic components: Awareness of one’s own cultural worldview Attitude about cultural differences Knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews Cross cultural skills

Tips to enhance multicultural communication… Make positive contact See your non-enforcement side Treat society objectively and fairly All groups have good and bad Go out of your way Appearance and avoidance

Patiently educate Be a change agent Do the right thing Am I part of the past, present or future?

Scenarios

6.3. Discuss the immergence of women in the law enforcement culture New challenges in male/female relations Camaraderie among officers One of the guys Male dominant profession

Most prominent workplace issues: Sexual harassment Gender discrimination “Most of the women indicated that when they were exposed to offensive behavior by male officers, they remained quiet for fear of negative male backlash.”

Gender discrimination translates to unequal treatment for women in the workplace. Shown by: Assignments to traditional “women’s” jobs Tests for promotions not job related Held to higher or different standard in performance evaluations

Not given equal consideration for training or specialty job assignments Pregnant women not given light duty but men injured off-duty given assignments instead This double standard has also been notably applied to gay and lesbian counterparts

Role Barriers In the act of protecting…the protector becomes dominant and the protected becomes subordinate Added responsibility of protecting women officers Women officers felt patronized, tolerated Creates barrier in peer relations

Today: Double standard less prominent due to the concept of community policing

6.4. Discuss law enforcements relationship with the community Communities unaware Defensiveness engulfs the law enforcement community Blame Tendency to isolate “Their own kind”

Use of force…past, present? Debated often in community Protect vs. Public outcry Community policing –Work hand-in-hand with community –Help bridge gap –Allow trust

6.5. Identify characteristics of today’s law enforcement workforce Policing has undergone many changes: Attitude Physical make-up of precinct Values Education and skill sets

“Let us pool the very best of all that we have in common and enrich one another with our mutual differences.”