Police Officers and Police

Police Subculture

The set of beliefs, attitudes, and behaviour followed by the members of law enforcement constitutes what is referred to as police subculture. Owing to the nature of their job, most police officers tend to view members of the general public as potential suspects, untrustworthy and even potentially hostile. Police officers expect support from their colleagues. Consequently, the "us versus them" scenario is created; where "us" refers to the police force while the public constitutes "them". There are advantages and disadvantages to the scenario created. While embracing a sense of trust created between the members of the police is good for achieving team objectives, the police also hold a mantra that the line between chaos and order is quite thin. This means that the society needs the police if there is to be law and order. The mantra is responsible for the deeply embedded feeling of unity, teamwork and interdependence among members of the police. They believe that these values are necessary for the success of police work. On the converse side of the attitude and perception, the US versus them notion may lead to some actions that are in contravention of the expectation of society.

Key Components of the Police Subculture

While loyalty is not the same as the occupational subculture of the police, it is one of the main features. Loyalty lives beyond time and space. Indeed, members of the police force really value loyalty, even if they come from diverse cultures. The common perception and consideration given to loyalty is laid out in the fact that it is a key component to all who must confront the hostile world out there (Hunt & Magenau, 1993). In these circumstances, loyalty saves the day. It is an important pass to success and safety.

The matter of loyalty as outlined in this discussion is neither a vice nor a virtue. The value attached is situational.12. The moral worth of loyalty is determined by the reason for its manifestation. The selfless loyalty that makes one officer take risks to save a fellow officer is considered virtuous since the life of the officer targeted is as valuable as the life of any other human. On the other hand, loyalty that supports cover-ups is corrupt and thus vicious and bad. The acts of declining to rescue other officers from situations that compromise integrity and backing up a police colleague in danger are two different acts and are served by separately distinct motivations. The earlier act serves the private needs of the police; in the same way that acceptance of gratuity serves a similar purpose. Indeed, providing backup for a police officer at risk is the same as protecting an innocent civilian from harm; they all serve public good.

How to Correct the Flaws shown by the Police Subculture

Of course, there are several reasons that inform and feed the existence of the police subculture described above. There are reasons why it still exists even though it has a negative impact on the lives of the members of the force. It is notable that many law enforcement officers will show a desire to be more humane to themselves and their colleagues. They know that such a move would enhance job satisfaction and help them achieve higher wellness levels. Unfortunately, most officers are victims of their upbringing. They have grown up in the system, and they do not know of a better way to live or go about their work. Consequently, the subculture is engrained in their "police DNA". Senior officers need to lead the way by changing their attitudes towards work, health and general wellness towards their juniors. However, a change of attitude by the administrators isn't enough. It isn't an issue of conducting an interview and walking away with a set of satisfactory answers. Is it plausible for supervisors to expect honest answers from their SWAT team members regarding the level of their satisfaction with duty? The stakes are often odd in such circumstances. Everyone wants to keep their prestigious jobs.

If the administrators really wish to change the culture, there is need to enforce revolutionary policies in the department. It is essential for officers to have easy access to resources that enhance their wellness. Yet, still, the most important of the steps in the effort to change attitude is change the prevailing attitude towards such resources; a deliberate effort focused on change. It is important to ensure that the cloud of fear is expunged from the officers' minds. They should never fear retribution or that they will be denied promotion because of their views geared towards attitude change, or even when they are placed under therapeutic care, following a traumatic experience. It is common practice for law enforcers to update their colleagues, especially after a crime has been committed. However, such attention is seen to reduce when it comes to the effects of difficult encounters or case. Therefore, provision of counselling and therapy should be incorporated in the police system. It should be a core component of the police practice. In addition, intervention for stress should not be restricted to work related issues. It should be noted that the officers also have a life away from work. An officer going through a difficult divorce may also be too stressed to perform their duties at their optimum capacity. Notably, the pain that the officers endure is not always easily observable.

It has been noted, that, regrettably, the subculture embedded within the police force prevents them from seeking such intervention services. There is a notion that an officer should be tough, and, so they carry this attitude with them; despite the odds. The fact remains that there should be interventions to mitigate against the stress that officers suffer (Willis, 2010).

In order to change the subculture, administrators and officers must expose the problem. Honesty is crucial on the part of officers as far as disclosing their discomforts are concerned. They should avoid the habit of suppressing what they feel. It is the only way experts can find room and way to intervene. Administrators should take advantage of the available resources and call for assistance from the experts.

In my situation, support from my peers, professional counselling and spiritual engagement served as useful resources. Administrators need to note that wellness is a result of the utilization of intervention resources as opposed to their mere availability. The men and women in the service should admit to the existence of the problem and accept the fact that they are in need of help. In the event of lack of acceptance, resources meant for wellness will be underutilised, and the desired culture change will never happen.

The Role of the Media

The Public View of the Police by Society

The society remains ever more fascinated with the police force. There have been thousands of TV dramas based on policing themes for many years now. Shows such as Law and Order CSI, Chicago P.D and The First 48 show a Special Victims Unit glamorizing and simplifying police work. The shows, generally, portray policemen and women and heroes and heroines and noble people. In real life, when members of the public with such perception encounter situations where the police act in contrary ways, they become disillusioned. Although the shows may wish to portray elements of drama within police operations, there are elements of depicting policing and the police officers abusing the rights of citizens. Such depiction helps to reinforce the police subculture that abuse is an expected outcome of the police force in certain circumstances. The shows may shape perceptions in the minds of the public; perceptions that may not necessarily be informed by actual life encounters with real police.

Other ways that influence police perceptions include local and national media coverage. Unfortunately for the police, ordinary, daily routine work is not newsworthy. Media prefers sensational incidents. Therefore, negative incidents are covered much more than the good acts by the same force. Moreover, perceptions of the police are also influenced by other factors such as one's socio-economic class, race, and ethnic background and even level of education. It is a common fact that the police force does not usually reflect the communities that it serves. Consequently, the element of mistrust from such communities is inevitable. These circumstances only help to reinforce the police subculture; since the police are placed under stressful work environments.

The Behaviour of the Police Officers and How They Contribute to the Subculture

According to Conti, the induction of a police recruit into the police service is a transformational experience of the subject into what he refers to as an organizational ideal (Conti, 2010). This is how the police subculture, commonly conspicuous in police academies, helps to transform such a recruit from an ordinary civilian to a police officer (Conti, 2010). The cultural details are passed on in a range of ways including Parades and drills (Campbell, 2007), Storytelling (Newburn & Reiner, 2007) and Marching (Davis, 1996).