Police Culture, Women Police and Attitudes towards Misconduct

Abstract

It is frequently asserted that female police officers are less likely than their male counterparts to engage in misconduct or to approve of such behaviour by fellow officers. This paper assesses the extent to which such assumptions hold true in the case of Queensland police. The paper draws upon three sources of data: attitudinal surveys administered to serving police officers, police-initiated complaints, and public complaints against police. Attitudinal data showed few differences between male and female police officers in their views of ethical conduct and the stated willingness to report a fellow officer known to have behaved inappropriately. In addition, female recruits were found to be as likely as males to modify their views once they have spent some time ‘in the field’. Attitudinal results were supported by the finding that, regardless of gender, only a small number of officers below the rank of Sergeant were willing to initiate complaints of misconduct against a fellow police officer. Complaints against police data showed male officers were more likely than female officers to attract complaints, in particular, complaints of assault. Overall, the findings question the argument that female officers are inherently ‘more ethical’ in their outlook or that they are more willing to report misconduct than their male counterparts. While female police officers may not be inherently more ethical, their employment has some important organisational advantages, such as enabling a reduction in complaints, particularly those relating to the use of force, and a reinforcement of the principles of community policing.