The Behavioral Code: The Hidden Ways the Law Makes Us Better . or Worse

by Benjamin van Rooij

“As a police officer, I have a primary responsibility to protect the constitutional rights of residents” (the guardian mindset). “My primary responsibility as a police officer is to fight crime” (the warrior mindset). What McLean and his colleagues found was fascinating. First, it is entirely possible for officers to be both warriors and guardians. Yet the extent to which officers felt aligned with the guardian mindset was critically important. The more they felt as though they were guardians, the less they supported police misconduct and the more they prioritized procedural justice during interactions with citizens, including doing things like “explaining [why one has] made contact with the subject,” “treating the subject politely and with dignity,” “allowing the subject to explain his side of the story,” and “explaining to the subject the reasons for [the officer’s] decisions.” McLean