FACULTY AND STAFF

Faculty Experts

Why Study Police Culture?

Police are the hired representatives for our society to enforce laws and assist in public safety; however, just as society changes, the role of the police in society is also being constantly negotiated. Studying police culture allows society to understand how police function in society, and in turn allows society to re-negotiate the roles that police play. For instance, studies about racial profiling have recently illuminated some police practices and provided the groundwork for a dialogue between police and the community about how to both effectively and fairly police a community. In short, studying police culture allows for society to be both aware and reflective about the social contract they want to engage in with those assigned to “protect and serve.”

The College of Criminal Justice is proud to be home to several of the leading national policing scholars. Brooks Chair Professor Peter Manning, an international scholar, has written several books and dozens of journal articles on multiple areas within policing studies. Dean Jack Greene is also a highly regarded scholar in the field, having published extensively on police management and policing styles. Dean Jack McDevitt and Amy Farrell are currently engaged in ongoing police research on racial profiling and the role of race in police discretion.

Here at the College of Criminal Justice, Northeastern University, students learn from leaders in the policing field. Whether it be a career in law enforcement, policing research, or police management, the faculty here at NU together with our highly acclaimed Co-operative Education Program have helped to prepare students for careers in policing for more than twenty years.