Understanding Police Culture

Police culture has been widely criticized as a source of resistance to change and reform, and is often misunderstood. This book seeks to capture the heart of police culture—including its tragedies and celebrations—and to understand its powerful themes of morality, solidarity, and common sense, by systematically integrating a broad literature on police culture into middle-range theory, and developing original perspectives about many aspects of police work.

Police culture has been widely criticized as a source of resistance to change and reform, and is often misunderstood. This book seeks to capture the heart of police culture—including its tragedies and celebrations—and to understand its powerful themes of morality, solidarity, and common sense, by systematically integrating a broad literature on police culture into middle-range theory, and developing original perspectives about many aspects of police work.

This book reinvigorates the debate about the origins and development of police culture within our changing social, economic and political landscape. An in-depth analysis and appreciation of the police socialisation, identity and culture literature is combined with a comprehensive four-year longitudinal study of new recruits to a police force in England. The result offers new insights into the development of, and influences upon, new police recruits who refer to themselves as a “new breed” of police officer. Adding significantly to the police culture literature, this original and empirically based research also provides valuable insights into the challenges of modern policing in an age of austerity. Scholars of policing and criminal justice, as well as police officers themselves will find this compelling reading.

This is the first course guide that has been developed for students of policing. It identifies the core themes and additional source material, providing an essential overview for students and a reference point for use throughout their studies. The Policing Course Companion is designed to complement and work alongside existing literature. It provides: " Easy access to the key themes in policing " Helpful summaries of the approach taken by the main course textbooks " Guidance on the essential study skills required to pass the course " Help with developing critical thinking " Taking it Further sections that suggest how readers can extent their thinking beyond the "received wisdom" " Pointers to success in course exams and written assessment exercises The SAGE Course Companion in Policing is much more than a revision guide for undergraduates; it is an essential tool that will help readers take their course understanding to new levels and help them achieve success in their undergraduate course. John Grieve is a former Director of Intelligence for the Metropolitan Police, where he also held a number of other senior roles. He is now Chair of the John Grieve Centre for Policing and Community Safety and Emeritus Professor at London Metropolitan University. Clive Harfield is a former police Inspector and is now the Deputy Director of the John Grieve Centre for Policing and Community Safety, London Metropolitan University. Allyson MacVean is Founder and Director of the John Grieve Centre for Policing and Community Safety, London Metropolitan University.

This book provides a roadmap for how police services can address incivility in the workplace and become more inclusive from the inside out. In the past few years policing has come under increased scrutiny due to a number of police-involved shootings and in-custody deaths, where systemic racism, the inability to effectively confront persons suffering from mental illness, and excessive use of force have been perceived by civil rights groups to play a significant factor. These deaths and the subsequent public outcry have led to various constituents questioning the legitimacy of the police. The book incorporates real stories of police officers and case studies of select police organizations. A look inside a number of these departments has identified an equal concern for incivility within the workplace in the form of gender and ethnic harassment and discrimination. The costs of workplace incivility can be significant as workplace victims are not only likely to decrease their work effort, quality of work, and their level of commitment to the organization, they are also likely to mistreat others in the workplace and to take their frustrations out on those they serve. While these costs have a significant impact for police organizations, incivility by police officers against members of the public can have a much greater impact in terms of eroding perceptions of police legitimacy. This book takes a unique approach in providing a model for police organizations to pursue in becoming more inclusive. To this end, this book will be very relevant for police practitioners, reform advisors, researchers, and graduate-level course in special topics.

This book brings together knowledge, debates and themes of police culture in one highly accessible resource to provide an overview of the key literature of the area.

Becoming Blue-Understanding Police Culture is an honest and transparent book which strives to explain, without judgement or emotion, police culture. Behavioral science facts, history, and hands on life experience are the tools used to expound this complicated profession. The premise of the book is that police officers come from our families and our communities. Therefore, whatever issues are present in our society, will be present in a police department of any size.

In this case study of police racism and police reform in Australia, the author provides a critical assessment of police initiative in response to the problem of police/minorities relations.