1 in 5 police officers experienced discrimination at work in the past year

One in five police officers say they have made discriminatory remarks in the workplace in the past year, according to a police and science study the NRC previously reported on.

The research focused on police integrity. Just under fifty police officers were interviewed and more than nine hundred completed a detailed questionnaire. The picture that emerges is that integrity is not prioritized enough in performance reviews.

A majority say they have personally hurt colleagues or been rude. Ridicule a co-worker (publicly) or make a discriminatory remark or play a mean prank is even less common, but still significant, according to the researchers. Not only do one in five say they made a discriminatory remark, but one in twenty also say they played a “mean prank” on a colleague.

Counterproductive behaviors are also reported. For example, over the past year, the majority say they have spent “too much time dreaming instead of working” and taking longer breaks than is acceptable. “Strikingly, 20% say they refused the boss’s instructions and deliberately worked slower than they could have.” A very limited number report seizing police property and discussing confidential information with unauthorized persons.

Some respondents say they find the black-and-white approach to integrity too simplistic and speak of gray areas. Looking back “could have led to another balancing of interests”. The researchers note that integrity should be an important part of performance interviews, but interviews show that this is not or insufficiently the case. Moreover, there is a lack of a “culture of accountability” within the police. There is a family culture present and a macho culture is also mentioned.