PROFILE OF URBAN POLICE (FROM POLICE COMMUNITY DIMENSIONS OF AN OCCUPATIONAL SUBCULTURE, 1974, BY J GOLDSMITH AND S S GOLDSMITH - SEE NCJ-14809)

• NCJ Number: 29344
• Author(s): H HAHN
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 21 pages
• Corporate Author: Palisades Publishers
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS POLICE PERSONALITY PROFILE, DRAWN FROM SEVERAL PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED STUDIES AND REPORTS, DESCRIBES SUCH KEY PERSONALITY TRAITS AS ATTITUDES TOWARD THE PUBLIC, MOTIVATIONS FOR JOINING THE FORCE, AND POLICE SOLIDARITY.

Abstract

THE STUDIES PRESENTED IN THIS ARTICLE SUGGEST THAT THE POLICE OFFICER MAY POSSESS SEVERAL ATTRIBUTES THAT DIFFERENTIATE HIM FROM BOTH THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND OTHER OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS. FOR EXAMPLE, MANY STUDIES HAVE INDICATED THAT MEN ENTERING POLICE RANKS EMERGE FROM WORKING AND LOWER MIDDLE CLASS BACKGROUNDS. POLICE OFFICERS ALSO ARE CHARACTERIZED BY SUCH TRAITS AS HIGH SOLIDARITY AMONG THE POLICE RANKS, A HIGH DEGREE OF ALIENATION FROM THE PUBLIC, AGGRESSIVENESS, PESSIMISM. SUSPICION, AND OFFENSIVE AND CONSERVATIVE SENTIMENTS. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES, AMONG OTHER THINGS THAT POLICE PERCEPTIONS OF ANTAGONISM AND ESTRANGEMENT FROM THE PUBLIC PROBABLY ARE PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY OTHER ASPECTS OF THEIR CONDUCT.