To What Extent Does Police Occupational Culture Impact on the Social and Domestic Lives of Police Officers

Abstract

Since the establishment of the new police service in 1829 there has been much research in to the influence of police-culture on the cognitive and behavioural responses of police officers. This article seeks to take a more expansive view of police occupational culture by discussing the extent to which it has an impact, not only within the occupational environment but furthermore on the social and domestic lives of police officers. This research has reviewed the literature surrounding police culture and the occupational impacts of policing on domestic and social life. By adopting a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews, it analyses the extent to which police culture can be seen to impact on the lives of police officers. It concludes by suggesting that a larger scale study in this area may be beneficial in order to create a more comprehensive view of the extensive impacts of police culture both inside and outside the occupational environment.