The divided police - a discursive psychology interview study on how police officers and police students respond to the phenomenon of police influencers

The new phenomenon of “police influencers” consist of police officers who, under their private names, use their platform to share posts with both police content and humorous messages. The public's perception of the phenomenon is divided, and critical voices say it is inappropriate. The Swedish police force is known for their fellowship, often called “the spirit of the union”. But how does this fellowship correspond to front figures like police influencers? In this study we examine how Swedish police officers and police students respond to the police influencers by applying a theoretical framework based on a discourse psychological perspective and theories about identity and organizational culture. The empirical material consists of semi- structured interviews with both police officers and police students. The result shows that the organizational culture within the police force can be affected by police influencers. The informants show a strong feeling of unity within the force and are making a strong effort to maintain the police authority's legitimacy and trust. Police students seem to be negative to the phenomenon in large, but positive to the fact that police influencers can share important knowledge about the police profession. Experienced Police officers on the other hand are more concerned about how communication made by police influencers can damage the reputation of the police force. This divided perception can result in a split within the organization depending on how one views the phenomenon. There is a strong norm for what a police officer should do, and this characterizes the informants' perception of the phenomenon and in what way it affects the police force. Keywords: Police, influencer, social media, public authority, identity, discursive psychology, organizational culture.