1500_W25_-_Lecture_6.2_-_Slides__Embedded_Audio_
Page 1: Introduction to Policing
Lecture Title: Roles, Recruitment, & Training
Course: SOC 1500 02
Instructor: Dr. Chris Tatham
Date: February 11th, 2025
Institution: University of Guelph
Page 2: Today's Agenda
Roles
Recruitment
Training
Kahoot interactive quiz
Page 3: Overview of Canadian Policing Statistics
Components of Policing in Canada:
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP):
Federal jurisdiction
Provides provincial and certain First Nations policing on a contract basis
Provincial Police:
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)
Sûreté du Québec (SQ)
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC)
Municipal Police Organizations:
137 municipal organizations
First Nations Self-Administered Services:
36 services
Page 4: Police Roles
Discusses the various roles within policing
Page 5: Theories of Police Roles
Role Theory (Merton 1957, Stryker 1980, 1994):
Examines social positions and normative expectations
Defines roles as “performances”
Identifies the complexity of identity due to multiple roles
Concepts include role conflict vs. role strain
Salience hierarchy: importance of roles and level of commitment
Page 6: Role Strain vs Role Conflict
Role Strain:
Tension from multiple expectations within a single role
Role Conflict:
Tension from conflicting expectations of different roles
Commitment:
The costs associated with not fulfilling a role
Page 7: Salience Hierarchy Example
Example of Role Salience:
High Salience/Commitment: Parent
Intermediate Salience/Commitment: Spouse, Sibling, Student
Low Salience/Commitment: Starbucks Employee, Cat Sitter
Page 8: Categorization of Police Roles
Police Roles Include:
Police Officer
Law Enforcement
Order Maintenance
Social Worker
Knowledge Worker
Page 9: Law Enforcement Role
Described as “real police work”
Engagement about 10-15% of officers' time
High desirability among officers
Performance metrics are measurable (arrests, traffic tickets, etc.)
Page 10: Order Maintenance Role
Duties include maintaining peace, crowd control, and handling disputes
Less desirable role for officers
Performance is difficult to measure
Page 11: Social Worker Role
Focus on providing emotional support and assistance with navigating systems
Mixed sentiments among police about this role
Hard to quantify performance
Page 12: Knowledge Worker Role
Involves collecting and analyzing data
Often regarded as undesirable by officers
Performance is challenging to measure
Page 13: Role Conflict in Policing
Conflicts arise from responsibilities across different roles
Associated with outcomes such as burnout, cynicism, and withdrawal
Page 14: The Impossible Mandate
Describes the difficulty in balancing various policing roles
Reference to Manning's concept (1977) regarding policing challenges
Relates to performance theory (Goffman)
Page 15: Implications of Roles
Connection to Identity:
Some roles perceived as more desirable than others
Time often spent on roles that officers find less desirable
Role Conflict:
Contributes to police stress and anxiety levels
Page 16: Recruitment Overview
Guelph Police is hiring
Visit guelphpolice.ca for more information
Emphasis on making a positive impact
Page 17: Motivations for Becoming an Officer
Study by Ranganella & White (2004) shows:
Top reasons include:
Helping people
Financial and career security
Crime fighting and excitement
Page 18: Salary Comparison
Chart presents average salaries by level of policing (2019)
Data includes:
Types of Personnel: Police officers, civilians, special constables
Breakdown across First Nations, Municipal, OPP, RCMP, and SQ
Page 19: Basic Criteria for Police Officers
Must be:
18 years or older, Canadian citizen or permanent resident
Completed high school education
Possess a valid driver's license
No criminal record
Page 20: Recruitment Outreach Methods
Methods include:
Media campaigns
Social media engagement
Community outreach events
Recruitment officers and teams
Page 21: The Recruitment Process
Operated by Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP)
Includes mental and physical fitness evaluations
OACP certificate must accompany job applications
Police service conducts further assessments/screens
Successful candidates receive training at the Ontario Police College
Page 22: Psychological Screening
Introduced in Ontario: 1989
Utilizes Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Version 2 (MMPI-2)
Focused on predicting behavioral and attitudinal issues
Serves as a risk management strategy
Page 23: Background Checks
Conducted on both civilians and officers, typically by former officers
Check references from family, employers, and friends
Aims to create a “data image” for risk management
Importance of organizational and cultural fit
Page 24: Police Academy Training Overview
Training programs vary throughout Canada
RCMP: 26 weeks in Regina
Ontario Municipal Services & OPP: At least 13 weeks at Ontario Police College
Some services have additional cadet training
Page 25: Paramilitary Structure of Police Academy
Characteristics of paramilitary structure include:
Hierarchy and deference
Sense of camaraderie, “us vs. them” mentality
Functions as a “total institution” (Goffman, 1961)
Example: RCMP Depot training program
Page 26: Components of Police Academy Training
Focus areas include:
Tactical skills
Physical conditioning
Understanding law & police procedure
Communications, problem-solving, community policing
Ethics, inequality, diversity training
Page 27: Training Philosophies and Background
Different Organizational Philosophies:
Professional Model: Focuses on law enforcement and fighting crime
Community Policing Model: Emphasizes communication, problem-solving, community engagement
Role of education in shaping policing philosophies
Page 28: Critiques of Police Training
Concerns regarding how cadets are taught:
A need for more progressive teaching methods (andragogy)
Existing pedagogy leads to a functional disconnect with real job requirements
Rigid hierarchy in training processes
Officers leave training with a soldier-like mentality (Birzer & Tannehill, 2001)
Page 29: Continued Critiques in Police Training
Emphasis on traditional force skills diminishes need for ‘soft’ skills
Institutional inertia regarding training practices persists despite a demand for change
Gender ideologies and the paramilitary tradition raise further concerns
Page 30: Other Training Concerns
Additional critiques include:
Length of training programs
Isolation experienced during training
Development of maladaptive coping strategies (Violanti, 1993)
Page 31: Conclusion
Importance of considerations in police training and recruitment
Emphasis on community-oriented approaches and real-world skills for effective policing
Page 32: Lecture Follow-Up
Questions can be directed to Dr. Tatham via provided link
Page 33: Kahoot Interactive Quiz
Participation in Kahoot is encouraged as part of lecture engagement
Instructions for access and participation are detailed.