Is There a Police Culture?

Recent commissions of inquiry and the growth of police studies in Australia have popularised the idea of a 'police culture'. A stereotyped image has developed of police sexism, racism, secrecy, anti-intellectualism, brutality, corruption, biased law enforcement and politicisation. The alleged 'police culture' is at odds with every fundamental ethical principle of public service. In its simplified version the concept is becoming discredited as excessively unitary and deterministic. Nonetheless, the term has utility when seen in the context of the general idea of occupational cultures and of specific elements of an organisation's traditions and task environment which generate counter-productive and unethical practices. The concept also assists in focusing on managing organisational change to facilitate integrity and effective service provision.