A Profile of Urban Police

As Americans become increasingly concerned about the critical role performed by the police in enforcing the rules that regulate life in an urbanized nation, a growing interest also is developing in the characteristics and behavior of police personnel. The ability of policemen to fulfill responsibilities of upholding the highest standards of society and of imposing its most severe penalties on human behavior frequently may be dependent upon the personal values, traits, and activities of the individual law enforcement officers. Hence, the examination of those factors along with such matters as police recruitment and socialization forms an important prerequisite to the investigation of police practices. Without a clear understanding of the general attributes of law enforcement personnel and the way in which they affect the performance of law enforcement duties, it is difficult to appreciate the broad implications of police actions in the maintenance of social order.