Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to explore new empirical ground regarding the perceived bonds of trust that women and men police officers say they have for each other when working nightshift patrol in small agencies in Los Angeles County, California. Methodology. The researcher utilized focus groups and from four focus group discussions, ten independent variables were developed and cross validated with the literature. From the initial ten variables, nineteen survey questions were developed and included in an interval-ratio questionnaire with a dependent variable also identified. A final survey was developed, pilot tested, refined, and administered to a random sample of small agencies of Los Angeles County, California. Theoretical framework. The theoretical foundation for this research was based on trust theory as a social-psychological construct. Understanding trust theory, how it relates to building and sustaining relationships, then applying that knowledge to male-female relationships was thought to be a useful and accurate premise. The framework also provided the foundation to better understand the working relationships among and between small police agency men and women on nightshift patrol. Findings and conclusions. The findings of this research revealed that male and female nighttime patrol officer's report having overall trust (the dependent variable) with one another. Female officers report being more open and benevolent in their communication than men are in theirs. Work experience had a small effect on the overall findings. The age of the respondent had an effect on the amount of overall perceived trust between men and women. There was no difference in perceptions of trust when considering the rank of the respondent. Recommendations. A legitimate concern of this study may be that the findings are not applicable to smaller agencies located in a different geographical area because of the diversity of Los Angeles County, California. The researcher's recommendations are to continue this research in differing, regions to determine if trust (as defined in this study) is consistent from agency to agency, locale to locale, and even state to state.