Lecture 3- Police Culture and Change Flashcards
What are the key readings?
Loftus, Campeau, Demirkol
What are the key points from Loftus?
Traditional= white heterosexual males
The ‘recasting of the public as ‘customers’’ causes a change in public perceptions of the police
The changes in the demographic of the police has causes changes in the culture
Officers have ‘socially isolating lives and display defensive solidarity with colleagues’
Cynicism centred around ‘law and criminal justice system’ such as the reinstating of the death penalty
A resenting of the public due to them being ‘unappreciative’ and ‘rebuked them for being excessively demanding’
‘detached and unsympathetic manner when interacting’ with the public
The traditional police ‘crime fighters’ and ‘investigators’
What are the key points from Campeau?
Reiner’s characteristics: ‘Conservative, mission-oriented, isolated, masculine, pessimistic and suspicious’
The us vs them mentality
‘individual officer typologies (e.g. enforcers, optimist and dirty-harrys)’
The police culture: ‘series of police values or attitudes acquired through on-the-job socialisation’
Wilson, 1969, speaks of the ‘constant pressure to be productive in what are often uncertain circumstances’
Manning (1995) says that ‘police culture is hierarchically specific’
‘defend and assist colleagues when confronted by external threats’ (Goldsmith, 1990)
What are the key points from Demirkol?
Cultures in the police is in 2 categories street cop and management cop culture, cited by Reuss-Ianni, 1983
Occupational culture= routines and practices
Police officers are monolithic due to the same environment where there is an anticipation of danger, isolation, cynicism and authoritarian personalities
Components of the police, cynicism, solidarity, loyalty, occupational identity, autonomy and authoritarianism
Solidarity due to protection, cited by Shernock, 2007
What is culture
Shared customs, beliefs, assumptions and values; common way of seeing the world
What is organisational culture?
A ‘deeper level of basic assumptions and beliefs that are shared by members of an organisation, that operate unconsciously and define in a basic and take for granted fashion as organisation’s view of itself and its environment’
What are the characteristics of organisational culture?
Shared purpose
Shared habits
History of shared experiences
Persuasive expectations
Unique language
Shared ethics
Traditions
What does police culture effect?
If they ignore behaviour, issue a warning or make an arrest
Interaction with different individuals and groups they encounter
Responses to aggressive suspects
Whether their notes, arrests and testimony will reflect reality
If they police with equality and fairness
What are the shared characteristics of the Met police?
Professionalism, integrity, courage, compassion
What was said about police culture by Westmarland, 2008?
Real culture is evidenced in the way an organisation operates
Public statements are only partially accurate and have misleading descriptions
What does Bowling, Reiner and Sheptycki say about police culture?
The characteristics are mission–action–cynicism–pessimism; suspicion; isolation–solidarity; pragmatism; racial prejudice; machismo
What does Jerone Skolnick say about police culture?
The personality of the police is linked to social + political context= exposure to danger, problems of authority, need for efficiency.
What is the key discovery from ethnographic fieldwork for police culture?
Extent of discretion amoung officers reuse of powers
Who looked at the two culture of policing?
Elizabeth Reuss-Ianni
What are the two cultures of policing?
Street cops and management cops
What is street cop culture?
Focus on action orientations, danger and excitement of crime fighting