Police Organizational Culture Essay

Organizational culture is when all people in that particular organization share the same beliefs, values, attitudes, and behavior. They all have assumed and learned the culture and have deemed it valid to continue to teach to new members, which is the very definition of culture (Schein, 1992; p.12). If new members chose not to conform to societal norms then they would be considered abnormal, disrupting social order and social conflict. Culture sets the norms and consensus, and according to Social functionalism, society cannot function unless the values are shared and respected by all (Kang, Week 10). In the case of organizational culture, the organization would be unable to perform its tasks, specifically a police organization being unable

The implications of the organizational culture of police administration are very problematic, and could also undermine the social contract theory, where officers serve and protect the people. Because being a police officer is a dangerous job, one of their learned beliefs and values that hold importance is the idea that they are a family. The danger of the job leads them to confide in each other, making them a brotherhood/ sisterhood (Woody, 2005). They look after each other and practice extreme loyalty to themselves and the organization. Though their loyalty can be admirable and helpful, it can be shortsighted and lead to excessive use of force and lack of accountability. They could use excessive force when apprehending a suspect not because they believe the suspect is dangerous but to protect themselves and each other. Even with the existence of Internal Affairs and programs such as Ethical Policing is Courageous, their intense community solidarity causes them to have a lack of accountability when an officer commits a wrongful action. Officers who report their peers are seen as pariahs and pushed out of their careers because they are seen as traitors (Kang, Week 10). The isolating culture divides the police and people causing a difference in culture. One way that shows the schism in culture can be seen in a study on peer retaliation. In the study, officers

The increased acknowledgment of police injustices against minorities over the past years has caused a rise in protests, backlash, and sometimes looting, specifically after the death of George Floyd. To combat the protests, the police were militarized as per their training, “heavy-handed policing that permeates police leadership and training practices. With a significant focus on officer safety, he said police training often pits officers against the community they serve (Kang, Week 10).” Militarizing the police on top of their solidarity intensifies the detachment between the public and the police because it could give them the power to control society for their protection instead of serving and protecting the public. The divide eliminates the practice of community policing, which is a commonly sought-after change in police culture, but the trust between both agencies is diminished or non-existent with the militarization of