NCJ Number
102578
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 14 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1986) Pages: 193-201
Date Published
1986
Length
9 pages
Annotation
A nonrepresentative sample of 78 Washington State police officers and a nonrepresentative sample of 1,149 Washington State residents were queried about their views of capital punishment.
Abstract
The average police officer in the sample was male, married, a college graduate, religious, and politically moderate or conservative. He lived in a medium-sized city and earned a medium-level income. In comparison, the public sample had a higher percentage of females, had slightly more unmarried persons as well as persons with more education and higher income, and persons who were liberal and religious. The majority in both samples supported capital punishment for serious crimes, believed it deters crime, did not believe that capital punishment is immoral, and did not strongly believe that persons who could not be rehabilitated should be executed. The majority of both samples were concerned about crime. In all these areas, however, the police had stronger feelings than the public. The police were more opposed to gun control than the public. police were more opposed to gun control than the public. A number of scales and items were used to identify predictors of police support for capital punishment. Police who favored capital punishment tended to be supportive of the police and the prison system but not the courts. Officers who supported strong, punitive sanctions against status offenses, shoplifting, assault, and fraud tended to favor capital punishment. Conservative officers concerned about crime also supported capital punishment. The findings are compared to the research findings on the 'police working personality.' 5 tables and 45 references.