NCJ Number
44661
Date Published
1977
Length
18 pages
Annotation
POLICE PRACTICES IN THE UNITED STATES ARE COMPARED WITH THOSE IN JAPAN AND OTHER COUNTRIES IN A DELINEATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CULTURE AND POLICE ACTIVITY.
Abstract
THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS OF AMERICAN POLICE ORGANIZATION AND PRACTICE ARE SHOWN TO DIFFER IN PERSISTING PATTERNS FROM SIMILAR ELEMENTS OF POLICING IN JAPAN AND ELSEWHERE: ARMAMENT; ROLE OF THE POLICE; MECHANISMS OF ACCOUNTABILITY; RELATIONS WITH OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM; COOPERATION BY THE PUBLIC WITH THE POLICE; MORALE; USE OF FORCE; INCIDENCE OF MISBEHAVIOR; AND ORGANIZATIONAL SCALE. HYPOTHESES CONCERNING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIETAL CHARACTERISTICS AND THESE ELEMENTS OF POLICING SUPPORT THE CONTENTION THAT DIFFERENCES IN POLICE ORGANIZATION AND PRACTICE ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO VARIATIONS IN CULTURE. THIS VIEW SUGGESTS THAT, IN ORDER TO CHANGE ELEMENTS OF AMERICAN POLICE PERFORMANCE, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO CHANGE GENERAL PATTERNS OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOR, COGNITION, AND EVALUATION. CONVERSELY, UNLESS AMERICAN CULTURE CHANGES SIGNIFICANTLY, POLICING IN THE UNITED STATES WILL CONTINUE TO BE CHARACTERIZED BY FREQUENT USE OF ARMS AND PREEMPTION, A LOW LEVEL OF PUBLIC SOLICITUDE, DEFENSIVENESS BY POLICE OFFICERS WHO LACK PRIDE IN THEIR JOB, LACK OF LEGITIMACY FOR DISCRETIONARY ACTIVITY BY POLICE AND FOR ORGANIZED ASSISTANCE TO POLICE BY CIVILIANS, SPASMODIC ATTEMPTS BY OUTSIDERS TO SUPERVISE POLICE DISCIPLINE, UNWILLINGNESS ON THE PART OF POLICE TO ENGAGE IN SELF-REGULATION, STRAINED POLICE-COURT RELATIONS, BEGRUDGING COMPLIANCE BY THE PUBLIC WITH THE POLICE, TENDENCY TO INSTILL RESPECT BY PHYSICAL MEANS, AN ORIENTATION TO POLICE WORK THAT DISCOURAGES PROFESSIONALISM, AND A SCALE OF ORGANIZATION THAT RESULTS IN INEFFICIENCY AND UNEVEN PERFORMANCE WITHOUT PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT. FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE EXTENT TO WHICH CULTURE IMPOSES LIMITS ON POLICE REFORM IS URGED.