SKETCH OF THE POLICEMAN'S 'WORKING PERSONALITY' (FROM POLICE COMMUNITY - DIMENSIONS OF AN OCCUPATIONAL SUBCULTURE, 1974, BY J GOLDSMITH AND S S GOLDSMITH - SEE NCJ-14809)

• NCJ Number: 29348
• Author(s): J H SKOLNICK
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 21 pages
• Corporate Author: Palisades Publishers
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

TWO ELEMENTS OF THE POLICE ENVIRONMENT - DANGER AND AUTHORITY - ARE ANALYZED IN RELATION TO HOW THEY AFFECT THE WAY POLICE, AS AN OCCUPATIONAL GROUPING, LOOK AT AND BEHAVE TOWARDS THE WORLD.

Abstract

THE AUTHOR CONTENDS THAT THE ELEMENT OF DANGER IN POLICE WORK TENDS TO MAKE THE POLICEMAN GENERALLY A MORE SUSPICIOUS PERSON AND TO ISOLATE HIM SOCIALLY FROM THE CIVILIAN WORLD, GIVING RISE TO A HIGH DEGREE OF POLICE SOLIDARITY. THE ELEMENT OF AUTHORITY (AND THE SHARED EXPERIENCE OF HOSTILITY FROM THE PUBLIC) REINFORCES THE ELEMENT OF DANGER IN ISOLATING THE POLICEMAN. DANGER ALSO UNDERMINES THE JUDICIOUS USE OF AUTHORITY.