Deviant organizational messages among suspect police officers in Israel

In light of criticism against the Israel National Police in recent years for excessive use of physical force, the personal views of Israeli police officers were elicited regarding the illegal use of force. Personal questionnaires were administered to a sample od police officers who had been investigates for using illegal force against citizens between 1989 and 1997. Informal messages contrary to the organization's formal messages regarding the use of force, and justifying it in certain circumstances and for certain types of offense, seemed highly prevalent, especially among middle-rank police officers. The results obtained provide support for the existence of a deviant organizational subculture.