‘There is no justice in a police department’: a phenomenological study of police experiences

Abstract

This is a qualitative study using a phenomenological approach that examines police officers’ experiences with and perceptions of justice within their departments. The main research question under investigation in this study is: How do officers perceive organizational justice within their departments? Interviews with current and former police officers were conducted over a five-month period, and the officers’ responses were analyzed in order to identify themes related to the research question. Findings indicate that most police officers experienced or witnessed some form of unfairness within their department and these perceptions are related to the officers’ sense of value.

Keywords:

• policing
• organizational justice
• fairness
• police departments
• police officers
• phenomenology

Notes

1. Percentages of the four themes related to officers’ perceptions of a fair department: equality (67%), empathy (25%), transparency (21%), and the ‘Golden Rule’ (17%).

2. Percentages of the four themes related to officers’ perceptions of an unfair department: subjectivity (79%), Machiavellianism (67%), double standards (58%), and inconsistency (30%).