MUNCIE, Ind. – Police officers and their jobs are more accurately portrayed in children’s literature than by popular television shows, says a Ball State University study.

A review of 19 books published in the 1990s, which had police officers as a central theme or as main characters, found the majority portrayed officers or their jobs in a positive and accurate manner, said James Hendricks, a criminal justice professor.

"Reading stories that accurately portray the roles and responsibilities of police officers can influence children to view policing in a positive manner," he said. "The books that were read and analyzed attempted not only to portray police officers in a positive manner, but to also accurately educate children about police and the roles and responsibilities of police officers."

In the review, nine books focused on law enforcement while eight books portrayed the duties of police officers. Two books focused on the public safety aspect of policing.

The books were also examined for storylines with eight books weaving information about policing and officers through plots including children visiting a police station, a stolen bike, a police lecture, a bank robbery/bombing and investigation of a murder using bones. Eight books avoided a story line, simply explaining a police officer’s duties and how the officer spends the day. The remaining three books were based on canine units.

"Officers were portrayed as hard-working dedicated officers whose job is to protect and serve," Hendricks said. "All seemed to portray police roles and responsibilities accurately, although some were limited in their coverage of the various aspects of police work."

Children are better able to understand the role of police officers from books as opposed to fictional television shows and movies. On the big and small screens, police officers are often inaccurately portrayed as crime fighters and not as problem solvers.

"These shows would not be on the airways very long if 15 to 20 minutes of each half-hour show were dedicated to a realistic portrayal of what police actually do," Hendricks said. "Yet, the crime fighter image exists even though it is harmful to the public, police departments and individual officers."

This image does not accurately depict the daily roles and responsibilities of officers, leaving young children with conflicting information, he said.

Correcting the image of what police officers do on a daily basis is one of the goals of community policing programs because research has shown minority populations and people with low socio-economic status have more negative attitudes toward police, Hendricks said.

Through community policing programs, officers regularly meet with youngsters on a one-on-one basis to read books and share information.

"Young children are impressionable and if a child learns something, it will stay with him or her forever," Hendricks said.