Police stress: the role of occupational culture and officer characteristics

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of the current study was to augment the police culture and stress literature by empirically examining the impact of features of the internal and external work environment, as well as officer characteristics, on police officer stress.Design/methodology/approachThe current empirical inquiry utilized survey data collected from street-level officers in a mid-sized urban police department in a southern region of the United States (n = 349).FindingsThis study revealed that perceived danger, suspicion of citizens and cynicism toward the public increased police occupational stress, while support from supervisors mitigated it. In addition, Black and Latinx officers reported significantly less stress than their White counterparts.Research limitations/implicationsWhile this study demonstrates that patrol officers' perceptions of the external and internal work environments (and race/ethnicity) matter in terms of occupational stress, it is not without limitations. One limitation related to the generalizability of the findings, as results are gleaned from a single large agency serving a metropolitan jurisdiction in the Southeast. Second, this study focused on cultural attitudes and stress, although exact connections to behaviors are more speculative. Finally, the survey took place prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the killing of George Floyd (and others), which radically shook police–community relationships nationwide.Practical implicationsPolice administrators should be cognizant of the importance that views of them have for patrol officer stress levels. Moreover, police trainers and supervisors concerned with occupational stress of their subordinates should work toward altering assignments and socialization patterns so that officers are exposed to a variety of patrol areas, in avoiding prolonged assignments of high social distress.Originality/valueThe study augmented the police culture and stress literature by empirically uncovering the individual-level sources of patrol officers' job-related stress. This study builds off of Paoline and Gau's (2018) research using data collected some 15 years ago by examining a more contemporary, post–Ferguson, context.

Guest editorial: Reexamining the police culture

“…The results indicate that, out of all measures of police culture, views about the police administrators (but not police supervisors) and perceived citizen attitudes toward the police exhibit the most consistent effect on officer wellness. Paoline and Gau (2023) provide an in-depth analysis of one aspect of officer wellnessstress-based on the survey of police officers in a municipal US police agency. The data collection for the study by Paoline and Gau (2023) was completed post-Ferguson and literally days before the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March of 2020.…”

“…Paoline and Gau (2023) provide an in-depth analysis of one aspect of officer wellness—stress—based on the survey of police officers in a municipal US police agency. The data collection for the study by Paoline and Gau (2023) was completed post–Ferguson and literally days before the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March of 2020.…”

“…Paoline and Gau (2023) provide an in-depth analysis of one aspect of officer wellness—stress—based on the survey of police officers in a municipal US police agency. The data collection for the study by Paoline and Gau (2023) was completed post–Ferguson and literally days before the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March of 2020. The findings confirm that attitudes about the external work environment—perceptions of danger, distrust of citizens, cynicism toward citizen complaints—are the dominant causes of police officer stress (Paoline and Gau, 2023).…”

“…The data collection for the study by Paoline and Gau (2023) was completed post–Ferguson and literally days before the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March of 2020. The findings confirm that attitudes about the external work environment—perceptions of danger, distrust of citizens, cynicism toward citizen complaints—are the dominant causes of police officer stress (Paoline and Gau, 2023). The study shows that the attitudes about the internal work environment matter as well; specifically, while perceptions of the police supervisors’ support (or the lack thereof) have a direct effect on the level of officers’ stress, perceptions of police administrators’ support were not directly related to stress.…”

“…Donner and Maskály, 2023), that the internal environment matters (e.g. Cochran and Worden, 2023; Hacin and Meško, 2022; Nam, 2023; Orosco and Gaub, 2023; Paoline and Gau, 2023; Patterson and King, 2023; Peacock et al ., 2023a; Wu et al ., 2023), and that external environments matter as well (e.g. Amagnya, 2023; Peacock et al ., 2023b; Wu, 2023; Wu et al ., 2023).…”