Question

What are the implications for police role conflict?

Answer 1

there are four types of role conflict: 1. Internal role conflict occurs when an individual occupies two or more positions that carry incompatible role expectations. 2. External role conflict occurs when an individual is confronted with incompatible expectations from two or more persons in his position network or networks. 3. Intrarole conflict occurs when an individual perceives that others hold different expectations. for him as the incumbent of a single position. 4. Interrole conflict occurs when an individual perceives that others hold different expectations of him as the incumbent of two or more positions. (In any of these conflict situations they may or may not be perceived or recognized by the individual.).

police are expected to act in a certain way by a number of individuals, usually those with the most political power. In virtually every instance there are those ( common citizen )who expect the police to act in another way.  These factors contribute to role conflict. There is also the policeman's inner feelings about his role.He may not feel that it is professional to accept free meals; he may not want to make a certain arrest; or he may not feel that it is proper to shoot looters in a riot situation that professionalized police today generally play regulatory roles which are more directly pointed to the end of maximum protection for the community than they are to enforcement of the criminal law.

In intrarole conflict the officer may, or may not, perceive that others hold different expectations of him as a policeman. His supervisor, his family, the businessman, the kids on the corner, and the person he is arresting may all have different expectations of him. for example :

let us assume that a police officer is told by his superior to clear a certain corner of youths, who have caused the local businessman to make a complaint. The police officer is expected to obey the order but realizes that the youths have no place to go. He must satisfy the business man, who expects the policeman to make an arrest; he must handle the youths, who expect him to be tough; and if he does make an arrest the suspect may expect him to lie in court.

The interrole conflict may be apparent, or non apparent to the individual. The policeman may be a father, a member of the youth council, and a college graduate; and in the above situation all these factors may have some bearing. As a father he may identify the youth's actions with those of his own family; he may feel that the court will only hurt the youth; and he may be expected to have a better understanding of the situation because of his education.

The various conflicts are not separate entities but, rather, react in a conglomerate way to produce role conflict.