NCJ Number
144552
Date Published
1994
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This paper examines prejudice and discrimination as operational variables in interpersonal, intergroup, and intragroup relations, with attention to functional descriptions of the phenomena have been proposed as they relate to both the practice of policing and police organizational membership.
Abstract
Functional descriptions of the phenomena have been proposed as they relate to both the practice of policing and police organizational membership. The author argues that police human relations training cannot change prejudice because prejudice is the culmination of one's life-long socialization experience. Rather, police training, departmental policies and procedures, and supervision should focus on containing discriminatory behavior. The propositions presented in the paper were developed a posteriori to data collection on a research project that addresses the relationship between police training and the police personality. Because of this, the propositions cannot be directly tested, thereby limiting the construct validity of the results. Despite this limitation, some interesting findings on prejudice and discrimination emerged. The empirical data suggest that police discrimination is largely an unconscious phenomenon precipitated by homeostatic prejudice; it is predominantly a habitual behavior rather than an intentionally malicious act. Training should focus on awareness of discriminatory attitudes and behavior and the development of professional, unbiased behaviors. 28 references and 5 study questions