Recruiting Newcomers to the South African Police Service for the Organisation's Culture

• NCJ Number: 213296
• Journal: Acta Criminologica Volume: 18 Issue: 3 Dated: 2005 Pages: 82-100
• Author(s): J. Steyn
• Date Published: 2005
• Length: 19 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: South Africa
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Annotation

This study examined whether the attitudes of new recruits (before participation in basic training) of the South African Police Service (SAPS) supported community policing as the SAPS's adopted style of policing.

Abstract

The study recommends that a comprehensive research study be undertaken for the purpose of exploring and describing the SAPS occupational culture. If the culture does not support community policing, then new cultural change strategies should be developed, implemented, and continuously evaluated. Further, officer selection criteria should be re-examined with a view toward selecting persons with characteristics suited to the desired police culture. At the time of coming to the agency, recruits had an existing need for social isolation, in-group dependence, suspiciousness of members of the public, and a mistrust of top-ranking commanders. Female recruits had more cynical attitudes about police-community relations compared to male recruits and more positive opinions about police officer salary increases. Male recruits had stronger attitudes toward police morality, and female recruits were more supportive of the justice system. Male recruits did not believe that their spouses or partners understood the nature of the police profession; whereas, female recruits believed the opposite. The "colored" participants had significantly stronger attitudes in support of police cultural solidarity compared to the Black, Indian, and White recruits. Further research should be conducted to establish the relationship between the selection of suitable recruits and the police occupational culture. A 30-item questionnaire was developed specifically for this study, in order to measure the police cultural themes of solidarity, isolation, and cynicism. A total of 1,460 questionnaires were completed by recruits who came for training in January 2005, which was considered sufficient for an analysis representative of all recruits during this period. 10 tables, a 57-item bibliography, and appended questionnaire and responses