ISOLATION OF THE POLICE - A COMPARISON OF THE BRITISH AND AMERICAN SITUATIONS (FROM PERCEPTION IN CRIMINOLOGY, 1975 BY RICHARD L HENSHEL AND ROBERT A SILVERMAN - SEE NCJ-32885)

• NCJ Number: 35428
• Author(s): J P CLARK
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 22 pages
• Corporate Author: Columbia University Press
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AN ATTEMPT, THROUGH COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS, TO IDENTIFY SOME FORCES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE ISOLATION AND INTEGRATION OF POLICING, AND TO SUGGEST THEIR CONSEQUENCES TO POLICE ORGANIZATIONS AND GENERAL SOCIETY.

Abstract

THE PERCEIVED RESTRICTIVE EFFECTS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ON THE PUBLIC, ASSOCIATION OF POLICE WITH BRUTALITY AND CORRUPTION, AND PROFESSIONALIZATION ARE SAID TO BE ISOLATING FACTORS. GOAL LEGITIMACY, THE NEED FOR CONTROL, AND PROCESSES OF ACCOMMODATION COUNTERACT THIS TO SOME EXTENT. DATA ON ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS OF POLICE IN ILLINOIS AND GREAT BRITAIN, FROM PREVIOUS STUDIES, ARE PRESENTED. IT IS SHOWN THAT POLICING IN ILLINOIS AND GREAT BRITAIN OCCUPIES A POSITION OF SOME ISOLATION WITHIN THE RESPECTIVE SOCIETIES. THE CHARACTER OF THIS ISOLATION IS SOMEWHAT PECULIAR TO THE SPECIFIC SOCIETY BUT CONSIDERABLE SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE TWO SITUATIONS EXISTS. A LARGE PROPORTION OF THE POLICEMEN SAMPLED IN BOTH COUNTRIES FEEL SOCIALLY ISOLATED ALTHOUGH THE BRITISH OFFICERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO NOTICE THE LACK OF SOCIAL INTEGRATION. BOTH THE BRITISH AND ILLINOIS POLICE AND PUBLIC AGREE IN PRINCIPLE ON THE CONTENT OF THE IDEAL POLICE ROLE, BUT AT LEAST IN ILLINOIS, POLICE ROLE PERFORMANCE DIFFERS SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THIS COMMON IDEAL, THE DATA SUGGEST THAT THE POLICE KNOWINGLY PERFORM THEIR FUNCTION SOMEWHAT DIFFERENTLY THAN THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL CONVICTIONS OR THEIR PERCEPTION OF PUBLIC DESIRES WOULD DICTATE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)