Hiring police applicants who support far-left or far-right organizations: A qualitative exploration of New York State chiefs’ and administrators’ viewpoint

Abstract

This study is a qualitative exploration of the thoughts of police chiefs and upper-level police administrators in New York State regarding the hiring of applicants who hold left-wing or right-wing ideological perspectives. A near equal number of respondents indicated little hesitancy to hire, while others stating they should not hire such an applicant. Some respondents offered non-committal viewpoints. Most respondents provided a more thoughtful response, indicating the complexity of this issue for police agencies. The overall conclusion is that employing officers who hold biased opinions can impact police legitimacy. Policy implications and considerations for future research are discussed.