© 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Police in AmericaPolice in America

Chapter SixChapter Six

Police Officers II: On Police Officers II: On the Jobthe Job

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Reality Shock: Beginning Police Reality Shock: Beginning Police WorkWork

The astonishment a new police officer The astonishment a new police officer experiences during the first weeks and experiences during the first weeks and months on the job when encountering the months on the job when encountering the unpleasant aspects of dealing with the unpleasant aspects of dealing with the public, the criminal justice system, and the public, the criminal justice system, and the departmentdepartment

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Reality ShockReality Shock

Encountering Citizens - Hostility

Encountering the Criminal Justice System-Police officers as “insiders”-See the reality of the system

Encountering the Department- “Department Politics”

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Initial AssignmentInitial Assignment

Impact of the Seniority SystemImpact of the Seniority System– Officers with more experience have first Officers with more experience have first

priority in requesting assignmentspriority in requesting assignments– Eliminates favoritism and discriminationEliminates favoritism and discrimination– But, least experienced officers get the most But, least experienced officers get the most

difficult assignmentsdifficult assignments Leads to the younger officers being better qualified and Leads to the younger officers being better qualified and

trained than older officerstrained than older officers

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The Idea of a Unique Police The Idea of a Unique Police SubcultureSubculture

A particular set of values, beliefs, and acceptable forms A particular set of values, beliefs, and acceptable forms of behavior characteristic of American policeof behavior characteristic of American police

Original ConceptOriginal Concept– Group solidarityGroup solidarity– SecrecySecrecy– ““Code of silence”Code of silence”

The Capacity to Use ForceThe Capacity to Use Force– No other occupation has power to take away liberty through No other occupation has power to take away liberty through

forceforce Danger: Potential versus ActualDanger: Potential versus Actual

– Police work has become safer in the last 20 yearsPolice work has become safer in the last 20 years Conflicting demands: Law versus OrderConflicting demands: Law versus Order

– Pressure to bend or evade the rules to get evidence or Pressure to bend or evade the rules to get evidence or confessionsconfessions

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Code of SilenceCode of Silence

Also known as the “blue curtain,” a code of Also known as the “blue curtain,” a code of honor among police officers whereby honor among police officers whereby officers refuse to testify against corrupt officers refuse to testify against corrupt colleagues, creating a veil of secrecy colleagues, creating a veil of secrecy around police actions.around police actions.

Secrecy: In this context, it is the attitude Secrecy: In this context, it is the attitude displayed by police officers to the rest of displayed by police officers to the rest of the world. Police officers keep secret the the world. Police officers keep secret the misbehaviors of other police officers.misbehaviors of other police officers.

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New Perspective on the Police New Perspective on the Police SubcultureSubculture

““Police officers are far less unified today and far Police officers are far less unified today and far less likely to have an us-them view of civilians” less likely to have an us-them view of civilians”

Herbert’s Dimensions of Police SubcultureHerbert’s Dimensions of Police Subculture– The lawThe law– Bureaucratic controlBureaucratic control– Culture of “adventure/machismo”Culture of “adventure/machismo”– SafetySafety– CompetenceCompetence– MoralityMorality

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The Changing Rank and FileThe Changing Rank and File

WomenWomen African AmericansAfrican Americans HispanicsHispanics Gay & Lesbian OfficersGay & Lesbian Officers Intersection of Gender, Race, Intersection of Gender, Race,

Ethnicity, and Sexual IdentityEthnicity, and Sexual Identity Levels of EducationLevels of Education

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Changing Rank and File: The Changing Rank and File: The Impact of Women Police OfficersImpact of Women Police Officers Breaking up the traditional solidarity of the work groupBreaking up the traditional solidarity of the work group Attitude of men toward women officers variedAttitude of men toward women officers varied

TraditionalsTraditionals ModernsModerns ModeratesModerates

Percentage of women among sworn officers remains Percentage of women among sworn officers remains around 13-14%around 13-14% ““Glass ceiling” at entry level and in terms of promotionGlass ceiling” at entry level and in terms of promotion

Style of work the same as menStyle of work the same as men Receive fewer citizen complaintsReceive fewer citizen complaints Less likely to use forceLess likely to use force Sexism and sexual harassment still an issueSexism and sexual harassment still an issue

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African-American PoliceAfrican-American Police

Different attitudes on Different attitudes on police use of excessive police use of excessive forceforce

More likely to support More likely to support citizen oversightcitizen oversight

More likely to support More likely to support community policingcommunity policing

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

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Hispanic/Latino OfficersHispanic/Latino Officers

Increasing significantly in recent yearsIncreasing significantly in recent years Dual identities: both police officers and Dual identities: both police officers and

members of Hispanic communitymembers of Hispanic community In some departments, they are the In some departments, they are the

majoritymajority Minority Hispanic police officers believe Minority Hispanic police officers believe

they are discriminated against in salary they are discriminated against in salary and promotionsand promotions

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Gay and Lesbian OfficersGay and Lesbian Officers

Gay Officer Action League (GOAL) of NYCGay Officer Action League (GOAL) of NYC By 1992, at least 10 depts. openly By 1992, at least 10 depts. openly

recruited gay and lesbian officersrecruited gay and lesbian officers Choose law enforcement for the same Choose law enforcement for the same

reasons people have traditionally chosen itreasons people have traditionally chosen it Many experience discrimination on the jobMany experience discrimination on the job

– Homophobic talk by other officersHomophobic talk by other officers– Barriers in assignmentBarriers in assignment

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The Intersection of Gender, Race, The Intersection of Gender, Race, Ethnicity, and Sexual IdentityEthnicity, and Sexual Identity

Relationships among officers of different races, genders Relationships among officers of different races, genders and ethnicities are extremely complexand ethnicities are extremely complex

Tension and conflict among different gender/race/ethnic Tension and conflict among different gender/race/ethnic groups groups

Pattern of self-segregationPattern of self-segregation– Limited interaction between officers of different races/gendersLimited interaction between officers of different races/genders

““There is no credible evidence that officers of There is no credible evidence that officers of different racial or ethnic backgrounds perform different racial or ethnic backgrounds perform differently during interactions with citizens differently during interactions with citizens simply simply because of race or ethnicitybecause of race or ethnicity” – National ” – National Academy of SciencesAcademy of Sciences

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Levels of EducationLevels of Education

Education level of officers has been risingEducation level of officers has been rising

Education generation gap between Education generation gap between younger, better-educated officers and younger, better-educated officers and veteran officers with less educationveteran officers with less education

No strong evidence that higher education No strong evidence that higher education leads to better performance on the streetleads to better performance on the street

McGraw-Hill

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Cohort Effects and Organizational Cohort Effects and Organizational Effects on PerformanceEffects on Performance

Cohort EffectsCohort Effects - Officers hired in one decade will have different ideas - Officers hired in one decade will have different ideas and lifestyles than officers hired in later decadesand lifestyles than officers hired in later decades

- Old street cop culture vs. new bureaucratic style- Old street cop culture vs. new bureaucratic style

Organizational EffectsOrganizational Effects- - The informal culture of a police organization affects The informal culture of a police organization affects officer attitudes toward certain important subjectsofficer attitudes toward certain important subjects

- Ex: Community Policing- Ex: Community Policing

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The Relationship Between Attitudes The Relationship Between Attitudes and Behaviorand Behavior

Several factors mediate the effect of Several factors mediate the effect of attitudes on behavior:attitudes on behavior:

– 1. Police officers are constrained by police 1. Police officers are constrained by police bureaucracy and the criminal justice systembureaucracy and the criminal justice system

– 2. Possibility of citizen complaint or lawsuit2. Possibility of citizen complaint or lawsuit– 3. Supervisors advice against prejudicial 3. Supervisors advice against prejudicial

statements that are contrary to the values of statements that are contrary to the values of the departmentthe department

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Styles of Police WorkStyles of Police Work

Active officersActive officers– Initiate more contacts with citizensInitiate more contacts with citizens– Back up officers on other callsBack up officers on other calls– Assert control of situationsAssert control of situations– Make more arrestsMake more arrests

Passive officersPassive officers– Initiate few contacts with citizensInitiate few contacts with citizens– Respond only to calls to which they are Respond only to calls to which they are

dispatcheddispatched– Make few traffic stops/ field interrogations / Make few traffic stops/ field interrogations /

arrestsarrests

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Moving Through Police CareersMoving Through Police Careers

Salaries and BenefitsSalaries and Benefits– Fringe benefitsFringe benefits– Job securityJob security– Salary increase through promotionSalary increase through promotion– 68% of all municipal depts. offer incentive pay 68% of all municipal depts. offer incentive pay

for college educationfor college education In-Service TrainingIn-Service Training

– Preservice academy trainingPreservice academy training– Field training programField training program– Regular in-service trainingRegular in-service training

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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 The opportunity to The opportunity to

move to other police move to other police departments is very departments is very limited.limited.

Coveted assignmentsCoveted assignments More challengingMore challenging May lead to May lead to

promotionpromotion Outside EmploymentOutside Employment

Supplement incomesSupplement incomes

2020

Performance EvaluationsPerformance Evaluations

Definitions not clearDefinitions not clear Halo effectHalo effect Rating of all officers tend to cluster Rating of all officers tend to cluster

around one numerical level around one numerical level Tendency to rate everyone highlyTendency to rate everyone highly

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Job Satisfaction and Job StressJob Satisfaction and Job Stress Job Satisfaction in policing falls into 5 CategoriesJob Satisfaction in policing falls into 5 Categories

Nature of police workNature of police work Organizational factors such as perceived support from leaders, relations Organizational factors such as perceived support from leaders, relations

with fellow officers, and opportunities for career advancement with fellow officers, and opportunities for career advancement Relations with the community Relations 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

Sources of Job Stress Threat of danger

Citizen disrespect and challenge to police authority

Police department itself

For female officers, sexual harassment and sexism

Coping with Job Stress: many departments have programs to help officers cope with stress and other personal problems

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The Rights of Police OfficersThe Rights of Police Officers

Same constitutional and civil rights as Same constitutional and civil rights as other citizensother citizens

Protected by first amendment to belong to Protected by first amendment to belong to unpopular religious or political groupsunpopular religious or political groups

Police Officer’s Bill of RightsPolice Officer’s Bill of Rights– Protects officers under investigation for alleged Protects officers under investigation for alleged

misconductmisconduct

Turnover: attrition: leaving police workTurnover: attrition: leaving police work