Police, Politics, and Culture in a Deeply Divided Society

• NCJ Number: 226176
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume: 98 Issue: 3 Dated: Spring 2008 Pages: 1119-1146
• Author(s): Badi Hasisi
• Date Published: 2008
• Length: 28 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article assesses the impact of political and cultural variables on minorities’ perceptions of the police in deeply divided societies, with attention to the attitude of different Arab subgroups (Muslims, Christians, and Druze) toward the Israeli police.

Abstract

In analyzing police-minority relations in deeply divided societies, this article notes that the regime has severe problems with its legitimacy with the minority group; this, in turn, influences the minority group’s relationship with the police. Research shows that the political and cultural disparities between Arabs and Jews in Israel have reduced the trust and willingness of Israeli Arabs to cooperate with the police. The political explanations of this perception of the police assume that the major source of the tension between the police and the minority group consists of political variables. This requires socio-political reforms for the minority group. The cultural explanations for the minority group’s mistrust of police assume that the tension between the police and the minority group are influenced by cultural variables, not only socio-political factors. In order to improve the relationship between the minority group and the police, cultural reforms are required in order to change the police culture, both in the making of management-level and street-level decisions that affect minority groups. Although police focus on law enforcement, they must also be sensitive to the cultural distinctiveness of the minority community and take this distinctiveness into account when providing services to Arab citizens. Increased establishment of community police stations in Arab communities should help in providing better access to police for receiving services and facilitating the filing of complaints. Data from this study came from a telephone survey conducted over a period of 2 weeks in March 2003 among adult Arabs and Jews over 18 years old who were living in the Israeli police force’s Northern District. 6 tables and 70 notes