Paper Summary:

This paper defines police culture and discusses how it affects the relationship between the police and society at large. It also looks at the moral issues associated with police culture and discusses the police mindset and the group think phenomenon that takes place in police cultures. Finally, the paper discusses the phenomenon of the "code of silence" that the public believes exists within police ranks.

From the Paper:

"Select law enforcement personnel have the ability to truly help improve the effects of the "Code of Silence" and shape other issues existing in police culture- one key group is police supervisors. They have daily contact and responsibility with the members of their squad, and so have the opportunity to influence their behavior. The extent of their influence, however, largely depends on three factors: whether the supervisor is respected by officers, whether the supervisor is fair and reasonable in decision-making, and whether action is taken when issues are brought to the supervisor's attention. If these conditions are met, officers who have concerns about a fellow officer's behavior will be more likely to approach their supervisor with these concerns and have confidence that appropriate actions will be taken without negative consequences."

Sample of Sources Used:

• McDonald, S. Gaffigan, S. Greenberg, Police Integrity: Definition and Historical Significance (Washington D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 1997).
• Cyndi Banks. (2004). Criminal Justice Ethics. p25. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.
• Cyndi Banks. (2004). Criminal Justice Ethics. p33. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.
• Andrew Goldsmith, Taking Police Culture Seriously: Police Discretion and the Limits of Law, (Policing and Society Volume 1, Number 2, 1990).
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differential_association

Visitors who viewed this Term Paper also liked these:

• Research Paper # 113594 : "Police Culture and Subculture"
• Analytical Essay # 46552 : "Police Culture"
• Comparison Essay # 42017 : "Aristotle and "Today's Moral Issues"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: