The sources of police culture: Demographic or environmental variables?

Abstract

Two hundred and eighty six serving Metropolitan Police officers were surveyed by way of anonymous questionnaire and their views obtained in respect of capital punishment, the right to strike, the right to active political involvement, opinions of levels of public support, and their recent voting habits. The results were then compared between sample groups based on various demographic variables: age, gender, occupational location, rank, familial policing connections, previous occupations, and academic qualifications. It was found that despite apparent variations, there were few statistically significant differences between the sample groups. Overall, it was found that although police were traditionally more likely to vote Conservative, there has been a sharp downturn in this area, and that overall, police attitudes appear to be similar to those of the general public, suggesting that police may be closer to the societal norm than has been opined.