This study explores the relationship between police officer experience and problem behaviors using longitudinal data gathered from a large cohort of officers. As extant research on problem behaviors has been cross-sectional and gathered for a limited number of years, little is known about the patterns of these behaviors over time. As there is no guidance in police research for examining these behaviors across experience, the criminal career paradigm is employed. Results suggest that although experience and problem behaviors are related in an orderly way in the aggregate, there is a substantial amount of variation in these behaviors across the police population. Implications are discussed.
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