Officer Perception and Behavior Associated with COVID-19 Regulations : Analyzing Police Perception and Attitudes Prior, During, and Post Pandemic

Abstract

Everyday policing during the pandemic was both critical and challenging. A handful of studies focus on COVID-19 in relationship to the change of police officer’s perceptions toward police performance and departmental change. This study attempts to identify perceived differences between pre-COVID and post-COVID policing. This research utilizes four domains: Normal Policing, COVID-19 Policing, Protective Measures, as well as, Gender Roles and Social Ostracization, to distinguish key differences in policing. To achieve the objective, this qualitative research conducted a semi-structured interview process with local front-line officers in the State of Wisconsin. Preliminary results indicated substantial changes between normal policing and COVID-19 policing. Moreover, police officers perceived differences in how protective measures were being enforced differently at the departmental level and at the individual level. Officers expressed changes in shift structure resulted in animosity between day and night scheduled officers. Finally, police officers sensed how gender roles and social ostracization could affect the atmosphere of departments and police performance. Future work should investigate if these departmental changes are generalizable.