POLICE AND TRAGIC EVENTS - THE MANAGEMENT OF EMOTIONS

The expression of personal feelings is severely limited within the police culture. Professional conduct norms dictate that officers must remain calm and in control, constantly guarding their emotions. This article explores the emotion-management strategies employed by police officers. Based on interview data obtained from a sample of patrol officers working in four urban departments, the study examined how police officers account for their handling of emotions in their work experiences involving tragic events. Because of the norm to refrain from displays of emotions, officers find few opportunities to deal directly with the pent-up feelings engendered by tragic events; consequently, the aftermaths of tragedies are rarely discussed in terms of the impact on the officers involved. The police find themselves unable to reveal their feelings to fellow officers, much less discuss them, for fear of being viewed as inadequate-as not having what it takes to be a solid, dependable police officer. As a result, interpersonal barriers against seeking common solutions to problems of emotion work" are created and maintained. © 1991."