Donut time: the use of humor across the police work environment

– The purpose of this research is to examine ritualistic humor or joking that exists in a small, rural police department in Western New York.

– Data were collected through participatory observations and interviews during the summer of 2014. Both authors worked in tandem to capitalize on individual expertise to maximize data collection and analyses.

– Results suggest that humor is leveraged by officers to socialize, cope and demarcate authority. Depending on the circumstance, humor can be orchestrated or spontaneous, given the intentions of the officer.

– Humor is an important lens through which to view police behavior. The current research underscores the importance of levity as a gauge of organizational and individual health.