CRJU 311 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Subculture, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Assessment Centre
22 Aug 2016
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Changes in officer attitudes partly stem from hostility from citizens. The police perform society"s dirty work, unpleasant tasks that others don"t want to: officers are stereotyped by the public, news media emphasizes the negative aspects of policing and police behavior o. Elected officials interfere with police matters: officers believe the criminal justice system is ineffective and courts are too lenient, defense attorneys challenge the quality of officers" work and question officers" integrity o. Judges sometimes exclude confessions or other evidence: officers become disillusioned with their own departments. New officers are often assigned to high crime areas and the nightshift. Westley: there exists a police subculture emphasizing secrecy, solidarity, and violence. Selective contact with the public meaning officers rarely meet the average person. Other professionals they deal with have negative attitudes toward the police. Officers believe they can only rely on each other in times of crisis. Secrecy is a consequence of public hostility and group solidarity.
