Support for the Use of Force Against Citizens: Predictors of Police Recruits’ Attitudes

• In Event: Procedural Justice and Police Legitimacy in Neighborhoods (II)

Abstract

The use of force is an important part of policing, and often the source of citizen complaints. Use of excessive force has been linked to individual and organisational factors, but few studies have explored the strength of the relationships between these factors and officers’ support for using force against citizens. This paper introduces a longitudinal study of police use of force and presents the first waves of survey data on a cohort of 600 new recruits. A number of predictors of ‘pro-force’ attitudes are tested. Individual factors include descriptions of the recruits’ background and attitudes towards integrity, society and the use of procedural justice. Organizational factors include attitudes towards the policing role and the police department. Interestingly, personal beliefs provide greater predictors of pro-force attitudes than prior experience or exposure to violent contexts. Further, comparison between 2 waves of survey data shows that the short time at the academy has an impact on shaping these attitudes before recruits graduate into the field.

Authors

• Louise Porter, Griffith University

• Geoffrey P. Alpert, Griffith University