POLICE MILITANCY

• NCJ Number: 43567
• Journal: Crime and Social Justice Volume: 7 Dated: (SPRING-SUMMER 1977) Pages: 40-48
• Author(s): G RAY
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: Crime and Social Justice Associates
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN EXCERPTED FROM THE REVISED AND ENLARGED SECOND EDITION OF 'THE IRON FIST AND THE VELVET GLOVE.'

Annotation

THE HISTORY OF POLICE UNIONIZATION IS TRACED, AND THE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL ROOTS OF THE INCREASING WILLINGNESS OF POLICE GROUPS TO USE TRADE UNION TACTICS TO ADVANCE THEIR GOALS ARE EXPLORED.

Abstract

HISTORICALLY THE POLICE HAVE ORGANIZED APART FROM AND IN OPPOSITION TO THE WORKING CLASS. LIKE PROFESSIONALS AND UNLIKE ALMOST ALL OTHER WORKERS, THE POLICE USUALLY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO IMPROVE THEIR STATUS WITHOUT RECOURSE TO UNIONIZATION. RANK-AND-FILE POLICE MADE ONLY TWO SHORT DRIVES FOR UNIONIZATION -- FROM 1917 TO 1919 AND FROM 1937 TO 1942 -- PRIOR TO THE MORE RECENT CAMPAIGN. WITH THE FISCAL PROBLEMS OF THE 1970'S, POLICE ARE TURNING TO TRADE UNION TACTICS, AS REFLECTED IN A SERIES OF POLICE STRIKES, SLOWDOWNS, AND OTHER JOB ACTIONS AND PROTESTS. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE CAUSES OF POLICE 'MILITANCY' ARE BOTH POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC AND THAT THE POLICE ARE MOVED TO COLLECTIVE ACTION LARGELY BY THE REALIZATION THAT THE STATE IS SUBJECTING THEM TO THE HOSTILITY OF LARGE SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION. FIVE MAJOR TYPES OF POLICE ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENT THE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES USED BY POLICE TO SECURE THEIR POSITION: LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS; FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE LODGES; NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; UNION-AFFILIATED LOCALS; AND BLACK POLICE ASSOCIATIONS. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE BLACK POLICE ORGANIZATIONS, THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLICE UNIONISM HAS MADE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLICE AND WORKERS INCREASINGLY ANTAGONISTIC.