The Motivation of Members of the Voluntary Police Service in BW: A qualitative Study

Bandura's learning theory (1977/1999) and his indirect value transmission theory in which the norms and the culture of the family and the society are transmitted, can arguably support the development of motivations to apply for the police service. Like-wise, identified procedures count for applying to the ‘Freiwillige Polizeidienst’. Volunteers have a variety of motives, mainly altruistic, social and egoistic. The results show that volunteers are not always aware of their motives, which supports similar researches in the United Kingdom.