NCJ Number
133633
Journal
American Journal of Police Volume: 10 Issue: 2 Dated: (1991) Pages: 39-51
Date Published
1991
Length
13 pages
Annotation
The role of cognitive dissonance in vice enforcement was studied as researchers acted as participant-observers of vice squad activities and conducted unstructured interviews relating to the officers' personal beliefs and their perceptions of their enforcement duties. The vice squad that was studied made 723 arrests for prostitution and soliciting, 215 for gambling, 187 for obscenity, 116 for alcohol ordinance violations and 187 for miscellaneous offenses in 1988; 80 percent of the activity was self-generated and 20 percent initiated by citizen complaints.
Abstract
Cognitive dissonance, a psychological discomfort that an individual experiences from new information that challenges deep-seated beliefs, was felt by vice officers who were moralistic or who felt uncomfortable with the role playing required to elicit offers from prostitutes, a key element of vice squad activity. Several mechanisms of dissonance resolution were observed: religious and moralistic officers removed themselves from the vice squad; officers depersonalized their contact with vice squad targets; officers modified their beliefs by becoming convinced of the importance of vice enforcement; and officers relied on their professionalism to justify their activities. 22 references