Officer opinions on police misconduct

Abstract

This article builds on the literature regarding the extent of police misconduct and officers' attitudes toward those behaviors. Using information provided within prior research, the author developed several statements regarding the causes of police misconduct and those strategies thought to be effective in curtailing incidents of police misconduct. To critique the proposed statements, a questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of currently serving officers. The findings suggest that officers are aware of the detrimental impacts of police misconduct and hold strong opinions as to what strategies are preferable. Interestingly, demographic variables did not appear to influence those statements for which there was either officer support or opposition. © 1999 Sage Publications, Inc.