Title: Changing Police Subculture — LEB
Headings: Changing Police Subculture
Changing Police Subculture
New Recruits
Experienced Officers
Strategies for Change
Conclusion
Endnotes
“Law enforcement personnel represent the ‘good guys,’ yet many officers seem to forget or ignore their own humanity.”

Content: Changing Police Subculture — LEB
Changing Police Subculture
By Mark Malmin
No societal institution so critically links citizens to government like policing. This arm of government defends against anarchy and preserves the rules of law and due process in a democratic society. Policing as an institution reflects the health and viability of its social fabric. An organized, well-run, ethically just, and evenhanded police department tenaciously committed to excellence and the people it serves contributes significantly to a city well represented by its government. Policing inherently offers law enforcement personnel the opportunity to either represent or misrepresent those values and ethics of democratic government. How society perceives law enforcement’s performance serves as a barometer for a community’s sense of peace and well-being. When political turmoil, poverty, crime, and social injustice lead to civil unrest that challenges the very pillars of democracy, society asks the police to intervene to restore order, protect lives, and safeguard property. No other profession requires its employees to make complex legal and moral decisions that impact the lives of others quite like policing. Officers must chase criminals; expose themselves repeatedly to danger;