Police officers' attitudes toward citizens in China

Abstract

Although a substantial number of studies have examined public attitudes toward the police, a relatively thin line of research has assessed police attitudes toward the citizenry. Using survey data collected from a sample of approximately 200 Chinese police officers, the current study examined the effects of police officers’ demographic characteristics, socialization/experiences factors, and role orientations on officers’ attitudes toward trust in citizens, citizens’ cooperation with the police, citizens’ appreciation of police work, citizens’ input in police work, and citizens’ virtue. Results indicated that background and experience characteristics were ineffective in predicting five aspects of officer attitudes toward citizens. Role orientations were first found to be related to multiple dimensions on officers’ attitudes toward the citizenry. Findings of this study enhance our understanding of police occupational attitudes in China and provide valuable implications for policy and future research.