Bakgrund och syfte: Polisarbete är till sin natur stressigt och oförutsägbart men uppsatsen syftar till att undersöka stress som kan minimeras med hjälp av förändringar i arbetsmiljön. Syftet är att undersöka olika uppfattningar om stressorer som förekommer inom yrkeskåren bland poliser i yttre tjänst och vilka förändringar de upplever behöver ske för en mer hälsosam yrkeskår.    Metod: En intervjustudie med tio poliser som arbetar i yttre tjänst genomfördes. Intervjuerna var semistrukturerade och analysen genomfördes med en fenomenografisk analysmetod. Två analyser genomfördes, en gällande stress och en relaterad till förändringsarbete. Resultat: Analyserna resulterade i sex respektive fyra kategorier. Kategorier relaterade till stress: Bristande säkerhet, Dåligt anpassad utrustning, Polisiärt arbete och bristande utbildning, Strukturella förutsättningar, Avrapportering och Polis 24/7. Kategorier relaterade till förändring: Utökad utbildning, mer stöd och högre krav, Mer resurser, Enklare system och säkrare utrustning. Stress i polisyrket är något naturligt förekommande, men det finns faktorer som bidrar till ökad stress och respondenterna ger förslag på enklare förändringar som skulle minimera negativt laddad stress i yrket. Slutsats: Polisyrket är stressigt till sin natur, men det finns faktorer i arbetet som bidrar till högre självupplevd stress som kan förändras utan att det faktiska arbetet påverkas negativt, snarare tvärtom. För att minska självupplevd stress bland individer som arbetar i yttre tjänst krävs det noggranna genomgångar av rutiner, utrustning och polisiär utbildning. Detta för att på sikt få en mer hälsosam och hållbar yrkeskår. Det är viktigt att låta poliser verksamma i yttre tjänst komma till tals innan förändringar genomförs. Det är trots allt de som arbetar på en sådan position som vet vad som behöver förändras för att arbetet ska flyta på och inte förhindras av stressorer i yrket som skulle kunnat undvikas med hjälp av små medel. / Background and aim: Police work is stressful and unpredictable. The thesis aims to investigate stress that can be minimized by changes in the working environment. The aim of the study is to investigate different perceptions of stressors that occur in the occupational labor force among external service policemen and what changes they need for a healthier work environment. Method: An interview study with ten police officers was conducted. The interviews were semi-structured, and the analysis was conducted using a phenomenographic method. Two analyzes were conducted, one regarding stress and one related to change in the work environment. Results: The analyzes resulted in six respectively four categories. Stress: Lack of safety, Poorly adapted equipment, Police work and education, Structural conditions, Reporting and Police 24/7. Change: Extended education, more support and higher requirements, More resources, Simpler systems and Safer equipment. Stress in the police profession is somewhat naturally occurring, but there are factors that contribute to increased stress. Conclusion: The police profession is stressful, but there are factors in the work environment that contribute to higher self-perceived stress that can be changed without affecting the actual work.

Police officers are allowed considerable discretion within the criminal justice system in addressing illegal behaviors and interpersonal conflicts. Broadly, such resolutions fall into two categories: formal (e.g., arrest) and informal outcomes. Many of these interventions involve persons who have historically faced stigmatization, such as those who have mental disorders, criminal histories, or both (i.e., mentally disordered offenders). On this point, stigma generally includes discriminatory behavior toward the stigmatized person or group and can be substantially influenced by internal and external attributions. In addition, researchers have suggested that internal attributions lead to punishing behaviors and external attributions lead to helping behaviors. The current study examined attributions about offender behavior made by police officers in an effort to evaluate the effectiveness of Corrigan’s model. Specifically, this study investigated the effects of officer attributions on their immediate decisions in addressing intentionally ambiguous and minor offenses. Officers provided one of two vignettes of a hypothetical offender who was either mentally disordered or intoxicated and provided their anticipated resolution of the situation. Encouragingly, disposition decision differed by offender condition, with a substantially higher rate of arrests for the intoxicated offender (i.e., the external condition). Corrigan’s model was initially successful for both offender conditions, but was overall more successful for the mentally disordered condition. Results are discussed within the broader context of police policy, such as crisis intervention training, and identification of officers who could benefit from additional mental health trainings.

Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom(IPS) / The current crime rate in the Western Cape plays a crucial role in the exposure of police officers to stressful and traumatic events. The intensity and frequency of this exposure, if not treated, could lead to police officers experiencing comorbid disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This leads to an increased need for trauma intervention strategies to be offered, to assist police officers who are exposed to trauma in the South African Police Service (SAPS). Although trauma intervention programmes are established within SAPS, a difference in perception about their effectiveness and service offering are presented. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in perception toward stress and trauma intervention strategies within the SAPS in the Western Cape. In order to achieve the purpose of the study, the researcher, tapped into the lived experiences of current police officers and Employee Health and Wellness (EHW) staff, employed by SAPS through semi-structured interviews. Through a comparative design, the study will add value to the current body of knowledge, as differences and similarities between two of the primary role players in the trauma debriefing process within the SAPS are explored. The research sample, recruited by means of convenience sampling, consisted of seven EHW staff members who had experience with dealing with stress and trauma-related programmes, and eight visible policing police officers who had experienced some form of trauma-related incident. The researcher made use of an in-depth interview guide as the research instrument for this study, which consisted of audio-recorded semi-structured interviews with the participants. The audio recordings were transcribed, and then analysed by means of thematic analysis. The findings showed that a difference in perception exists between police officers and EHW staff members toward the effectiveness of trauma intervention strategies offered in the SAPS. The findings also suggest that the majority of police officers do not make use of the trauma intervention programmes in the SAPS, in comparison to EHW staff reporting on good attendance by police officers at the service offerings. Similarities in perception between the two groups presented itself in the form of how trauma is defined, the different responses to trauma and coping mechanisms employed by police officers. The implications of this study include a contribution toward policy and structural amendments of the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) framework within the SAPS, as well as a motivation for implementing a compulsory trauma counselling programme for police officers.

The aim behind this work was to investigate whether the Police Authority's reorganization in 2015 had any impact on local policing. In order to get an answer to this, 8 local police officers were interviewed in different regions around the country. Due to the current situation with Covid-19, and geographical distances, these semi- structured interviews were conducted over the phone. This was because the interview participants were not willing to meet and also on the recommendation not to travel around Sweden.The results of the interviews showed that the majority of participants were dissatisfied with the reorganization. The implementation of the reorganization led to disappointment and dismissal among police employees, partly due to dissatisfaction with changes that led to the disappearance of important skills. The positive thing, on the other hand, was that communication and flexibility among different police regions had improved.The participants in the interview were the common conclusion that the Police Authority should listen to those who work in the field in order to create as good a authority as possible. / Syftet bakom detta arbete var att undersöka om Polismyndighetens omorganisation år 2015 haft någon påverkan på det lokala polisarbetet. För att få svar på detta intervjuades 8 lokalpoliser i olika regioner runtom i landet. På grund av den rådande situationen med Covid-19, samt geografiska avstånd, genomfördes semistrukturerade intervjuer på telefon. Detta berodde på att intervjudeltagarna inte var villiga att träffas och även på rekommendationen att inte resa runt i Sverige.Resultatet av intervjuerna visade på att majoriteten av deltagarna var missnöjda med omorganisationen. Genomförandet av omorganisationen ledde till besvikelse och uppsägningar bland de polisanställda, bland annat på grund av missnöje kring förändringar som gjorde att viktig kompetens försvann. Det positiva, å andra sidan, var att kommunikationen och flexibiliteten bland olika polisregioner blivit bättre. Intervjudeltagarnas gemensamma slutsats var att Polismyndigheten bör lyssna på de som arbetar ute på fält för att kunna skapa en sån bra myndighet som möjligt.

No description available.

Polisyrkets karaktär kräver att den anställda kan utföra emotionellt arbete för att uppvisa de känslor som stämmer överens med arbetsrollen. Detta medan både befolkningen och brottsligheten ökar i Sverige vilket leder till en ökad arbetsbelastning samtidigt som det fattas ett tusentals poliser. Syftet med studien är därför att undersöka hur poliser i yttre tjänst upplever och hanterar det emotionella arbete de utför. För att besvara studiens syfte utfördes 10 semistrukturerade intervjuer med poliser som arbetat i yttre tjänst inom olika kommuner i Västra Götalands län. Resultatet delades sedan in i två delar, delen om upplevelser visade på att respondenterna både hade en medvetenhet och en avsaknad av medvetenhet gällande emotionellt arbete i olika situationer. Vidare betonas vikten av kollegorna i det arbete de utför. De beskriver även de förväntningar och känsloregler de dagligen förhåller sig till. Delen om upplevelser avslutas med hur synen på det emotionella arbetet utvecklats från då till nu. Delen om hantering visar sedan på hur de anställda får stöd från chefer, ledning och kollegor i form av debriefing och professionella samtal, om det skulle behövas. Här presenteras även andra strategier såsom träning och att ta på sig masken och gå in i yrkesrollen som polis. / The nature of police work requires its employees to perform emotional labour to display the kind of emotions that are consistent with the demands of the job role. All while experiencing an increased workload due to a growing population and an increasing crime rate in combination with a shortage of police officers. This study, therefore, aims to examine how police officers experience and handle emotional labour. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with police officers who work in various municipalities within the Västra Götalandregion. The result was divided into two parts, the first one describing experiences. The respondents showed an understanding of certain parts of emotional labour and a lack of understanding regarding other parts of emotional labour. Furthermore, the importance of colleagues in the work the police perform is emphasised. They also describe the expectations and emotional rules they relate to daily. The part regarding experiences ends with the perceived differences of emotional labour then and now. The second part of the results describes how they manage emotional labour with support from managers and colleagues in the form of debriefing and professional help, if needed. Other strategies such as training and stepping into the police role are also presented here.

Nyrekryteringen inom gängbrottslighet är ett växande problem i samhället och många unga personer rekryteras i tidig ålder. I Malmö är områdespolisernas främsta uppgift att stoppa nyrekryteringen av barn och unga. Det brottsförebyggande arbetet i Sverige pågår på flera olika plan, särskilt när det gäller gängkriminalitet. Denna studie ämnar synliggöra områdespolisers perspektiv på nyrekryteringen av gängbrottslighet i Malmö. För att uppfylla syftet utgick studien från två frågeställningar som behandlar områdespolisernas brottspreventiva arbete och eventuella förbättringsmöjligheter. Det genomfördes sex semistrukturerade intervjuer med personer som har arbetat eller arbetar som områdespolis i Malmö. Resultatet visar att områdespoliserna arbetar brottspreventivt genom att skapa relationer, visa engagemang, samverka med aktörer samt identifiera unga som beter sig avvikande. De upplevda förbättringsmöjligheterna handlar om behovet av tydligare riktlinjer och mål, bättre förankring mellan praktik och forskning samt bättre förutsättningar för att kunna utföra sitt dagliga arbete. / Recruitment within gang crime is a growing problem in society and a lot of young people are recruited at an early age. The main task of the community police officers in Malmö is to stop young people from getting recruited by gangs. Crime prevention work in Sweden takes place on several different levels, especially when it comes to gang crime. The intention of this study is to enlighten the community police officers perspective on recruitment in Malmö. In order to fulfill the purpose, the study is based on two questions that deal with the crime prevention work of the community police officers and possible opportunities for improvement. Six semi-structured interviews were made with community police officers in Malmö. The results show that the community police officers work to prevent crime by creating relationships, showing commitment, cooperating with different actors and identifying young people who behave deviant. The results also show that clearer guidelines and goals, better connection between practice and research and better conditions for being able to do their daily work, are things that can be improved.

Employee job satisfaction of public sector professionals: The roles of public safety work and public service motivation

Känslomässiga krav innebär att individer förväntas kontrollera sina känslor och agera lämpligt för sin yrkesroll. Studiens syfte var att undersöka sambandet mellan upplevda känslomässiga krav och stress samt skillnader mellan män och kvinnor inom polisen. Kvantitativ data samlades in genom enkäter med 112 poliser. Syftet undersöktes genom att mäta dimensionerna känslomässiga krav, krav på att dölja känslor och stress baserat på mätinstrumentet COPSOQ. Analysen genomfördes med en multipel regressionsanalys och två modererande hierarkiska multipla regressionsanalyser. Resultaten visade att känslomässiga krav har ett signifikant samband med stress, men inget signifikant samband mellan krav på att dölja känslor och stress hittades. Ingen signifikant skillnad i upplevelsen av känslomässiga krav samt krav på att dölja känslor i relation till stress observerades mellan män och kvinnor. Studien bidrar till förståelsen av hur arbetsrelaterade känslomässiga krav kan länkas till stress och understryker vikten att motverka känslomässiga krav för att minska stress inom polisyrket. / Emotional demands involve an expectation for individuals to control theiremotions and act appropriately for their professional role. This study aimed toinvestigate the relationship between perceived emotional demands and stress, as well asdifferences between male and female police officers. Quantitative data was collectedthrough surveys with 112 police officers. The aim was examined by measuring thedimensions of emotional demands, demands for hiding emotions, and stress based onthe COPSOQ instrument. The analysis was conducted using multiple regressionanalysis and two moderating hierarchical multiple regression analyses. The resultsshowed that emotional demands have a significant relationship with stress, but nosignificant relationship was found between demands for hiding emotions and stress. Nosignificant difference in the experience of emotional demands and demands for hidingemotions in relation to stress was observed between men and women. The studycontributes to the understanding of how work-related emotional demands can be linkedto stress and emphasizes the importance of counteracting emotional demands to reducestress within the police profession.

MPH / Department of Public Health / Over the past years, suicide and suicidal ideation are being increasingly recognised as important issues for public health policy, especially, among police officers. Suicidal ideation is one of the tragic issues among police officers, causing serious emotional, spiritual, medical, social and psychological distress for the individual, their families and friends, however, not much is known about it in the Vhembe District. The purpose of the study was to explore the factors contributing to suicidal ideation among police officers in Vhembe District. The study was conducted in the Thohoyandou cluster, which is situated in Limpopo Province, South Africa. A study had a qualitative phenomenological research design. The data saturation were reached at the number of 12 police officers, the target population were selected by means of convenience sampling and data was collected through a semi-structured interview. The data collected was analysed using the thematic analytical approach and conclusion were made based on the findings of the study. The study findings show the following as the factors contributing to suicidal ideation among the police officers - domestic violence, financial problems, divorce, extramarital affairs, lack of social support, health problems, contradicting the law and organisational factors that include organisational structure and working with guns. The study recommended that the South African Police Services should continue to provide support and counselling to police officers after they have attended to traumatic cases and that police officers need to be more open about their problems and avoid attempting to deal with them by themselves. / NRF