Police Officer Attitudes and Community Policing Implementation: Developing Strategies for Durable Organizational Change

Authors: Lumb R.C.¹; Breazeale R.²

Source: Policing and Society, Volume 13, Number 1, 2002 , pp. 91-106(16)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

Police officer stress leads to negative attitudes, burnout, loss of enthusiasm and commitment (cynicism), increased apathy, substance abuse problems, divorce, health problems and many other social, personal, and job-related problematic behaviors. Complicating these conditions is a police culture of silence and lack of direction in action to address individual problems before they escalate to disciplinary action, legal liability, or result in harm to others. Left unchallenged, the individual officer's effectiveness is hindered and the organization suffers from the aberrant behavior. In this paper, we discuss a pilot program to train supervisors on recognizing and identifying problem behaviors, the use of proactive intervention techniques, application of coaching and counseling models, and alternative ways to help distressed officers overcome dysfunctional behaviors. The training matrix is presented along with results of the pilot program.

Keywords: Police stress; Aberrant behavior; Training model; Personal and organizational change

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Criminal Justice Department, State University of New York Brockport, 350 New Campus Drive, Brockport, New York 14420, USA 2: Axiom Associates, 5630 Holston Hills Road, Knoxville, TN 37914, USA

Publication date: 2002-01-01