Police Personality Is There a

Police Personality Is there a police personality? -- unique traits vs. socialization and vocational experience There are two major explanations as to why certain persons may be drawn to the vocation of policing. On one hand, the occupation of law enforcement would seems to attract people with certain inherent personality characteristics, like conventionalism, submissiveness to authority, aggressiveness, being unreflective, being superstitious, toughness, destructiveness, projection, and being prone to sexual exaggeration or machismo (O'Connor, 2005).

Other social science theorists propose the idea that there is occupational culture of policing that stresses the unique nature of the profession, and confers a sense of brotherhood amongst officers creating an infamous blue wall of silence and resistance to outside opinion (O'Connor, 2005). This theory also speculates that the culture of the profession reinforces the police personality's supposed character traits. It is not that all persons who are drawn to the profession manifest such characteristics before they become officers rather the nature of the profession creates the character.

Also, the experience of working as a police officer in violent neighborhoods fosters cynicism, a cynicism created by dealing with working criminals all day, and combines with the stress of constantly being in fear of one's life. These occupational hazards reinforce a love of orderliness, a culture of mistrust, and a sense of bonding with fellow officers within the character of an individual member of the police.

This is supported by the fact that psychological testing batteries suggest that police officers do not differ substantially from the general population in terms of intelligence or psychological disorders ("Is there a Police Personality," 2003, John Jay College: CUNY) Of course, it might be protested that it is necessary for combination of self-selection and police culture to produce the police personality -- if such a personality truly exists.

Some have suggested that there are actually many different types of police personality profiles, such as the "Wyatt Earp syndrome," of an officer who is "badge heavy, macho," and victim of image," versus the "Ganzer syndrome," who manifests a type of battle fatigue involving humor to ward off horror" (O'Connor, 2005). Still other theorists have noted that the same officer may proceed through all of these syndromes over the course of a career (O'Connor, 2005). Finally, some social scientists dispute the singularity of the authortarian mindset within police officers at all.

"Other approaches in the study of police culture are devoted to the topic of typologies, or types of police officers," like the idealists who are "college educated" with "high ideals" versus "enforcers" who are ends oriented" (O'Connor, 2005) It might be added that different police brotherhoods will also likely have different police cultures. A small municipality is likely to have fewer Wyatt Earps or enforcers types than a police department located in a large city.

An urban police force may have a more tolerant attitude, and a higher percentage of idealistic or college educated officers than a small Southern town. The specific characteristics of the force, rather than policing in general, may pre-select who becomes part of the force, and the unique characteristics of the force as well as the general.