Cop Culture Flashcards
what is culture?
the entire way of life, activities, beliefs, customs of a person, group or society
what is cop culture?
the values, norms, perspectives, myths, craft rules that inform police conduct
cop culture; myths
we put value into the police and the police put value in the police
what is a value?
the principles/beliefs of a person/group
what is a norm?
a standard of acceptabl behaviour
what is a perspective?
a point from which a person makes sense of their social world
what is a craft rule?
tricks of the trade
what are the 2 different types of cop cultures
management
street
what is a management cop?
a cop that works at a city wide level whose main aim is discretion
what is a street cop
provides values towards which officers strive
what is the most important section of becoming a police officer?
the 30 days of protected learning time with a mentor
why is the mentor time together most important?
important for culture because its a chance to share the already developed culture the mentor has. Share tricks of the trade
what kind of friction can come between management and street cops?
not same officialism as each other so management cops can look down on street cops
roughly how many of the current police officers are female?
30%
roughly how many of the current police officers are ethnic minority?
5.5%
what are the 7 cultural themes for policemen?
mission suspicion isolation conservatism machismo racial prejudice pragmatism
cultural themes;
misson
there needs to be a sense of a mission, its more than just a job. Centred about catching the bad guy.
cultural themes;
suspicion
can this be switched off? Cops are constantly on guard and this can impact their view on the world e.g. pessimist
cultural themes;
action-cynical-pessimism
can make you cynical because you see awful people all the time e.g. domestic abuse
cultural themes;
isolation
isolated culture because of the shifts and schedules. Work and social life is one life. There are no outside influence to influence them.
cultural themes;
conservatism
right of the political spectrum. More concerned with security, protect and order. Cynical towards difference
cultural themes;
machismo
values that shape police culture is masculine. Good policing has masculine attributes
cultural themes;
racial prejudice
STEPHEN LAWRENCE was murdered in a racially motivated attack.
6% of stop and searches are part of the minority groups.
cultural themes;
pragmatism
police want pragmatic solutions
what are 2 reasons why cop culture exists?
because of importation
because of danger, authority, constant pressure to reform.
why does cop culture matter?
it plays a limited role in influencing police behaviour. This can have negative implications for police. Cop culture can serve as an important source of resistance to reform.
