Mentor
Dr. Deborah Beidel & Dr. Christine Seaver
Abstract
Today, a large, increasing gap in trust exists between law enforcement officers and civilians. Although law enforcement officers may possess a “rescue personality” (e.g., being a highly dedicated risk-taker with a desire to help), they are feared by some civilians (Salters-Pedneault et al., 2010; Wynveen et al., 2007). Still, many officers choose more positive motivators for pursuing their career, including factors such as job security, benefits, and the desire to help others (Schuck, 2020). To better understand this, this study surveyed 198 undergraduate students at the University of Central Florida who completed a survey measuring their perceptions of the motivators that lead to an individual pursuing a career in law enforcement. We found that the area in which participants grew up and working conditions and perceptions of law enforcement was not statistically significant, but there were correlations between location and specific factor questions. In prior interactions with officers, those with positive interactions had a strong association with working conditions as a motivating factor, but there were no significant associations between negative experiences and any of the factors we studied. The desire to better understand the discrepancy between the perception of motivators and the reality of why law enforcement officers pursue their careers can inspire more research to bridge this gap. Future research is needed to ascertain whether these findings can be generalized. Clarifying the true motivators for pursuing a law enforcement career to civilians will increase trust and communication and possibly lead to reforms.
Recommended Citation
Patel, Riya N.
(2024)
"What Fuels the Badge: College Students’ Beliefs on What Motivates Officers,"
The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal: Vol. 15:
Iss.
2, Article 3.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/urj/vol15/iss2/3
