Police Personality: Unique Traits vs. Socialization

Introduction

Just as with any profession, the men and women who join the ranks of the "Thin Blue Line" generally have very specific reasons for doing so. While these personal reasons are as varied as the individuals themselves, there are a sufficient number of commonalities among those who pursue a career in law enforcement to draw some broad generalizations about the profession. To this end, this paper reviews the relevant literature to develop a concept of "police personality" in general, as well as a distinction between those unique traits that may reflect a natural aptitude for this career field and an examination of how socialization and experience on the job shape these traits. A summary of the research and salient findings is provided in the conclusion.

Background and Overview

Because resources are by definition scarce, the ability to identify those individuals most likely to succeed in a given field based on specific personality traits and natural aptitude has assumed new importance in human resources in recent years (Zeidner & Johnson, 1991). These considerations become even more significant when taxpayer funds are involved, as in the case of costly police academies designed to train the next generation of law enforcement officers (Laurence, Ramsberger, & Sellman, 1991).

Further compounding the problem for researchers is the fact that certain career fields in America have traditionally been viewed as "dream jobs" by young people. Many children in the United States grow up thinking they want to be a firefighter, police officer, or astronaut because of the perceived glamour and excitement associated with these professions. Unfortunately, the reality of police work in particular makes a career decision based on such well-intentioned but misguided ambitions a potentially dangerous enterprise. A discussion of which personal attributes and traits successful police officers typically bring to the profession, and how these are cultivated once on the job, is provided below.

General Concepts of Police Personality

According to Pervin (1990), a long-standing concept in personality theory concerns the manner in which traits are patterned within individual personality — in other words, how the elements or traits that comprise the basic building blocks of personality are organized into higher-order types or dimensions. An individual's aptitude for law enforcement would therefore relate to those traits that contribute to a desire to pursue a career in a potentially dangerous but socially significant profession.

While researchers have identified certain gender, cultural, and racial differences in the reasons people have cited for wanting to become police officers (Farr, Schuler, & Smith, 1993), some general traits are consistently present: a desire to help others — particularly the disadvantaged (Lott, 2000); a basic need to see good triumph over evil (Kurke & Scrivner, 1995); and, increasingly since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a desire to help protect the nation.

Conclusion

The research showed that men and women become police officers for many of the same reasons that people seek a career in any other helping profession: job security, decent wages and benefits, and a clear career path. There are also other compelling reasons involved in this decision that are as varied as the individuals themselves. The salient findings that emerged from the research suggest that most police officers in the United States today share a desire to help others, a desire for the respect and dignity associated with the profession, and a fundamental commitment to contributing to their communities.