Beyond Just a Few “Bad Apples”: Organizational Understandings of Police Misconduct as Deviant Subcultures

Law enforcement officers are responsible for the difficult task of enforcing the laws of the land and protecting the peace in their community. While protecting and serving, police are responsible for the lives and liberty of the individuals under their authority and, therefore, undertake a tremendous duty. Opportunity (positive and negative) develops alongside the significant power and authority of the position. Of particular concern, these opportunities open the door for the creation and sustainment of deviance among officers and organizations. Deviance in the workplace is not unique to police organizations. However, the extent of authority and its impact on the lives of civilians exacerbates the seriousness of police deviant subcultures.