Police Subculture
The beliefs, attitudes, points of view, and actions that are shown by law enforcement are referred to as the police subculture. Officers devote their time to serving the public and safeguarding them from members of the criminal community and crime. In general, they do not trust any group members other than their own (Subošić & Vranešević, 2021). They, in turn, look to their coworkers for support, togetherness, and teamwork. As a consequence of this, a mentality of “we versus them” is created.
The difficulty for Police to avoid getting caught up in the Subculture
Individual peer pressure and the need to be seen as part of the team can sometimes lead individuals to accept the subculture as a policy instead of doing everything by the book to be taken. Graduates’ Field Training Officers make it evident that what they learned in the Academy was policy, not a practical application, when they are given their diploma, for example (Subošić & Vranešević, 2021). The same thing is repeated by other freshly hired officers when questioned. This is a terrible approach to instructing students. It took a long time for me to realize, comprehend, and accept the importance of rigorous instruction to adhere to the policies that had been established.
Subculture Affiliation
Subculture affiliation is not specific to merely police service. Each division of the government, such as the armed forces, as an illustration, is committed to their very own distinct culture. When I was in the marines, I received training on the core beliefs of the marine corps, which are honor, courage, and devotion (Tabrani, 2019). There is a proverb that says you should never be a “green weenie” which means that you should always look out for one other and take care of one another.
Major Sources of Police Stress
The danger and inherent risk of a police officer’s job are directly related to their stress levels. The unpredictable nature of a given day naturally causes police officers to feel a sense of tension and anxiety. Stress in the police force can also be caused by factors such as a lack of rewards for good job performance, inadequate training, and an excessive amount of paperwork (Tabrani, 2019). The criminal justice system contributes to an already stressful situation. The police officers’ work responsibilities, personal leisure, and even their sleeping schedules are all disrupted when they have to appear in court.
References
Subošić, D. R., & Vranešević, M. M. (2021). Police subculture and the influence of machismo on women’s position in the police. Sociološki pregled, 55(2), 404-435.
Tabrani, D. (2019). Alternative of Police Style and Police Subculture: Some Early Notes. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute (BIRCI-Journal): Humanities and Social Sciences, 2(3), 262-272.