Police Psychology

Abstract

This article summarizes the past, describes the present, and forecasts the future of police psychology, broadly defined. The past is discussed within the context of four historical trends that characterize the expanding activities of police psychologists during the past 75 years. The results of a nationwide survey of 152 police psychologists form the basis for describing contemporary aspects of the field, including demographics, functions, salary, and perceptions of the profession. The future of the profession is highly dependent on the political, economic, and social pressures directed at law enforcement. Topics discussed concerning the future of the profession include the Soroka case, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2, small town and rural policing, changes in the composition of law enforcement, changes in policing in general, and graduate training.