Culture is a word used to describe who we are, how we define ourselves, and how we interpret the world around us. Culture is an important part of every organization and work group. In law enforcement we are a values-based culture. Those values are how we define ourselves, and our meaning of the world around us is derived through morals and ethics that make up what we value.

It is not uncommon to hear the need to change the culture within policing or that a change in culture is actually happening. Changing culture is a slow, and often painful process.  Sometimes this even takes place without intentional thought in the process. There are many data points that can be used to look at culture and since our culture is based on values, morals, and ethics, one important data point is religion. The important question is, does religion play into the code that makes up culture in law enforcement.

The Gallup Organization publishes survey results regarding religion annually.[1] In 1948 only 2% of Americans did not affiliate with a religion. That number remained in the single digits until 2002 when it hit 10%. Except for one year, the number of those not affiliated with a religion continued to increase. The most recent data released in 2022 showed 21% of Americans not having a religious affiliation. Gallup also reports a decline in Americans saying religion is very important to them; 58% in 1992 versus 46% in 2022.  Other organizations have similar numbers regarding religious affiliation, such as the PEW Research Center, which reports unaffiliated numbers at 30% in 2020.[2]

These numbers matter because values, ethics, and morals are changing, not only in society, but with the types of applicants in law enforcement today. In fact, one of the contributing factors to reduced applicants in policing may be due to the reduction in religious affiliation. One additional number to illustrate the change in values, ethics and morals that may be impacting law enforcement culture from a generational perspective is 48% of Gen Z’s believe that same-sex marriage is a good thing as compared to 33% of Gen X.[3]

Leadership in law enforcement is faced with a significant challenge of a changing culture, whether we like it or not. Attracting applicants and retaining them, if we can hire them, is directly tied to the culture we have within our agencies. When members of our communities are less likely to affiliate with a religion and, generationally, law enforcement officers are more likely to affiliate with religion or have opinions that conflict with the status quo, like same sex marriage, we will continuously find a cultural challenge not only within our organizations but also with the relationship law enforcement has with the communities they serve.

About the Author: Sean Case is the Deputy Chief of the Anchorage Police Department. He has also worked for the Los Angeles Police Department. He is a nationally recognized instructor on critical issues in policing. Read his full bio here.

Notes

[1] Gallup. (2022). “Religion.” https://news.gallup.com/poll/1690/religion.aspx.

[2] Pew Research Center. (Sept. 13, 2020). “Projecting U.S. religious groups’ population shares by 2070.” https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/09/13/projecting-u-s-religious-groups-population-shares-by-2070/.

[3] Parker, K, & Igielnik, R. (May 14, 2020). “On the cusp of adulthood and facing an uncertain future: What we know about Gen Z so far.” Pew Research Center.  https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/05/14/on-the-cusp-of-adulthood-and-facing-an-uncertain-future-what-we-know-about-gen-z-so-far-2/.