Critical Issues in Policing Background to Policing Ethnocentric Bias to the invention of the...

Critical Issues in Policing

Background to PolicingEthnocentric Bias to the invention of the police. Peel thought it reasonable.

American Model of Policing: not simply inherited from England.1.Violence2. Pluralism3. American Belief in the Law

Critical Issues in Policing

American Model of Policing: not simply inherited from England 4. Fascination with Technology

Several Themes1. Publicly defined role as violent2.Technologically sophisticated3. Crime related4.Professionally oriented5. Must be viewed by society that way

Critical Issues in Policing

Peter Manning and Egon Bittner:The police are not controlled by the law but use it to gain public support for their actions.

Manning’s Mandate

Police have set out their mandate1. Efficient2. Apolitical3. Professional enforcers of the law

Critical Issues in Policing

Manning: mandate is unmanageable and as a result of failure to meet expectations, manipulation of appearances1. Strategies2. Tactics

Police mandate in modern society determined by publicsExcitement of police work: reinforce mandate and used by org to define success

Critical Issues in Policing

Factors Relating to the Police Mandate:1. Ambiguity of the criminal law2. Police work as peace keeping3. Police in the political system4. The efficient, symptom-oriented organization

Major strategies of the police1. The guise of professionalism

Critical Issues in Policing

Major strategies of the police1. The guise of professionalism2. Technology, stats, and the crime rate3. Styles of patrol4. Secrecy and collaboration5. Symbiosis and justice

Bittner’s Function of Police in Society

The Public’s Perception of the Police

Critical Issues in Policing

The Police and the MediaWho are the Media? Entertainment vs. News

Consistent Themes about the policeA complicated relationship

What are the functions of the police?Crime ControlSocial ServicesOrder Maint.

Critical Issues in Policing

The Social Realities of PolicingWhat is the job of police officer like?Public’s perception: it’s dangerousIs it boring?Does it require more action or compassion skills?What kind of police do we want?

Transition from citizen to officer: do we need it?

Critical Issues in Policing

Transition from citizen to officer: do we need it? Are police officers different from other citizens?Military organization: is this good? Does it encourage new ideas? Does it reinforce machismo?

Inservice or FTO training: what does this do for status quo?

Critical Issues in Policing

Officer is on his/her own: what kinds of skills have we instilled in them? Are their skills technical or more subjective and cognitive?

Critical Issues in Policing

From individuals to policing in general: a few things to think about.1. Police largest and most powerful component of cjs2. Police are most complex and controversial of all components of cjs3. Police will, by nature of activities be unjust and offensive to someone.

Critical Issues in Policing

From individuals to policing in general: a few things to think about. 4. Role in society means police power will be focused on young, poor, minorities. Why? Bittner’s comments.

Corruption

Three Important Issues in LE: Terrorism, Ethics/Corruption, Recruitment

Defining Morality and Ethics: Whose definition?

Ethics of Process or Ethics of Results: Do the ends justify the means?

As a form of philosophy, ethics is a means of inquiry or to evaluate behavior.

Corruption

Utilitarianism=Consequentialism

Basically, actions should ensure the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. If consequences are good=action is moral, if not….

Important question though: What is good and Who’s good should we be concerned with?

Corruption

Deonotological EthicsExamines one’s duty to act. Duty

matters more than results. Hard to do the right thing all the time for people.

Immanuel KantExpanded duty to act by including good

will/intention.Problem is that some can be convinced

it is a good idea when it is not.

Corruption

Source of Ethics Defining ethical behavior often depends on the context in which the decision is made and the source from which the decision makers draw perceptions of right and wrong.

Justice: what does that mean? Law Agency Policy Professional Code of Ethics Social Norms and Personal Values

Corruption

Sherman’s identification of inappropriate values that veteran officers teach rookies:

Enforcement decisions Disrespect Use of Force Due Process Deception Responding to calls Rewards Loyalty

Corruption

Crime, Corruption, Abuse and Illegal Behavior: Police Crime, Occupational Deviance, Corruption, and Abuse of Authority

Women in PolicingWhy Would Women Want to Be Cops?

Three general experiences during careers1. Acceptance problems

2. Career adjustments—catch 22

3. Abuse and harassment

Women in PolicingHistory of Women in Policing

1820s moral entrepeneurs

Post Civil War: WCTU and General Federation of Women’s Clubs

NYC first to hire f/t police matrons

Women in PolicingWhy did we see female officers outside prisons/jails in the early 20th century?

Technological advances, intellectual changes, morality shifts.

Women in PolicingFactors shaping the development of female policing in the US.

1. Moral Basis

2. Volunteers

3. Proselytizing

4. Opposition from senior officers

5. Specialized police work

6. Protect own sex

Why did we see female officers outside prisons/jails in the early 20th century?

Technological advances, intellectual changes, morality shifts.

Women in PolicingWomen who serve today: A profile

Numbers

Personal CharacteristicsRaceEducation

Previous work experience

Family background

Women in PolicingThis is a Man’s Job

Reasons offered why women shouldn’t serve

1. Can’t cope with danger

2. Undermine male solidarity

3. Can’t interact with males

4. Physical size

Women in PolicingComparison of Male and Female Job Performance-

research findings- Females:patrol equally effectivemore restraint with firearmsmore restraint in domesticsgreater sensitivity to community

Women in PolicingComparison of Male and Female Job Performance-

research findings Females:less use of sick timeless disciplinary action

assaulted more oftenmore vehicle collisionsmore injuries

Women in PolicingMen:

better shooting abilitysuperior strength and agilityless assistance in making arrests

Women in PolicingA More Contemporary View: Women and Community

PolicingFamiliarity w/ communityDecentralization of powerPreventionSocial Work

Success in a Difficult Career

POLICEwoman vs. PoliceWOMAN

Women in PolicingStress-handle it better than men

Marriage-kids as a balance, but divorce rate really high

Suicides

Deviant Behavior/Corruption

Harassment in the police culture: survey of police chiefs: scenario

Minorities and the Police

Minorities in policing

African American Police OfficersGrowing Acceptance?Stephen Leinen’s studyPoliticalization of AAPO

African American Women Officers

Minorities and the Police

Policing Minority Communities-What do we know?

Violent Crime

Arrests

Use of Force

Deadly Force

Minority Officers: Abusers too?

Minorities and the Police

Other forms of AbuseDWBProfilingStop and FrisksVerbal abuse

Racial Profiling

Minorities and the Police

What to do? A “new breed” of Officer

How to ID candidates? Selecting In vs. Selecting Out

Minorities and the Police

Hate Crimes

Making Sense of Police-Minority Relations

Police/Minority Relations and Broken Windows

Minorities and the Police

Police/Minority Relations and Broken WindowsBroken Windows and NYCBroken Windows and the NYC Mayoral RaceBroken Windows and Minority CommunitiesThe Problems with Broken Windows

Police Use of Force

The Meaning of Excessive Force Tennessee v. Garner Patterns of Police Use of Force Use of Force Continuum

Physical presenceSoft-handedMace/CSHard HandsBatonThreat of Deadly Force/Use

Police Use of Force

Research on Use of Force Police Pursuits and Force

A Closer Look at the NumbersShould Officers Pursue?

Use of Force by Off-Duty Officers1. Generally occurs when out of uniform2. ODOs involved where on duty do not3. Shootings more likely to be in violation of policy

Police Use of Force

4. ODOs more likely to use Deadly Force when drinking

So should we allow ODO to carry weapons?

Early Warning Systems to ID Problem Officers—Sam Walker’s work

ComplaintsUse of ForceReprimandsDischarge of Firearms

Police Use of Force

Assaults Against Police Officers—what does the data tell us?

Suicide by Cop—what do we know?

Police Culture and Behavior

The Police Personality

The Psychological Perspective

The Sociological Perspective

Police Culture and Behavior

The Police SubcultureThe Law and Police CultureThe Police WorldviewPolice Ethos: bravery, autonomy, secrecyPolice Themes: Isolation and SolidarityPolice Postulates

Police Culture and Behavior

Police StressLife threatening stressorsSocial isolation stressorsOrganizational stressorsFunctional stressorsPersonal stressorsPhysiological stressorsPsychological stressors

Police Culture and Behavior

Physiological stressorsPsychological stressors

Effects of Police StressPTSDCumulative stress

Stress Burnout Survey

Police Culture and Behavior

Police Suicide

Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

Mortality and Health Problems

Reducing Police Stress

Critical Issues in Policing: Education and the Police

Two basic questions: 1. Are college educated officers better at their jobs than non-college ones?2. Does college make a person a better police officer?

Development of Police ProgramsAugust Vollmer’s influence

Critical Issues in Policing: Education and the Police

Development of Police ProgramsAugust Vollmer’s influence2 events in mid/late 1960s1. Perception that crime was out of control2. Ghetto riots and clashes with the police: beginning of “war on crime.”

1967 President’s Commission on LE and the Administration of Justice

Critical Issues in Policing: Education and the Police

1967 President’s Commission on LE and the Administration of JusticeTask Force on Police: quality of police service can’t be improved until higher education requirements were established.

Created LEAA poured billions of $ into the CJS, focusing on the police. LEEP to provide financial assistance to officers.

Critical Issues in Policing: Education and the Police

The Quality of Higher EducationCop Shops/ courses had training orientation bc of lack of qualified personnel to teach.

Criminal Justice Ph.D. programs developed bc of stagnant market in sociology

Police Foundation study aka National Advisory Commission on Higher Education for Police Officers: recommendations

Critical Issues in Policing: Education and the Police

Police Foundation study aka National Advisory Commission on Higher Education for Police Officers: recommendations

Advantages for colleges

Advantages for police depts.

So does education make for better officers?Police Performance

Incentive Programs for Higher Education

Critical Issues in Policing: Education and the Police

Incentive Programs for Higher EducationNational Police CorpsPolice Cadet Corps

Are college educated officers more intelligent than non-college educated ones?

Does an officer’s intelligence matter?

Are the officers of today more intelligent than they were 50 years ago?

Critical Issues in Policing: Education and the Police

The Drive Towards Professionalism

Investigations

Detective work: the elites of police workBenefits from assignment to detective division

RAND study of detective effectiveness

Research on physical evidence

Performance of Crime Labs

Managing Criminal Investigations MCI

Investigations

Managing Criminal Investigations MCIElements:1. Lack of interest by patrol unless arrest.2. Lag in time before invest. Arrives3. Duplication of effortMCI= specialists called only when unusual problem. Detectives and patrol briefed together.

Investigations

Did MCI work? Maybe.

Sting Operations: considerable investment in resources. Several problems of managing one.

No evidence to show sting operations decrease in rate of property crimes.

Investigations

Undercover OperationsSecond type of proactive investigative tool.

Expanded role in LE, change in type as well.

The “new” undercover work

Issues for undercover operatives