Date
1-16-2025
Department
Helms School of Government
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice (PhD)
Chair
Joseph M. Finck
Keywords
community-oriented policing, adult development, police experiences
Disciplines
Sociology
Recommended Citation
Williams, Herman "Tracy" III, "Exploring the Influence of Police Officers Lived Experiences on Implementing Community Oriented Policing of Marginalized Populations" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6455.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6455
Abstract
The oppositional relationship between the police and communities characterized as marginalized populations aptly describes an adversarial dynamic that hinders the effective implementation of guardian-focused, community-oriented policing. Fears of crime, claims of police bias, dehumanization, and perceptions of social disorder frequently breed socioeconomic decline in these communities. These conditions often contribute to citizens of marginalized communities viewing police officers as traditional policing warriors versus the roles of police as guardians who assist and protect the public. The problem is that the lack of cooperation and mutual distrust in interactions between the police and communities leads to external friction and internal organizational and bureaucratic stressors, resulting in heightened officer turnover, mental and physical wellness problems, absenteeism, and maladaptive behaviors in police agencies. It helps policing leaders to understand the adult developmental impacts of lived experiences as social phenomena that shape officers’ attitudes, resiliency, and willingness to embrace and conduct effective community-oriented policing. This qualitative study, through interviews with policing leaders, phenomenologically examines the gap in research examining the impacts of adult developmental experiences to provide insights into practices that show promise in improving officers’ support of community-oriented policing. It uses interviews with supervisory police officers and qualitative analysis to reveal experiential factors affecting their embrace and effective implementation of community-oriented policing practices in marginalized populations. This awareness can assist policing leaders with establishing adult developmental conditions that improve police performance, police officer retention, development, and wellness while serving socially challenging communities.