Good cops in a greedy institution? Dutch police officers’ stories of compound moral injury

• In Event: POLWG Panel 18. Police officer staffing challenges: Vetting, early resignations, turnover and moral injury

Abstract

The notion of moral injury is receiving considerable scholarly attention as a concept that can capture the lasting imprint of moral transgressions on frontline professionals and others. Whereas most studies adopt a clinical perspective, this study offers an inductive exploration of the organisational dimensions of moral injury in the context of police work and through an exploration of police officers’ stories of moral injury. To this end, in-depth interviews were conducted with morally injured police officers and analysed from a qualitative, narrative perspective. By adopting a systemic approach, this study shows that police moral injury can be understood only in relation to the particularities of police work and its occupational culture and circumstances. Thus, it shows the relevance of officers’ experiences of working in a ‘greedy institution’ that keeps demanding effort without providing the trust or support necessary for the job. Theoretically, this study proposes the notion of ‘compound moral injury’: a form of moral injury that has various causes, both on the frontline and in the organisation.

Author

• Teun Eikenaar, Netherlands Police Academy