ABSTRACT
Cop culture is described as combining themes of occupational activity, shared values, shared experiences, shared behaviors, and shared efforts.1 Common cultural characteristics are group cohesion, image of strength and authority, and territorial control. Many factors influence the cop culture, and the collective body’s effects on the individual can be positive, negative, or both. As part of this influence of culture, the officer experiences abstract concepts such as the thin blue line, the blue fraternity, and a blue wall of silence affecting concrete behaviors.
