be overcome so that acts of misconduct and corruption can be revealed and properly investigated.
The so-called “blue wall of silence,” or the unspoken code of conduct that a police officer never informs on one of his brother and sister officers, is a product of an institutional culture that emphasizes interpersonal loyalty, sometimes at the expense of official police policy or even the law. The code is a product of the close, personal relationship officers have with one another on a day-to-day basis. Officers are also frequently in contact with violent and unsympathetic offenders. This can add the stress officers suffer, as well as the fear of… Continue Reading...
“blue fraternity,” and also the “blue wall of silence” that prevents officers from whistleblowing even when they witness bad behavior by their colleagues (“The Police Culture and Work Stress,” n.d., p. 177). Bad police behavior can have fatal consequences. Although there are formal regulations guiding police behavior, the informal rules of officer culture will often override the formal rules.
Attitudes and Beliefs
A professional culture is defined as “the set of assumptions, beliefs, expectations, and philosophy that governs the professional’s interactions, performance, and role,” (“The Police Culture and Work Stress,” n.d.). Although each police department… Continue Reading...
changing their organizational culture and climate. Leadership styles need to change. The blue wall of silence needs to be dismantled. The organizational culture of policing needs to reflect the core values and ethics of the institutions of law enforcement. Only through leadership and organizational culture changes can the public expect to see tangible differences in officer comportment and procedural justice.
The first pillar of change in 21st century policing is building trust and legitimacy (The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, 2015). Community policing models are one way of building trust and legitimacy. Building trust and legitimacy means remaining responsive to… Continue Reading...
