Can an old dog be taught new tricks? Teaching cultural diversity to police officers

Abstract

One of the most consistent complaints from the leaders in minority communities is that police officers are not sufficiently sensitive to differing cultures. In response to this criticism police trainers and administrators are requiring that police officers attend “Cultural Diversity Training.” This research suggests that police officers are somewhat divided in their views of the necessity for cultural diversity training. New recruits, for the most part, tend to be more accepting of the training while experienced officers tend more often to see the training as a waste of time or, worse yet, as an informal form of punishment.

Citation

Gould, L.A. (1997), "Can an old dog be taught new tricks? Teaching cultural diversity to police officers", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 20 No. 2, pp. 339-356. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639519710169171