Cops have bad views of public, study finds

CAREER police officers, who have more than 10 years’ service, believe most people lie when questioned, would steal if they knew they wouldn’t get caught, and are untrustworthy and dishonest.

This is according to the findings of a recent study on police culture by Jean Steyn and Sabelo Mkhize, from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

The study was published in the South African Crime Quarterly.

Officers from KwaZuluNatal, Gauteng and Limpopo who had 10, 20 or 30 years’ service were interviewed. All showed a propensity towards attitudes of solidarity, isolation and cynicism.

The researchers said the attitudes were consistent with findings of a previous 10-year study and that efforts to develop a community-policing environment had not brought results.

The study found that the officers believed policing was “highly skilled work and suitable for unique individuals who had toughness”.

The officers preferred to spend time with their colleagues rather than others and held unfavourable views of the public.

“They believe groups outside the police have little understanding of police work, are unlikely to praise police and are resistant to advice from police officers,” the study said.

Solidarity, isolation and cynicism were standard coping strategies among officers, and increasing interaction between officers and the public created more discord than understanding.

Steyn said police institutions recruited people who had attitudes that conformed to the police culture of solidarity, isolation and cynicism.

“These attitudes are what supposedly the ‘ideal police official’ looks like, according to police institutions. The longer the years of service, the greater the strength of attitude.”