Predicting the police code of silence in China: does rural or urban setting matter?

PurposeThis study aims to examine disparities in the code of silence between rural and urban police officers in China.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from a national police university in China in 2017. In total, 608 Chinese police officers were surveyed, all of whom attended the in-service training program at the university.FindingsResults suggest that rural officers in China are more likely to embrace the code of silence than their urban counterparts. Additionally, this study demonstrates significant influences of such organizational and environmental factors as police type, agency location and perception of misconduct seriousness on adherence to the code of silence.Research limitations/implicationsThis study used a convenient sampling approach, which restricts the generalizability of the results.Practical implicationsGiven the stronger code of silence among rural officers, there should be more efforts devoted to cultivating a positive ethical climate within rural police organizations. These efforts may need to come from higher levels of government, given the administrative structure in China. In addition, police supervisors in rural agencies should play an important role, given that they are the first line of defense in detecting and responding to misconduct, and are essential in fostering and sustaining a good ethical environment within the police agency.Originality/valueUsing unique policing data collected from China, this study addresses an important gap in the literature regarding research on rural-urban differences in the police code of silence.