
Presenting a uniformed self: Symbols of safety in police auxiliary members' perceptions
Author(s) -
Christopher O’Connor,
Jacek Koziarski,
Tyler Frederick,
Kaylee Kosarolo,
Victoria Baker
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international journal of police science and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1478-1603
pISSN - 1461-3557
DOI - 10.1177/14613557211032614
Subject(s) - perception , exploratory research , psychology , service (business) , distancing , social psychology , public relations , political science , medicine , sociology , covid-19 , business , disease , marketing , pathology , neuroscience , anthropology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Volunteers have always played a prominent role in policing. Although known by many names worldwide, auxiliary police in Canada are one particular group of formalized volunteers that have received little research attention. Therefore, through an exploratory survey utilizing both closed and open-ended questions, this article adds to the literature on volunteer police by focusing on how auxiliary members perceived their safety at a police service located in Canada. The findings show how auxiliary members' perceptions of safety were intricately connected to their uniforms, received trainings and associated accoutrements. More specifically, we find that these key elements act as symbols connecting auxiliary members to the extended police family and when they are absent members can feel distanced. Further, safety concerns were expressed as a result of such distancing. The implications of these findings are discussed.