ATLANTA (GA) POLICE - AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF THE INTRODUCTION OF FEMALE OFFICERS

• NCJ Number: 56563
• Author(s): P L W REMMINGTON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 135 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: SPECIAL PRICES FOR ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

THE IMPACT OF WOMEN POLICE OFFICERS ON THE POLICE AS A GROUP, MALE OFFICER SELF-IMAGES AND POLICING STYLES, AND POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS WAS INVESTIGATED IN THE ATLANTA, GA., POLICE DEPARTMENT.

Abstract

THE ETHNOGRAPHY OF THE ATLANTA BUREAU OF POLICE SERVICES HAS PROVIDED SEVERAL DESCRIPTIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FIELD OF POLICE STUDIES, INCLUDING AN EVALUATION OF WOMEN IN POLICING, A STUDY OF A DEPARTMENT WITH UNIQUE POLITICAL PROBLEMS AS COMPARED WITH OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS, AND A LOG-STYLE PRESENTATION OF ACTIVITIES REVEALING HOW POLICE OFFICER TIME IS ACTUALLY SPENT. TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF WOMEN POLICE OFFICERS WITHIN THE BUREAU, CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN TO THE STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION OF THE BUREAU, CHANGES IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE BUREAU AND IN POLICING STYLES OVER TIME, POLICING ACTIVITIES OF DETECTIVES (SEX CRIMES, HOMICIDE, ROBBERY, AND NARCOTICS-RELATED OFFENSES), POLICING ACTIVITIES OF UNIFORMED OFFICERS, NONREGULATION ACTIVITIES, AND POLICE OFFICER PROFILES. THE STUDY CONCLUDES THAT THE INCORPORATION OF WOMEN POLICE OFFICERS EFFECTED LITTLE CHANGE IN EITHER THE COHESIVENESS OF THE POLICE AS A GROUP OR IN ITS SENSE OF ISOLATION FROM THE PUBLIC. WOMEN DID NOT AFFECT MALE SELF-IMAGES OR POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS, PRIMARILY BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT ACCEPTED AS TRUE POLICE OFFICERS. THEY WERE SIMULTANEOUSLY ACCULTURATED INTO THE POLICE GROUP'S BEHAVIORAL AND ATTITUDINAL PATTERNS. ALMOST EVERY FEMALE IN THE STUDY BELIEVED THAT ALIENATION EXISTED BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE PUBLIC. FEW POLICE OFFICERS BELIEVED THAT WOMEN AFFECTED CITIZEN ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND ALMOST ALL POLICE OFFICERS EXPRESSED NEGATIVE FEELINGS TOWARD THE PUBLIC. THIS REAFFIRMED THE VIEW THAT THE POLICE, AS A GROUP, REMAINED ALIENATED FROM THE PUBLIC. REASONS WHY FEMALE OFFICERS IN ATLANTA ARE CYNICAL, CONSERVATIVE, AND RELATIVELY ALIENATED FROM THE PUBLIC ARE DISCUSSED IN DEPTH, AND THE RESPONSE OF WOMEN TO THEIR OBVIOUS LACK OF ACCEPTANCE IS EXAMINED. PRACTICAL MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE EFFICACY OF FEMALES IN POLICE WORK ARE SUGGESTED. FOOTNOTES, TABLES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED. (DEP)