Police Ethics, Behaviour, And Culture: Right is Always Right and Wrong is Always Wrong

Ethics is doing the right thing, whatever that may be. The “right thing” is based on those values society holds. Ethical principles are premised on the notion that right is always right and wrong is always wrong. When police officers fail to do what is right, and especially when they do what is clearly and blandly wrong, they erode the public trust just a little more and further degrade law enforcement’s ability to work within the community and carry out its mission.

Understanding the behaviour of the police is one of the most interesting concerns in policing. Police officer denotes the authority to enforce the law and the duty to maintain peace and order. The decisions made by police officers have a profound impact on the lives of those individuals with whom they interact. Many experts and researchers studying the police write about such concepts as a distinct police culture or subculture and a distinct police personality. Are the police different from most other people? Much research indicates that they are. The police culture or subculture is a combination of shared norms, values, goals, career patterns, lifestyle, and occupational structures that is somewhat different from the combination held by the rest of society. The police subculture is characterized by clannishness, secrecy, and isolation from those not in the group. 

Michael Brown, in Working the Street, tells us that police officers create their own culture to deal with the recurring anxiety and emotional stress that is endemic to policing. Brown believes that police subculture is based on three major principles: honour, loyalty, and individuality. Honor is given to officers for engaging in risk-taking behaviour. While, loyalty is a major part of police subculture, and police loyalty is extremely intense. Backup involves assisting other officers in emergency situations and coming to their aid when they are challenged, criticized, or even charged with wrongdoing.   Brown explains the importance of backup “places the highest value upon the obligation to backup and support a fellow officer.” The ideal officer, according to the police subculture, takes risks (honour), is first on the scene to aid a fellow officer (loyalty), and can handle any situation by doing it her or his own way (individuality).

The police culture or subculture leads to what scholars call the police personality, or traits common to most police officers including such as authoritarianism, suspicion, hostility, insecurity, conservatism, and cynicism. Skolnick stated that the police officer’s “working personality” is shaped by constant exposure to danger and the need to use force and authority to reduce and control threatening situations. Two opposing viewpoints on the development of the police personality exist. One says that police departments recruit people who by nature possess those traits that we see in the police personality. The second point of view holds that officers develop those traits through their socialization and experiences in the police department.

Edward Thibault, Lawrence M. Lynch, and R. Bruce McBride said most studies found that police working personality derives from the socialization process in the police academy, field training, and patrol experience. John Van Maanen also asserts that the police personality is developed through the process of learning and doing police work. The learning process continues when the recruits are assigned to street duty and trained by field training officers. The recruits listened to the folklore, myths, and legends about veteran officers and start to understand police work in the way that older officers desire them to. By adopting the sentiments and behaviour of older officers, the new recruits avoid ostracism and censure by their supervisors and colleagues.     

Thus, the role of the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) in the context of national development and national prestige is very important. Police officers are provided with legal authority so that they can perform the duties expected by the public. People often think the police have a high level of accountability, credibility, and integrity. Therefore, it is very important that every police officer prioritizes their work ethic so that the best service can be provided to the community and contribute greatly to the progress of our great Malaysia.

Written by: Norashikin Othman