Police Subculture and Its Impact on the Divide between Law Enforcement and the Community
Norms, beliefs, goals, career patterns, and functional structure that are somewhat distinct from those of the rest of society are all components of the police subculture. The police subculture is the reason why the daily experiences of police officers differ from those of the general population. Additionally, because of the unique challenges they encounter at work, they often see themselves as distinct from those outside of the field. As a consequence of their subculture, the police will typically feel at ease when working with their peers. Although the police subculture may benefit members of the profession, the rest may feel excluded, and this will lead to problems. An analysis of the aspects of the police subculture reveals that it creates a divide between law enforcement and the community.
Socialization and Isolation
Firstly, there is the issue of socialization whereby the police interact with their peers and isolate those who are not in their group. According to Dempsey and Forst, even when the police ae off duty, they will often meet and discuss their jobs; old friends and family are no spared when one becomes an officer (162). Nevertheless, the police work for strange hours, and this makes interaction with a person who is not a police officer difficult. However, this may cause a divide between the police officers and the public as they will mistrust each other due to limited interactions. Indeed, Shelden et al. note that the socialization of the police subculture weeds out people who will not fit the culture during recruitment (129). Members of the public will, therefore, feel like although the police are protecting them, their isolation creates a problem. Police spouses and children will interact with other police families. Dempsey and Forst note that after a while, the police world will only be made up of many officers. In general, the police subculture creates a divide with the public as it makes the police officers socialize among themselves leaving out other people.
Professional Attitudes and Distrust
At the same time, the professional attitudes of the police subculture also create a divide with the public. According to Dempsey and Forst, the views include aspects such as distrust, suspiciousness of citizens, and assessing individuals in terms of their potential threat (163). The police subculture has enabled them to create a “we versus they” attitude towards citizens and loyalty among their peers. While the aspects of this attitude are all part of their job, this creates a divide with the public. For example, a police officer will patrol an area in an effort to arrest individuals that are a potential threat. However, this may create a divide as some individual will feel like they are being targeted.
Distrust and the "Blue Wall of Silence"
Police subculture promotes distrust between members of the public and the police officers. Notably, police subculture entails danger which makes police officers pay attention to any signs that indicate potential violence as well as law breaking. The suspicion that comes as a result of training as well as by the work environment of the police promotes police to distrust the civilians. Moreover, many police officers depend on their fellow police officers to protect them when they are in critical operations. Therefore, they do not expect any form of help from the civilians. This tendency encourages police officers to distrust many people. Additionally, such a culture among the police makes them isolate themselves from family as well as friends who are non-police. Consequently, they fear developing friendships if anyone could be a lawbreaker.
The "Blue Wall of Silence" and Its Consequences
Additionally, the police subculture also creates a divide with the public through what is known as the 'blue wall of silence.' More often than not, police officers may decide not to aid their superiors as well as other law enforcement professionals who are investigating the conduct of their colleagues. This aspect results in a protective barrier as the officers realize that their loyalty is to their peers (Chen 154). According to Dempsey and Forst, policing at times is a dangerous activity, and when they are caught on the wrong, some of their colleagues will try to cover for them due to the aspect of loyalty (163). However, this may lead to a divide in the community who may be seeking justice for their own. For example, if a police officer assaults a civilian, their colleagues may decide to be uncooperative with the authorities, and at the end of the day, the victim will get no justice. In general, this aspect of the police subculture leads to a divide in the community.
Authoritarianism and Control
Furthermore, the authoritarian nature of the police subculture also creates a gap with the community. Law enforcement officials are used to instances where they give commands to the public. For example, if a police officer suspects that someone has a weapon they will tell them “put your hands where I can see them” while approaching with a gun. Although this is part of their job, these commands finally affect the police officers as they may start controlling members of the public instead of negotiating. The public will, therefore, perceive that the law enforcement officials are controlling them, and this will result in a divide. It is, therefore, ideal for the police officers to differentiate their professional and personal life if they are to foster a productive relationship with the public. However, if this is not done, then the police subculture will continue to result in a divide between the community and law enforcement.
Personality Traits and Perceptions
Lastly, the personality traits common among the police officers also lead to a split with the public. According to Dempsey and Forst, the community associates law enforcement officials with traits such as suspicion, hostility, insecurity, and cynicism (164). Indeed, none of these characteristics are desirable for law enforcement, but due to the police subculture, the public perceives the police officers in this way. These traits result in a divide as some members of the community may not want to associate with the police. For the police officers to foster a better relationship with the public, these personality traits have to be rectified.
Conclusion
Conclusively, based on the analysis in this paper, I believe that the police subculture results in a divide between the community and law enforcement. Their culture makes them socialize among themselves, leaving out members of the public. Even their families socialize with other police families hence the public feels neglected by the police in this aspect. Furthermore, the 'blue curtain' is also the other aspect that contributes to the divide. Furthermore, the professional attitudes of the police officers also create a gap with the public. In essence, I believe that these aspects of the police subculture should be addressed if a better relationship is to be fostered with the community and law enforcement.
Works Cited
Chen, Zheng. Measuring Police Subcultural Perceptions. Springer, 2016.
Dempsey, John S., and Linda S. Forst. An introduction to policing. Cengage Learning, 2013.
Shelden, Randall G., et al. Crime and criminal justice in American society. Waveland Press, 2015.
