An exploratory study of police cynicism in China

Abstract

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to measure police cynicism in China.Design/methodology/approach– Using survey data collected from 382 Chinese police officers training in a Chinese police university, this research empirically described police cynicism and examined the effects of some police subcultural themes (crime fighting role orientation, traditionalism, solidarity, and isolation) and some demographic and work-related variables (gender, education experience, type of police force, and tenure) on police cynicism.Findings– Results suggest that most participants are not cynical. However, they seem to have less confidence in the trust and respect that citizens have for the police. Slightly more officers stated that they do not think that citizens will trust police to cooperate. Crime-fighting role orientation and isolation had significant positive associations with police cynicism. Officers with five to ten years of service were more cynical than were new officers and more tenured officers.Originality/value– This study is one of the first empirical attempts in Chinese policing. It extends the understanding on police perceptions in China. The findings may provide useful implications for Chinese police administrators and instructors to promote the successful implementation of community policing in China.