Measuring the police officer's acceptance of the alcoholic as a sick person.

Abstract

Despite the frequency with which the law enforcement officer must deal with the alcoholic, very little research has been done to measure whether the policeman views the alcoholic as ill or as a morally weak person. In the Oklahoma state training program the police officer is taught that alcoholism is an illness, but the law sees it in criminal terms. In measuring acceptance of the alcoholic as a sick person, a questionnaire incorporating questions from an earlier study by Mulford and Miller was administered to a random group of officers from a large metropolitan police department in a midwestern state. The questionnaire was designed to separate the sample into three groups: Group A, those who define the alcoholic as ill; Group B, those who define the alcoholic as weak or lacking in moral fiber; and Group C, those who view the alcoholic as both weak and ill. The data obtained from the questionnaire were subjected to the chi-square test to determine if there was any significant background difference between the three groups. In regard to religious denomination, church attendance, age, number of years of police work, and reported personal drinking behavior the analysis indicated that there were no important difference a~ong the three groups. Group B, however reported a slightly lower level of education than the other two groups. The three groups also significantly differed in their plans of action toward alcoholism. A higher percentage of Groups A and C than Group B indicated that they thought expert help is essential in aiding the alcoholic to stop drinking, and they expressed a greater willingness than officers of Group B to discuss a personal or family drinking problem with a friend. This study suggests several areas for further research into the policeman -alcoholic relationship.