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Cop Culture: Sociological view of the police. Characteristics of ‘cop culture’: Reiner (2010): Based on examination of police he was able to identify 8 key characteristics of cop culture. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Mission Action Cynicism Suspicion Isolation/solidarity Conservatism Machismo Racial prejudice

Mission: Police see policing as a mission and not just a job. It means police officers share the conviction that policing had a deep moral purpose, which is protecting weak from the predatory. There is a clear division between respectable law-abiders and lawless delinquents that oppress them. Police are indispensable to moral and social order. They see themselves as existing to protect public against disorder of social order. Action: Policing is action-orientated. Police are gratified of high-speed car chase and by the fight, pursuit. This connects to the sense of moral purpose. Police officers tends to see themselves as the good guy fighting all the bad guys. Cynicism/Pessimism: Police culture is a pessimist culture. Officers see themselves as a minority and guardians of morality, that are threatened from all sides by lawlessness. They may embody that weary sense of the world where the morality they guard is under threat. Leads them to do their duty no matter what. For some officers the pessimism can lead to cynicism. They become emotionally detached. Suspicion: The nature of the police officer is based upon constant suspiciousness, which comes from the need of the officer to keep a look out for potential dangers and clues. Suspicion is cultivated by police training. They are trained to have the right outlook. Unfortunately, the downside is that suspicions that police officers cultivate can be unreasonable and paranoid and self-contradictory. This can lead to discriminatory behaviour against social groups. Studies shows that police were encouraged to view people as suspicious who;  

‘Exaggerated unconcern over contact with the officer’ ‘visible rattled when near a policeman’

Self-contradictory.

(Powis, 1977): Suspicious types:   

Political radicals who ‘spout extremist babble’ People in possession of ‘know your rights card’ Loitering Rastafarians

Internal Solidarity: Exists as powerful us against them mentality. Police tend to be socially isolated within society. They are alienated in society. Police work erratic and anti-social hours, also police officers find it difficult to switch off tensions that come with the job. Local people are suspicious of police i.e. run-down communities. Cop culture is highly characterised in solidarity. Similar to military. Because public cannot be relied on, officer must rely on one another. This gives rise to a powerful code of honour. This promoted officers should always stick together. The consequence is that they do not often report another officer for misconduct. The internal bond of social solidarity means bad cops are protected. Cop Cultures separate us and them. Insiders and outsiders. Examples of outsiders: •

‘Good-class villains’ (PSI, 1983:iv:61-4)

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‘Police property’ (Box, 1989:ch.3): refers to certain section of community. Police own these areas in some sense. They are low-status and powerless groups. They are seen as disorderly. E.g. poor, unemployed. The prime function is social control so to control these groups and keeps them segregated. Tactics like stop and search is used that is on the margins of legality.

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‘Rubbish’ (PSI, 1983:iv:64-6): Rubbish are people from police property group, but these are property that present themselves as victims that police disapprove of. E.g. youths being mugged. They are seen as not worthy of police protection.

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‘Challengers’ (Holdaway, 1983:71-7)

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‘Disarmers’ (Holdaway, 1983:77-81)

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‘Do-gooders’ (Reiner, 1978:221-3)

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‘Politicians’ (Reiner, 1978:76-81)

Conservatism: Police tend to be extremely conservative in their attitudes. Reiner studies found that 80% of random police officers were conservative voters. General Elections – 1979-1992 – (over 200 officers) 78% of officers voted Tory. Extreme homophobia and disapproval of drug-users. (Reiner., 1978). Support ‘control’ over ‘justice’. Police tend to attribute crime to individuals. (Reiner, 1980). Want more police, stiffer policies.

Machismo and sexism: Cop culture tends to be organised around traditional notions of heterosexual masculinity. Problems of institutionalised sexism. Machismo is at the brunt of female officers. They are discriminated in recruitment and in officers. Roughly 21% of senior officer are women. 42% had considered quitting as the force was insensitive to circumstances of women i.e. pregnancy. Racial Prejudice: Deep seated racism in police force. A staggering amount of racism in officer in 17 th and 18th century. They used it regularly. Up to 1980s the racism has become less overt. This is because more BAME officers have been recruited but this is still 6%, only 1% black. Officers have become better at hiding it from outside observers. Recent reports show racism is still alive. Police officers argued racism was a natural reaction. Blacks and Asians were taking over. Still discriminatory as Black people are 4-6 times more likely to be stopped and searched. Social causes of cop culture: 1. Danger – higher risk of physical injury to police officer. Unpredictable nature of the danger. 2. Authority – police officers represent the state and can use legitimate force in pursuit of their duties. They constantly face a threat from law-breakers. 3. Efficiency They explain police deviance towards suspects and suspicious persons. They may go for ‘first-strike’ action as a response to danger. It provides them with the opportunity to over step the mark. They have discretion on how much force is needed and they can exaggerate the level of danger and use excess violence. Pessimism can lead to cynicism, which can lead to corruption. Suspiciousness facilitates prejudice which may lead to oppression (e.g. of members of “police property” group) Mission may lead to “noble cause corruption” (“Dirty Harry” dilemma). Having to use bad means for good ends. E.g. roughing up a suspect. Efficiency generates pressures for “results” that may encourage both oppression and corruption (coerced confessions, falsified records, protection rackets, etc.). Solidarity ensures “bad cops” are often protected by “blue code of silence”. Racism: •

Police recruits don’t have esp. prejudiced personalities at start (Skolnick, 1969; Reiner, 1978; Scripture, 1997)

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Rather police racism magnified by control function of police exerted over “police property” (Box, 1989; Farrell, 1992; Chambliss 1994; Parenti 1999; Spitzer, 1975; Reiner, 2010)

But Waddington (1999, 2004) argues: •

Police “canteen culture” has internal functions (group bonding, stress-alleviation) rather than external effects (e.g. discriminatory practices)

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Racial disproportions in stop-and-search (he contends) result not from racism but from policing of crime “hot spots”

Conclusion: Cop culture or cop cultures? (Cockcroft, 2013, Westmarland, 2008) •

Although there are common elements of police culture (hence cop culture), there are also national and other cultural variations between forces (hence cop cultures)

Solution is reform of society. Social Justice....