Police Cynicism and Professionalism

Abstract

The present study tests for the first time Niederhoffer's assertions that (1) cynicism, a long-standing problem among police, can be reduced by or is incompatible with professionalism and (2) cynicism in early and late stages of one's police career is low, but high in mid-career. Cases in this study are uniformed police personnel in nine Northwest Pacific police departments. The findings lend some support to both propositions but with important qualifications: The cynicism-professionalism linkage is due in part to differential bias, and the mid-career peak in cynicism is not very pronounced.