The Hermeneutics of Suspicion in Policing

Sor Juana practiced hermeneutics—critical interpretation of texts and meanings—to expose how power shapes what is 'readable' as legitimate or deviant, questioning authorities' interpretations of her conduct. Applied to cross-cultural policing, hermeneutics of suspicion means systematically interrogating the interpretive frameworks through which police determine who appears 'suspicious.' Why does a gathering of young men of color appear threatening while a college fraternity party appears benign? Why are religious prayer practices criminalized in some communities but protected in others? These interpretive gaps reveal cultural bias embedded in police perception. By practicing deliberate hermeneutical analysis, departments can expose how dominant culture's interpretive frameworks create differential threat assessments. An officer trained in hermeneutics of suspicion would ask: What interpretive traditions am I bringing to this encounter? How might this behavior mean something different in this community's framework? Am I misreading cultural expression through my cultural lens? This critical practice creates space for more equitable interpretation of behavior across cultural contexts.