ABSTRACT
A common assumption in the police research literature is that police officers develop a cynical attitude over time due to the tensions and ambiguities of police work. Yet empirical studies investigating the link between police work and cynicism are quite rare. We know even less about how police officers compare to the general population when they enter the police organization. This chapter focusses on cynicism among police students and asks: Is the alleged cynicism in the police a result of self-selection or is it a result of experience and socialization? The authors use the RECPOL study and the European Social Survey. They show that new police students tend to be less trusting than the general population, suggesting that police cynicism is partly a result of pre-selection. In addition, police students tend to become less trusting during education, suggesting experience and socialization matter as well. More specifically, they find that police students tend to become more cynical towards the public. However, when it comes to attitudes towards the legal system and access to methods such as wiretapping, the opposite seems to be the case. The study suggests thus a more complex and nuanced picture when it comes to cynicism in the police.
