Adherence to the police code of silence: examining changes in recruits' perceptions during the training academy

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the nature of the code of silence among police recruits in an effort to provide recommendations to reduce its occurrence and harm to society.Design/methodology/approachData analyses are performed on a multi-agency sample of 645 police recruits in the United States. Specifically, analyses are conducted on pre- and post-academy panel data to assess changes in recruits' perceptions of code adherence over time as they begin their immersion into the police culture.FindingsResults demonstrate that police recruits' willingness to report a fellow officer is reduced by the end of the academy and that several individual and organizational factors impact recruits' code adherence attitudes over time.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the policing literature by exploring changes in recruits' code adherence attitudes over time.