Police perception of danger

Abstract

Previous research has highlighted the relationship between danger, stress, and the well-being of police officers. Still, gaps remain in understanding officers' perceptions of danger. This study addresses these gaps by exploring the concept of subjective danger perception, a cognitive and emotional response to potential physical or psychological harm. The study identifies that environmental cues influence danger perception and exist on a spectrum shaped by social and personal factors. Firstly, this research modernizes the understanding of subejctive danger perception in policing, which was previously limited and outdated. Secondly, it expands the focus beyond physical injury to include the emotional aspects of danger, identifying stress, anxiety, worry, and fear as key components. Thirdly, it adopts a multi-level approach, exploring situational factors and structural, cultural, and institutional influences on danger perception. Additionally, this study addresses the need for a comprehensive theory in policing by advocating for the social-ecological model. Thus, this research provides a richer, more nuanced understanding of how police officers perceive danger and the impact of police culture. Considering the improvement of the safety and well-being of police officers and their communities, this research used a mixed-method approach to explore police officers in Quebec and Ontario. ANOVA and Spearman’s Rho correlation were used to determine group differences in age/length of service, micro-systems, and situational factors. Furthermore, a thematic analysis will provide rich insights into the different aspects that impact police officers' perception of danger. The study's results determined that the key factors that impacted police officers' perception of danger relate to the individual factors of age and length of service (experience and knowledge). Additionally, more proximal factors (micro-systems) to the individual in the social-ecological model had a bigger impact on police officer's perception of danger than the more distal (exo and macro systems) factors. In brief, this research revealed that further research needs to be conducted on the perception of danger, which could help develop better policies for using force and increase officers' physical and mental well-being.