Police Subculture Discussions
Discussion Board
As many other organizations and institutions, the police have its own subculture which sets certain standards of behavior. These standards are accepted and considered appropriate by the majority of policemen and other personnel. The main components of the police subculture include control, territoriality and the use of force. Among the mentioned components control is the main one.
The control component presupposes that policemen should be able to act tough and that they should be able to cope with the most unexpected situations. This component also suggests that policemen should control their emotions since it can be interpreted as a sign of weakness. Besides, the policemen should control their words because any leakage of confidential information can impose a lot of risks and it is punishable by law. The control component is the most prevalent and at the same time it is the most important in the police subculture because it is closely associated with the nature of the police work. The main task of the police is to prevent crimes and it is impossible to do without imposing control on other people.
The mentioned components of the police subculture definitely influence the process of law enforcement. On the one hand, belonging to a certain subculture creates the feeling of unity. It also gives the policemen mental and emotional support which is vitally important taking into consideration how stressful their job is. On the other hand, excessive control can lead to the development of psychological problems. The impression of total control can violate the perception of reality and also lead to negative consequences. Finally, the presence of this component in the police subculture can motivate the development of corruption among police …
