Pakistan Association of Anthropology, Islamabad, Pakistan Special issue Sci.int.(Lahore),27(2),1633-1635,2015 ISSN 1013-5316; CODEN: SINTE 8 1633 March-April COMPLEX POLICE CULTURE: A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY OF THANA LOHI BHER Shaheer Ellahi Khan 1 , Abid Ghafoor Chaudhry 2 , Khurrum Ellahi Khan 3 , Nida Khan 4 1 Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, Bahria University Islamabad, 2 Incharge Department of Anthropology, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, 3 Pakistan Institute of Development Economics Islamabad, 4 Economist, Association for Social Development Islamabad Corresponding Author’s Email: shaheer_ellahi@hotmail.com ABSTRACT: The present research was conducted to study the complex police culture and perceptions from both the nearby community and the service providing officials and staff. The study locale was the Police station Lohi Bher which was notified in 2012 to be established, before it used to serve as a police picket (chowki). The study was qualitatively designed to reach the respondents with the help of key informants and by conducting both informal and in-depth interviews and focus group discussion(s). A total of 31 respondents were purposively selected to cultivate perceptions and knowledge on the issue(s) of Police department and its existing culture. The study was conducted through multiple visits by the lead researcher and its fellow team members. It was found that existing police culture is a complex whole of politics, economics and other socio-cultural factors which shapes and defines different currents, functioning of the service delivery. Keywords: Police station, Police culture, Crime, Police department INTRODUCTION In Pakistan, recently the authorities have realized seriously about scientific and systematic studies on crimes, its causes, preventions and control. So far very little scientific work has been carried out in this area in general and police culture in particularly in Pakistan. Even today little attention is paid by the law enforcing agencies to the growing menace of terrorism and crime in the urban and rural centres. It is believed that majority of the cases of violation of law by offenders are either not reported to police or escaped its attention. Police records fail to provide enough data for scientific analysis of the problem by the sociologists and criminologists. The dearth of scientific literature on crime, especially delinquency in Pakistan is attributed to the lack of relevant data, financial constraints, and social neglect [1]. Under these circumstances, some serious beginnings have to be made. Besides collecting basic data about demographic, socio-cultural and economic characteristics of the criminals and juvenile offenders, it seems imperative to collect important information about crime and juvenile delinquency. Thus, it would not only reliable and urgently needed data to the policy makers in order to address juvenile’s problems and also facilitate further, sharply focused, scientific, and sociological studies. A wider definition of police culture is as per the modern definition of culture; however police culture refers to the accepted norms and behaviours accepted in police circle which give meaning to police work. Further research highlights that police culture is not isolated from society it in return leaves its impression on society. Work of Thomassen draws attention to impact of police culture on society which can be positive or negative, resting its base on how officials from police department are exercising their duties. As per the current geographical study definition of police culture as carved out by Prenzler is more relevant, for researcher problem of police behaviour is a broader definition of police culture. This is the psychological perspective of the same police culture. The term blue wall is also widely used especially in United States which highlights the sociological side of police culture; Skolnick covered how the term blue wall can design the culture of police department. Which actually is to hide or conceal the misconduct of other police officer and its larger understanding is that in police department attack on one police officer is considered to be attack on all. Thus police culture is much stronger and may not widely accept reforms from any macro environmental force [2-5]. As in case of any misconduct by police, the police will be scrutinized by police hence rising the blue wall to new standards. This was also highlighted by Silverman that police officer are silent over the wrong doing of their peers and working group thus they will be more reluctant toward reforms. Thus the research of Skolnick and Silverman has raised an important issue that police culture is stronger due to blue wall and may not be open to change and reforms. Another element is of masculinity is widely spread through the culture of police, which is concern for sociology and anthropology [6,7]. However the word police reflects a department which enforces law however study of Chan concluded that police culture cultivate masculine culture and also reflect the masculine culture though its actions. Thus it can enhance masculine culture in society and even at intra-level it is nurturing masculinity within the department. Particularly to bring reforms in police, study of Davis and Thomas studied police as organization. Their study found that police is a deep-rooted organization with stern bureaucratic structure which is less likely to accept reform or change. Thus it’s not only to change any particular culture but also to change the structure of the police organization [8,9]. Similar answer was also deducted by Skolnick and Bayley, their work focussed on reforms in police organization and uncovered the finding that risky innovations are not fit for this type of organization. Traditional practices will halt newer reforms. MATERIALS AND METHODS A qualitative case study research was designed where the researcher obtained the initial information and insight from the selected key informants. Key informants also helped the researcher in communicating in a much better and culturally appropriate way with the members and