Psicologia USP
On-line version ISSN 1678-5177
Abstract
MENANDRO, Paulo Rogério Meira and SOUZA, Lídio de. Perceptions of military policemen on the relationship between police and society. Psicol. USP [online]. 1996, vol.7, n.1-2, pp.133-141. ISSN 1678-5177.
This paper reports an investigation on the perceptions of military Policemen on entering Police Force; the people's image concerning the police job; the polemic aspects of the relationship between police and society; the suggestions for improvement of the Police Corporation. One hundred military policemen, aged 20 to 52 years old, who have worked for 1 to 15 years, answered a questionnaire with several open and closed questions. The results confirmed the people's negative image towards the Police performance. In addition the results showed that the perception of contradictory and paradoxical circumstances do not guarantee the understanding of their multiple determinants, so much so that suggestions for improvement have been limited to the scope of the police corporation itself. The results made clear the predominance, among Policemen, of a noncritical conception of social framework, particularty of the relationship between police and society.
Keywords : Police; Society; Work; Social perception; Police personnel.