49% OF AMERICANS LACK CONFIDENCE IN THE POLICE! (Gallup, 2021).
This lack of confidence, which is higher in underrepresented populations, is due to disrespectful officer attitudes, poor communication, and apathy to community problems.
Police officers report their top source of stress is the internal workplace environment. This stress produces disengagement and breeds a culture that frames policing as punisher, facilitating a police vs citizen mindset. This culture advocates an aggressive, non-caring approach establishing dominance through punishment. "If you don't like it, then don't get arrested"
In contrast, the citizen expects a police officer to act as kind, compassionate, problem solvers. The expectation is an officer being nice, caring about what they're doing, and making decisions that make things better. There is an expectation of the police serving everyone as a facilitator. "Who can I connect you with to solve this problem?"
Officer behavior is role modeled within the workplace and normalizes using problematic behaviors with citizens. Creating meaningful change to citizen interactions and street level decision making requires workplace culture change. This involves teaching officers and their leaders to take personal responsibility to engage behaviors that encourage a positive workplace and then role model similar behaviors in interactions with citizens.
