Date of Award

8-2026

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Sociology

First Advisor

Barry Goetz, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Ashlyn Kuersten, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Ronald Kramer, Ph.D.

Fourth Advisor

Beixi Li, Ph.D.

Keywords

Community policing, culture, policing

Abstract

One key group in policing that has seen an increase in public and media attention but not research is the cold case investigation unit. These units tend to be more “bureaucratic”, focusing on communication, community-engagement skills, and “desk work”. Thus, this is a potential area for learning techniques and policies that shift the mentalities within police culture to be more accepting of new community focused policies. This study also seeks to address a gap in current research related to studying specialized police units.

The purpose of this study is to describe the organizational dynamics and officers’ tactics, perceptions, and interactions for cold case investigation using an ethnographic case study. I observe a duo of cold case detectives within a dedicated unit inside a city police department (referred to as Woods) for three months, and their formal policies that are publicly accessible. I propose four research questions: What are the salient actions, beliefs, attitudes, and social structures and processes occurring in these cold case investigation units? What are the interactions, perceptions, and tactics used within cold case investigation units? How are these beliefs, attitudes, actions, and policies different and/or similar to the traditional police culture? Why are we seeing an increase in cold case units being created within police departments and what possible function could this serve the larger community and police relations?

Results show that there are multiple similarities between cold case units and traditional police units in both behaviors and culture. First, a strong culture of camaraderie is observed through joking, cooperation, and a high degree of discretion in detectives’ work hours and decision making. The usage of jokes allows detectives to continue to display their masculinity and possibly sublimate trauma responses in an organization that places a high value upon appearing masculine and “tough”. Along with the emphasis on masculinity was a derogation of those considered outsiders (women, suspects, the courts, and other police departments). Woods detectives also emphasize respecting a hierarchy while allowing those higher in the hierarchy to be flexible in their usage of their power and position; expertise and efficiency in all decision making and policies; and an outsourcing of traditional detective duties to civilian positions. While rare, Woods detectives also display several instances of rule subversions when comparing their behavior to the department’s formal policies. The primary instances of community-mindedness are both within these policies and the cold case unit detectives, indicating that the unique challenges cold case detectives face may foster an increased acceptance and enactment of these policies and training shifts.

Overall, this ethnographic case study allows for a glimpse into the decision-making processes of cold case detectives and how their behaviors and beliefs reflect both deterrence/ traditional and community-minded mentalities, reinforcing the theory that mentalities within policing are a toolkit rather than a dichotomy. This study also examines organizational theories regarding the dissemination of police techniques and the usage of specialized units as legitimacy-generating devices for the police organization as it faces its current legitimacy crisis.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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Criminology Commons

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