Introduction
Officer Barton faced great challenges among them adapting to a bigger town and most importantly fitting into a new police work culture. He could not escape the need to abide by an obligation to observe behavioral and psychological processes in order to achieve recognition. Individuals within a group react to circumstances in a similar manner. They acquire similar perceptions and are expected to respond in a similar manner. Adopting new behavior is usually difficult as it requires a person to reconsider personal values, beliefs, and morals (Forsyth, 2009).
Barton tries to find a balance between preserving his personal values and conforming to the expectations of a police officer working for a particular unit. He wants to improve security within his jurisdiction. However, at times, affiliation to his work group stands in his way. A group structure existed within the Joint Gang Task Force. There were norms that castigated thus refusing to offer help to other officers in distress. Similarly, a communication pattern is characteristic of the group structure. Officer Barton vows to ensure that his next sergeant would be his most valued individual in the police force. In trying to balance all these factors, he eventually decides to sacrifice his values for the sake of staying loyal and protecting the group. This was an end in itself.
When Group Cohesiveness Cease To Be Positive and Become Pathological
Group cohesiveness is evident when members of a group develop a bond with each other and acquire similar behavior for the purpose of fitting and avoiding conflicts with other group members (Forsyth, 2009). Cohesiveness starts becoming negative when the traits and personalities of group members lead to conflicts. Similarly, when the social role of members or leaders starts becoming underestimated, the importance of cohesiveness is eroded. Excessive cohesiveness starts becoming pathological when members are afraid of losing power and are increasingly becoming isolated.
Group cohesiveness kills independence, critical thinking, and creativity. Pathological effects are a characteristic of similar ways of thinking and behavior in a group. This is observed when members aim at coming to an agreement instead of solving a problem. The goal is to achieve cohesiveness as an end result which is not the reason why police officers are employed. The downside of cohesiveness is also evident when members of a group begin viewing an outsider’s input as irrelevant when indeed the ideas provided are good. This is a point where a notion of ‘us versus them’ is created. In this case, ‘them’ refers to people who are not part of a group. Group thinking creates a feeling of invincibility (Forsyth, 2009).
Subcultures in Police Force
Subcultures in the police force are inevitable because police in itself, being a profession, has its own subcultures. In this instance, we have police officers hailing from different cultures with varying values, beliefs, and attitudes despite the fact that they practice the same profession. Being a police officer forces a new recruit to subscribe to an existing culture. Norms within a social context determine the behavior of employees (Forsyth, 2009). Rather than adopting the behavior required of employees working for a police force, new recruits instead subscribe to a code of conduct that aims at making them feel like part of a team.
A police force has unifying factors which include risks, stress levels, and benefits that are not evident to other members of the public. They develop a mentality of ‘us against them. ‘Us’ refers to the police officers who go through similar situations while ‘them’ stands for politicians and citizens who are concerned about security. There are some societies where police officers are not respected and are considered to be part of the problem. Such social settings indeed strengthen police subculture.
Steps I Might Take As a Police Officer to Prevent Subcultures in Police Work
Managing behavior and processes is crucial to preventing subcultures. It involves two main considerations which include taking preventive measures and mitigating procedures. Internal measures aim at giving fair opportunities to receive training, promotion, and remuneration (Forsyth, 2009). Corruption ought to be prevented during the process of selection. I will put in writing that corruption cannot be tolerated to serve as a reminder to those who might potentially relent around this vice. I will also closely monitor departments under my authority so as to understand factors that promote the formation of subcultures and those that prevent their formation.
I will also take external measures to ensure that codes of conduct within the police force are observed. This will mainly include supporting independent units which will investigate the conduct of the police. The media will serve the purpose of informing the public about practices that are undesirable. I will also encourage the involvement of the community in policing to help create a good relationship between the public and the police officers. This approach will help stem negative subcultures within the police force.
Conclusion
Following the discussion of the presented case, it is clearly evident that there is a great need for police officers to work cohesively in groups in order to share ideas and achieve their objectives. The idea of the creation of subcultures within the police force should be highly discouraged as it brings misunderstanding. The most important action is to establish codes of conduct to be observed by all officers.
Reference
Forsyth, D. (2009). Group dynamics: Cengage Learning design. Harvard university press.