Findings suggest that spiritual beliefs are significant in assisting officers in their work, relationships, and health; however, the officers in this study represent a very small percentage of the police culture across the United States. Consequently, further inquiry into the issue of how spirituality is incorporated in police work must be undertaken. Results found a living perspective from a group of law officers about their relationship with spirituality, the world around them, their professional culture, and their growth. The three core themes emerged: spiritual philosophies and practices, relationships creating humanistic approaches to service, and spiritual responses to human destructiveness; each was distinct yet interwoven, demonstrating that spirituality penetrated all areas of the officers' lives and all were important. Ten law enforcement officers from across the United States participated in this study. Each had a minimum of 5 years in law enforcement culture, including significant exposure to traumatic events, human destructiveness, and suffering, and at least 5 years within a spiritual practice. 15 endnotes
How Spirituality is Incorporated in Police Work: A Qualitative Study
NCJ Number
227100
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 78 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2009 Pages: 22-25
Date Published
May 2009
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This research explored how spiritual practice affected law enforcement officers and their ability to police society.
Abstract