NCJ Number
47052
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 47 Issue: 4 Dated: (APRIL 1978) Pages: 13-15
Date Published
1978
Length
3 pages
Annotation
THE ROLE OF TRADITIONAL AND NONTRADITIONAL UNIFORMS IS EXAMINED THROUGH A POLICE IMAGE SURVEY CONDUCTED ON THE CAMPUSES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AND AUBURN UNIVERSITY, BOTH IN ALABAMA.
Abstract
THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA CAMPUS POLICE UNIT HAS OUTFITTED ITS OFFICERS WITH NONTRADITIONAL UNIFORMS CONSISTING OF BLAZERS AND SLACKS; ALTHOUGH THE OFFICERS REMAIN ARMED, THEIR PISTOLS ARE CONCEALED AND NO LEATHER OR BRASS IS IN EVIDENCE. AT AUBURN UNIVERSITY, THE CAMPUS POLICE MAINTAIN THE ACCEPTED PARAMILITARY MODE OF DRESS. FOR PURPOSES OF COMPARING PERCEPTION OF POLICE IMAGE, THE STUDENTS AND THE POLICE AT THE TWO UNIVERSITIES WERE QUESTIONED. STUDENTS USED A FORM TO REPORT THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF THE TRUSTWORTHINESS, PROFESSIONALISM, OBJECTIVITY, AND THE DYNAMISM OF THEIR PARTICULAR FORCE. THE OFFICERS WERE ASKED TO RANK THEMSELVES ON THESE SAME ITEMS, AS WELL AS FILLING OUT A SCALE WHICH MEASURED THEIR SELF-IMAGE OR PERSONAL CONCEPT. A SIZABLE, REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE (EXACT SIZE OR DETAILS NOT INCLUDED) OF STUDENTS AND POLICE ON EACH CAMPUS WAS CONTACTED. THE STUDENTS AND POLICE, ON EACH CAMPUSE RANKED THEIR RESPECTIVE POLICE UNITS RELATIVELY HIGH IN ALL CATEGORIES; ALTHOUGH COMPUTERIZED ANALYSIS OF THE DATA DID REFLECT DIFFERENCES, THESE WERE AT THE HIGH END OF THE SCALES. STUDENTS AT AUBURN VIEWED THEIR POLICE AS QUITE TRUSTWORTHY, WHILE THOSE AT ALABAMA SAW THEIR OFFICERS AS VERY TRUSTWORTHY; THE DIFFERENCE WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. A SIMILAR DIFFERENCE EXISTED IN THE STUDENTS' PERCEPTION OF PROFESSIONALISM; ALABAMA STUDENTS VIEWED THEIR OFFICERS AS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE PROFESSIONAL THEN THE ALREADY POSITIVELY RANKED AUBURN OFFICERS. THE OPPOSITE FINDING WAS REPORTED CONCERNING PERCEPTION OF DYNAMISM. AUBURN PERCEIVED THEIR OFFICERS AS HIGHLY ACTIVE AND DYNAMIC, WHILE ALABAMAN OFFICERS WERE PERCEIVED AS POSITIVELY DYNAMIC, BUT SIGNIFICANTLY LESS SO THAN THEIR AUBURN COUNTERPARTS. THE STUDENTS RANKED ALABAMAS OFFICERS AS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE OBJECTIVE THAN AUBURN OFFICERS. THE PERCEPTIONS OF THE OFFICERS AT THE TWO SCHOOLS SEEMED TO REFLECT A BELIEF THAT THE OFFICERS, IN SPITE OF THEIR UNIFORMS, ARE MUCH THE SAME ON BOTH CAMPUSES. THERE WERE DIFFERENCES IN PROFESSIONALISM AND TRUSTWORTHINESS, WITH ALABAMA OFFICERS RATING THEMSELVES SOMEWHAT HIGHER ON THESE SCALES, BUT THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN OBJECTIVITY, DYNAMISM, OR SELF-ESTEEM VARIABLES. THE DATA SHOW THAT OFFICERS HAVE A HEALTHY SET OF ATTITUDES ABOUT THEIR PROFESSION THE NOTED DIFFERENCES LEAD TO SPECULATION THAT POLICE FORCES MIGHT INCREASE COMMUNITY ACCEPTANCE BY ALTERING THEIR IMAGE WITH A LESS STEREOTYPED UNIFORM. IN ADOPTING SUCH A UNIFORM NOTHING WAS LOST IN TERMS OF THE OFFICERS' SELF-ESTEEM AND PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR OWN DYNAMISM AND OBJECTIVITY. FINALLY THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN PERCEPTIONS OF OFFICER TRUSTWORTHINESS AND PROFESSIONALISM. NO FOOTNOTES OR REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (KBL)