From Here On Out, We’re All Blue: Interaction Order, Social Infrastructure, and Race in Police Socialization

Abstract

Motivated by the complicated history of race relations in policing, this article offers a social network analysis of the formation of relationships between recruits in a police academy. While the quantitative analysis is the core of this article, it is framed by an ethnographic description of how the interaction order within the academy functions as a mechanism for maintaining racism within police organizations. The academy’s social infrastructure was designed to generate encounters between recruits of various races. Recruits were divided into subgroups, which generally reflected the overall demographics of the cohort, so recruits of different races could get to know each other. While this academy had some success in forming ties between Black, Latino, and White recruits, it fell short of achieving the stated ideal of “we’re all blue.” Our results suggest that achieving this ideal lies in a distant future.

More Black than Blue? Comparing the Racial Attitudes of Police to Citizens

“…Counter to expectations of H2, black officers were actually less likely than black civilians to endorse the argument that “Blacks should work their way up without special favors.” This may be due to the differential perceptions officers of color have in law enforcement with respect to inclusion and validation (Conti and Doreian ). Also of note is the fact that for each year increase, black respondents are more likely to endorse this measure of resentment, while white respondents are somewhat less likely to agree.…”

Creating Guardians or Warriors? Examining the Effects of Non-Stress Training on Policing Outcomes

“…According to some accounts, these curricula do not hold up in the face of realities on the street, often fail to account for the varied conditions under which officers are asked to exercise discretion, ignore the diversity of the community being served, and are not compatible with community-based and problem-solving-oriented philosophies of policing, which have been advocated across the nation in recent years. Research has also shown the “warrior” mentality actually makes policing less safe for both officers and civilians by increasing distrust and conflict in police–citizen interactions (e.g., Chappell, 2008; Conti & Doreian, 2014; Conti & Nolan, 2005; Fielding, 1984; Gladwell, 2007; Stoughton, 2015; Sun, 2003a, 2003b).…”

Disembodied police practice: “Keep a lid on it so you can function”

“…In ‘Conundrum’, training and education are subordinate to operational policing, taken for granted, and treated as a process akin to administrative technical matters rather than an opportunity for deep learning (Ryan, 2016). This typifies notions of learning embedded in the assumptions of socialisation where an attitude of conformity and compliance is valued and expected rather than one of critical thinking and questioning (Bradley, 2009; Christie et al., 1996; Conti, 2009; Conti and Doreian, 2014; Conti and Nolan, 2005; Ryan, 2016). The latter is antithetical to hierarchical structures where decision-making rests with a limited number of people, practice is routine and process driven, scholarship and critical reflection devalued, and status quo is ‘actively or passively’ maintained (Cressey et al., 2006: 23).…”