Perceptions of Justice and Motivations for Becoming a Police Officer: Differences Across Recruits and Law Enforcement Officers

This study examined the motivations for choosing law enforcement as a career and perceptions of different prevalent criminal justice issues among police recruits and police officers. Additionally, the motivations and perceptions were compared across recruits and officers to see if they changed over time. The purpose of this study was to see if the police subculture and socialization had an impact on their motivations and perceptions. A survey method was administered on a sample of both recruits and officers from several Southeastern police departments. Bivariate analyses indicated that there were several significant differences across recruits and police officers in their motivations to pursue law enforcement and their perceptions of various criminal justice issues and policies.