Paramilitary Policing Unit 8 Professor Phillips

 Structural and psychological  Division of labor  Vertical authority structure-command hierarchy  Explicit rule system  Fosters an us vs. them mentality What is paramilitary policing?

 Begins in the police academy  Intense training needed to prepare recruits for the realities of their job  Strip the recruits down to build them back up to meet the needs of the organization.  Many of the same types of physical and psychological training are found in the police academy that are used military boot camps.  For example- Group punishment  Individuals who join must be prepared to give up their personal liberties and individualism  Recruits tend to be psychologically similar to one another. When does it start?

 According to Lefkowitz (1977)….recruits select policing because  Security and social needs for structured leadership  The paramilitary style coincides with personality needs but recruits are often anxious when they realize that it appears that they have little discretion when they actually have a lot  However they report lower rates of job satisfaction Police recruits…early research

 Numerous studies have found that personality tests cannot predict success in policing- rather it is the training and structure of the police force that is more predictive of an individual officer’s success.  Despite this fact researchers still are looking for that “brass ring” of personality which will tell them what kind of person makes the best officer.  The few studies that have looked just at the personality of people who apply to be police officers have found…. Police recruits today….

 Salters-Pedneault, Ruef & Orr (2010)  Exceitement-seeking  Extraverts  Rayn, Bartles & Kreiner (2008)- found 2 distinct personality types  Novelty seeking, harm avoidance, reward dependence and persistance  Cooperativeness, self directed  Carpenter & Raza (1987)  Psychologically more healthy then the public  Less depressed and anxious  Assertive  Interested in maintaining social contacts  Conservative Police recruits…continued

 Combat corruption within the department  Response to greater dangers  However several studies as well a data on crime rates dispute this contention.  The psychology of a “war on crime”, “war on drugs”, “ war on gangs”.  Philosophically it is a response by the state to “take back control” and can be linked to the prison industry  For more information please take a look at Tonry’s work. Reasons for it

 Structure of the administration does not allow for measures of individual performance or effectiveness (Lefkowitz, 1977)  Does not recognize the “uncertainty inherent in police goals, enviornment and technology” (Fyfe, 1983).  Police become so loyal to each other that they will not criticize, confront or turn each other in (Sunahara, 1992). Critiques/Conflicts

 With community policing  “diverse policing requires a structure that facilitates flexibility and autonomy” (Chappell & Lanza-Kaduce, 2009)  Reduces the legitimacy of the police within the community.  Idea that police should use minimal force  Psychological response of the public is to push back Critiques/Conflicts

 Police see themselves only as crime fighters even though the public may perceive that their job encompasses more.  This can effect the types of crimes that are handled by police.  Public relations tend to be better between the community and police when police officers serve as leaders in other types of community relations programs…  This can be a conflict with psychology of a paramilitary police department. Police as crime fighters….

 Police are most effective when the community trusts them.  More crime and more danger for both the police and community when the public does not want to be policed but agrees to “policing by consent” The need for trust…

 Police and citizens should work together to solve problems  Improve quality of life to reduce crime  Organizational decentralization  Problem solving  The idea that police are not just crime fighters but social workers as well  From a historical perspective this is how women in policing started Community Policing