PLEDGING THE POLICE - A STUDY OF SELECTED ASPECTS OF RECRUIT SOCIALIZATION IN A LARGE, URBAN POLICE DEPARTMENT

• NCJ Number: 9479
• Author(s): J VAN MAANEN
• Date Published: 1972
• Length: 283 pages
• Grant Number(s): N00014-69-A-0200-9001; NR151-315
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of the Navy
• Corporate Author: University of California, Irvine
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

EXAMINATION OF THE PROCESS OF BECOMING A POLICEMAN AS EXPERIENCED BY FOUR POLICE RECRUIT CLASSES IN A LARGE URBAN DEPARTMENT.

Abstract

LEARNING POLICING SKILLS IS ONLY ONE PART OF THE PROCESS OF BECOMING A POLICEMAN. THE POLICE, LIKE OTHER DISTINCT OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS, HAVE A SOCIAL SYSTEM AND A SET OF ATTITUDES DISTINCTIVE TO THEIR PROFESSION. THE AUTHOR PARTICIPATED IN ONE ACADEMY TRAINING CLASS AND ACTED AS AN OBSERVER DURING THE INITIAL WEEKS OF FIELD TRAINING. HE ALSO ADMINISTERED ATTITUDE QUESTIONNAIRES TO ALL FOUR CLASSES TO MEASURE RECRUIT ATTITUDES IN THE AREAS OF MOTIVATION, COMMITMENT TO THE POLICE PROFESSION, AND JOB SATISFACTION. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE PROCESS OF BECOMING A POLICEMAN INVOLVES LEARNING TO PERCEIVE ONESELF AS A POLICEMAN, ADOPTING THE ATTITUDES OF OTHER OFFICERS, AND PRACTICING THE KINDS OF BEHAVIOR MOST APPROPRIATE TO THE VARIOUS SITUATIONS COMMONLY ENCOUNTERED IN POLICE WORK. IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT STUDIED, JOB TERMINATIONS OCCURRED DURING THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF SERVICE AND AT RETIREMENT AGE. THIS INDICATED THAT ABSORPTION INTO POLICE SOCIETY AND THE CONCOMITANT ACCEPTANCE OF POLICE VALUES OCCUR QUICKLY OR NOT AT ALL. THIS REPORT FULLY DOCUMENTS THE OTHER RESULTS OF THE AUTHOR'S ATTITUDE SURVEYS AND OBSERVATIONS ON THE SOCIALIZATION OF POLICEMEN. (SNI ABSTRACT)