THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLICE BELIEF SYSTEMS AND ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE PRACTICES

This article develops the proposition that both ideological and tradit ional belief systems are present in the occupation of policing. Police professionalism is conceptualized as an explicit, articulated ideolog y that has emerged to challenge the commonsense beliefs associated wit h craftsmanship, the world-view of traditional police agencies. The re lationship between these world-views and three attitudes toward three traditional police practices-antipathy toward due process, the code of secrecy, and the tendency to resolve citizen confrontations with ''st reet justice''-were assessed. Endorsement of a craftsmanship world-vie w was associated with favorable attitudes toward each of these practic es. Also, endorsement of a professionalism world-view had little effec t on the relationships between craftsmanship and attitudes toward thes e three police practices.