Policing

Policing Policing The major characteristics of the police subculture include origins in basic training where beginners learn the experiences of being a policeman through rites of passage. The culture also involves brotherhood of the officers that focuses on the unity of the officers after secluding themselves from the public, cohesion that involves bonding with other officers, conservatism that defends the status quo, the criminal blindness that allows the police ignore the law and CYA where the officers distance themselves from their supervisors in a careful manner to avoid conflicts (Stevens, 2011).
Group think is also a characteristic of police subculture that entails the police unit making decisions with minimal consultations or consideration of other options. The institutionalized behavior refers to the sense of contentment and completeness of the police (Stevens, 2011). The justification of wrongful rights involves coming up with reasons to justify the police’s actions, while the material essentials allows the officers share various essentials such as uniforms, technology and even vehicles. Mentoring conducted by the high-ranking patrol officers allows for appreciation of the ranks in the police service, personality development allows the policemen develop their personality types, secrecy where other police officers do not report of other officer do not betray other officers, thin blue line that prevents the citizens from resulting into chaos (Stevens, 2011; Pollock, 2011). Two worlds of perspective where police work and live in another, and lastly the use of force that allows for the police officers justify the use of force (Stevens, 2011). Origins in training, brotherhood of officers, cohesion, institutionalized behavior, material essentials and conservatism are beneficial while use of force, CYA, justification of wrong acts and criminal blindness which are harmful.
References
Pollock, J. (2011). Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice. London: Cengage Learning.
Stevens, D. J. (2011). An Introduction to American Policing. NY: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.