Critical Issues in Policing Background to Policing Ethnocentric

Critical Issues in Policing • Background to Policing Ethnocentric Bias to the invention of the police. Peel thought it reasonable. • American Model of Policing: not simply inherited from England. 1. Violence 2. Pluralism 3. American Belief in the Law

Critical Issues in Policing • American Model of Policing: not simply inherited from England 4. Fascination with Technology • Several Themes 1. Publicly defined role as violent 2. Technologically sophisticated 3. Crime related 4. Professionally oriented 5. 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 mandate 1. Efficient 2. Apolitical 3. Professional enforcers of the law

Critical Issues in Policing • Manning: mandate is unmanageable and as a result of failure to meet expectations, manipulation of appearances 1. Strategies 2. Tactics • Police mandate in modern society determined by publics Excitement 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 law 2. Police work as peace keeping 3. Police in the political system 4. The efficient, symptom-oriented organization • Major strategies of the police 1. The guise of professionalism

Critical Issues in Policing • Major strategies of the police 1. The guise of professionalism 2. Technology, stats, and the crime rate 3. Styles of patrol 4. Secrecy and collaboration 5. 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 Media Who are the Media? Entertainment vs. News Consistent Themes about the police A complicated relationship • What are the functions of the police? Crime Control Social Services Order Maint.

Critical Issues in Policing • The Social Realities of Policing What is the job of police officer like? Public’s perception: it’s dangerous Is 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 cjs 2. Police are most complex and controversial of all components of cjs 3. 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 Ethics Examines one’s duty to act. Duty matters more than results. Hard to do the right thing all the time for people. q Immanuel Kant Expanded 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 Policing Why Would Women Want to Be Cops? Three general experiences during careers 1. Acceptance problems 2. Career adjustments—catch 22 3. Abuse and harassment

Women in Policing History of Women in Policing 1820 s moral entrepeneurs Post Civil War: WCTU and General Federation of Women’s Clubs NYC first to hire f/t police matrons

Women in Policing Why did we see female officers outside prisons/jails in the early 20 th century? Technological advances, intellectual changes, morality shifts.

Women in Policing Factors 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

Women in Policing Women who serve today: A profile Numbers Personal Characteristics Race Education Previous work experience Family background

Women in Policing This 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 Policing Comparison of Male and Female Job Performance-research findings. Females: patrol equally effective more restraint with firearms more restraint in domestics greater sensitivity to community

Women in Policing Comparison of Male and Female Job Performance-research findings Females: less use of sick time less disciplinary action assaulted more often more vehicle collisions more injuries

Women in Policing Men: better shooting ability superior strength and agility less assistance in making arrests

Women in Policing A More Contemporary View: Women and Community Policing Familiarity w/ community Decentralization of power Prevention Social Work Success in a Difficult Career POLICEwoman vs. Police. WOMAN

Women in Policing Stress-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 Officers Growing Acceptance? Stephen Leinen’s study Politicalization 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 Abuse DWB Profiling Stop and Frisks Verbal 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 Windows §Broken Windows and NYC §Broken Windows and the NYC Mayoral Race §Broken Windows and Minority Communities §The Problems with Broken Windows

Police Use of Force • • The Meaning of Excessive Force Tennessee v. Garner Patterns of Police Use of Force Continuum Physical presence Soft-handed Mace/CS Hard Hands Baton Threat of Deadly Force/Use

Police Use of Force • Research on Use of Force • Police Pursuits and Force A Closer Look at the Numbers Should Officers Pursue? § Use of Force by Off-Duty Officers 1. Generally occurs when out of uniform 2. ODOs involved where on duty do not 3. 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 Complaints Use of Force Reprimands Discharge 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 Subculture The Law and Police Culture The Police Worldview Police Ethos: bravery, autonomy, secrecy Police Themes: Isolation and Solidarity Police Postulates

Police Culture and Behavior • Police Stress Life threatening stressors Social isolation stressors Organizational stressors Functional stressors Personal stressors Physiological stressors Psychological stressors

Police Culture and Behavior Physiological stressors Psychological stressors • Effects of Police Stress PTSD Cumulative 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 Programs August Vollmer’s influence

Critical Issues in Policing: Education and the Police • Development of Police Programs August Vollmer’s influence 2 events in mid/late 1960 s 1. Perception that crime was out of control 2. 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 Justice Task 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 Education Cop 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 Education National Police Corps Police 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 work Benefits 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 MCI Elements: 1. Lack of interest by patrol unless arrest. 2. Lag in time before invest. Arrives 3. Duplication of effort MCI= 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 Operations Second type of proactive investigative tool. • Expanded role in LE, change in type as well. • The “new” undercover work • Issues for undercover operatives