Exploring the Nexus of Officer Race/Ethnicity, Sex, and Job Satisfaction: The Case of the NYPD

We consider officer satisfaction and explore whether satisfaction with various aspects of the job differs across officer race/ethnicity and sex. We do so using a unique data set of New York City Police officers who were surveyed after working on the street for six years (n=184). The current study employs a different approach to job satisfaction by querying officers across several job-related features and by examining satisfaction across officer sex, race/ethnicity, and sex-race/ethnicity categories. Results suggest that, while this sample of NYPD officers were generally satisfied with their job, and that there was much consensus regarding specific categories of satisfaction, important differences emerged between men and women officers, between White, Black, and Hispanic officers, and between several interaction (gender by race/ethnicity) categories. We discuss the findings in terms of broader trends within the NYPD and the traditional, male-centered police subculture, as well as with regard to efforts at sustaining a representative police department through officer retention.