Week 2 (B) : ‘Cop culture’ 2: Explanations, critique and reform

Question 1

What are the key factors contributing to the creation and sustainability of ‘cop culture,’ as outlined in the information provided?

Answer 1

Nature of the Work:
Involves discretion/low visibility.
Unique coercive authority.

Interactions with People:
Involves risk/unpredictable outcomes.
Includes hostile encounters with particular groups.

Socialization:
Involves ‘learning on the job.’

Question 2

Explain how the police function contributes to the shaping of specific aspects of cop culture, without justifying them. Provide insights into the relationship between the police function and aspects such as
mission
isolation
in-group loyalty
suspicion
pessimism
machismo
prejudice
‘sick’ or shocking humor.

Answer 2

Mission:
‘War stories’ serve to give an acceptable gloss to what is often a messy, difficult, depressing, and mundane job.

Isolation:
Coercive powers, unsocial hours, and public hostility contribute to the sense of isolation.

In-group Loyalty:
In-group loyalty is shaped by the risks and dangers of the job, necessitating reliance on back up.

Suspicion:
Emerges from the crime control and order maintenance function.

Pessimism:
Shaped by dealing with the raw end of society’s problems.

Machismo:
Traditional emphasis on stereotyped ‘male’ attributes of toughness, strength, and violence.

Prejudice:
Arises from the collective experience of hostile relations with particular segments of society.

‘Sick’ or Shocking Humor:
Serves as a coping mechanism to deal with everyday difficulties, akin to coping strategies in other high-stress professions like nurses, fire-fighters, paramedics, etc.

Question 3

What challenges and complexities are associated with the concept of ‘Cop Culture,’ according to Waddington (2012)? Discuss factors such as the ambiguity of what ‘it’ is, the potential lack of distinctiveness, and variations in cop cultures.

Answer 3

Not Necessarily ‘Distinctive’:
Cop culture is not necessarily ‘distinctive.’

Overly Deterministic Impression:
The impression that cop culture is overly deterministic is problematic; individual officers can resist/rework occupational norms.

Question 4

Discuss two approaches for changing cop culture(s) as outlined in the information. Include considerations related to recruitment strategies and training initiatives. Highlight potential challenges and limitations associated with each approach.

Answer 4

Recruitment:
Targeted campaigns, recruitment targets, improved selection procedures, and direct entry are proposed strategies.
Challenges include the reduction of complex cultural traits to ‘problematic individuals,’ potentially oversimplifying the issue.

Training:
Strategies involve increased entry standards, formal training to address problematic attitudes, and an ‘ethical’ emphasis on training and development.
While better training is beneficial, it alone may not address fundamental structural shapers of cultural traits. Structural aspects need consideration alongside training initiatives.

Question 5

Examine three approaches to changing cop culture(s) or minimizing potential negative impacts, focusing on individual and organizational accountability, wider policing policy approaches, and addressing broader societal factors. Discuss the potential effectiveness and challenges associated with each approach.

Answer 5

Individual and Organisational Accountability:
Rendering frontline policing ‘more visible’ through technology and increased/better supervision.

Implementing more rigorous and consistently enforced disciplinary codes.
‘Rule tightening’ to restrict discretion, exemplified by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.

External accountability measures, such as Elected Police and Crime Commissioners.

Challenges include balancing accountability without hampering necessary discretion and potential resistance to increased supervision.

‘Meso Level’ (Wider Policing Policy Approaches):
Changing the pattern of policing policies towards community-based or ‘problem-solving’ approaches.

Evaluating the effectiveness and challenges associated with these wider policy shifts.

Wider Factors: The Context of Policing:
Tackling broader patterns of inequality through social and economic policies outside the field of policing.

Considering the interconnectedness between policing and societal factors.
Challenges involve the complexity of addressing systemic societal issues and ensuring a comprehensive approach.