Why are Cops Such Jerks? A Phenomenological View

• In Event: Research Focusing on Police Officers

Abstract

Popular and social media present us with polarized views of the face of law enforcement today. One face appears the noble protector, ready to serve and nurture a community in a self-sacrificing manner. The other appears the violent bigot, ready to lash out at others with the slightest provocation. In this paper we seek to draw from the lived experiences of police officers and their families as well as portrayals in the media to argue that both the public perception of police and police practices follow a troubling trend especially where ethnic minorities are concerned. This trend increasingly perpetuates a view that law enforcement professionals are “jerks”. We offer phenomenological evidence to argue that officers are situated in-relation to the public, and this co-constitutes the experience of that relationship. One worrisome phenomenon we found is the tendency to objectify officers and take them up in abstractionist one-sided ways. These judgements are based on the experiencing of “bad Apples” on all sides. Our phenomenological framework offers explanations of experiences on all sides (i.e. law enforcement and community) as well as offer potential solutions

Authors

• Brett Breton, Utah Valley University

• Dlayne Swensen, Utah Valley University

• Matthew Draper, Utah Valley University