Police Process Exam #3

Characteristics of people upon whom deadly force is most often used

Gender: -96% male Race: -50% white -26% black -17% hispanic Threat Posed by Subject -Subject fired shots, showed gun, or attacked with bare hands- 74% -Did not involve a firearm or an active attack, but involved dangerous threats, like refusing to drop knife- 16% -Failed to follow orders, made sudden moves, accidentally shot- 5%

Rankings about police honesty and ethics

Honesty: - Honesty is the best policy - Though sometimes the police lie to a suspect in interrogation, which is allowed - It is NOT legal to lie in reports, in response to other officers or supervisors on official matters, or in court during a testimony Ethics: - Training must be built on a culture of integrity

Tallies on number of citizens killed by the police

In 2018 the police shot and killed 998 people in the USA

Noble Cause Corruption

Knowing misconduct by a police officer with the goal of attaining what the officer believes is a "just" result.

Research has shown that of all injuries police officers sustain, about 10% are the result of assaults on officers

True

Research has shown that subjects' risk of death in a taser-related use of force incident is less that 0.25%

True

Tasers have been shown to be more effective than OC spray in incapacitating subjects without the need for additional force to be used

True

Technology and training can lessen the actual risks and dangers of the police

True

The best predictor of how often officers use force is the number of arrests that they make

True

The number of citizen complaints received by a police department may have more to do with that is required to file a complaint than it does the quality police services provided in that community

True

There is a strong argument to be made that an officer who has been sanctioned for lying should actually be dismissed

True

Typically, more police officers die as a result of accidents per year than because they are murdered

True

Unauthorized use of sick time can be considered a form of police misconduct

True

When it comes to combating police corruption and misconduct, there is no greater enemy than the code of silence

True

Patterns regarding police use of force (e.g., who uses it most often)

-Younger officers more likely to use force than older officers -Less experienced more than experienced -High crime times influence use of force -Arrest activity is the strongest predictor of use of force

Early Intervention Systems

- A management information system that systematically compiles and analyzes data on problematic police officer behavior, citizen complaints, police officer use-of-force reports, and other indicators to identify officers with recurring performance problems. - Also known as an Early Warning System

Stressors by shift

-1st shift: most desirable, but may have to work holidays and weekends like other shifts. Also more supervision which can be stressful -2nd shift: stressful for social and family aspects -3rd shift: disruption of circadian rhythm and overall health issues; short and long term -Especially problematic are rotating shifts

Effectiveness of body armor

-Different models of body armor have different ratings that refer to their effectiveness in stopping bullets fired from various firearms -More accurate to say it is bullet resistant -Designed to absorb and distribute the force of the bullet throughout the vest -Officers often experience bruising, blunt trauma, etc. at the point of contact -Doesn't protect from stabbing -In 2015, about 79% of officers killed with firearm were wearing body armor at the time -ONCE A VEST HAS BEEN STRUCK BY GUNFIRE IT IS NO LONGER EFFECTIVE

Body armor as standard equipment

-During the last 30 years, the lives of more than 3,000 officers have been saved as a result of armor -Most police departments today require officers to wear bullet-resistant vests

Frequency of felonious and accidental deaths to officers, trends and patterns, FBI statistics

-In most years, there are more officers accidentally killed than there are murdered -2018: 69 murdered, 2011: high of 72 -2018: 81 accidentally killed, 2007: high of 83 -About 50 officers murdered per year (of approximately 600,000) -Arrest situations and shootings most often associated with murders -Vehicle accidents most often associated with accidental deaths

less-than-lethal forms of force

-OC Spray (pepper spray) -Electronic Control Weapons (Taser)

Continuum of force, and its limitations

-Officers are to use only as much force as necessary to overcome the threat / resistance posed by the subject -Limitation: 1. Specific enough to guide action? 2. Considers subject resistance? 3. Considers "threat assessment"?

Stress vs. Burnout

-Stress: occurs when a person experiences any physiological and/or psychological demand that causes that person to have to adjust to that demand -Burnout: prolonged response to stress; overwhelmed, hopeless, emotionally exhausted

Frequency of citizen complaints

-They are uncommon -Though all citizens who reported said the police didn't behave properly during a street or traffic stop, only about 3% filed a complaint

Suicide by Cop, characteristics and frequency of incidents

-When a subject take deliberate actions to get shot by the police -Difficult to determine the extent of SBC... 11% to 80% of all police shootings

Most common "stressors" in police work

1. Killing someone in the line of duty (few officers exposed) 2. Having a fellow officer killed 3. Being physically attacked 4. Investigating a battered child 5. Participating in a high speed pursuit 6. Shift work 7. Using force 8. Having inadequate departmental support (many officers exposed) 9. Having an incompetent partner 10. Being involved in a squad accident

Methods of measuring police misconduct, limitations

1. Self-report surveys -Relies entirely on the honestly of officers, and there may be reason for them to be dishonest -Difficult to put the number of reported incidents into perspective 2. Citizen complaints filed -Only from their perspective with the officer -Uncommon 3. Number of lawsuits against police department -Only filed for more serious allegations -Only a small fraction occur -Don't provide complete and accurate representation of police misconduct 4. Media reports -More likely to only report the most serious stories -May not provide complete accounts 5. Decertification statistics / reports -Only involves most serious misconduct -Rules vary across states for reasons why for decertification -More decertification does not necessarily mean more misconduct

Types of force, and frequency of

1. Verbal force (commands and threats) 2. Deadly force (firearm) vs. non-lethal force -Not common relatively speaking 3. Less than lethal force 4. Other weapon-based force (baton) 5. Bodily force -Most common type of physical force and the most likely to result in officer and subject injuries

Types of force and likelihood of officer / subject injuries

1. Verbal force (commands and threats) 2. Deadly force (firearm) vs. non-lethal force 3. Less than lethal force 4. Other weapon-based force (baton) 5. Bodily force -Most common type of physical force and the most likely to result in officer and subject injuries

Risks of police vehicle pursuits

5% of police vehicle accidents result from pursuits -When people are hurt as a result of police pursuits, usually it is the fleeing subjects ans innocent bystanders, not officers

Frequency of PTSD in officers

7% to 19% depending on the study -Often found to be more common among officers than among members of other occupations not typically exposed to traumatic situations

21-foot rule, and its limitations

A subject can pose a significant threat to a police officer when that person is within a 21 foot boundary of the officer -Reasoning hold that it takes 1.5 to 2 seconds for a police officer to get out gun and shoot and in that time a person with a knife can cover 21 feet -Limitations 1. Potential vs. actual threat 2. Characteristics of the subject 3. Capabilities of officer 4. Environmental conditions 5. Does not indicate when a firearm should be used

Code of secrecy, code of silence

An unwritten rule of the police culture that holds officers should not report the misconduct of fellow officers. It is a human phenomenon, not just a police phenomenon

Frequency of sexual harassment in policing

Between 53% and 77% of female officers have experienced at least 1 sexually harassing behaviors in their policing careers -Usually from coworkers -Usually verbal -Usually never reported

Burnout, PTSD, and stress have the same causes and consequences

False

By law every police department in the U.S. operates under the same continuum of force policy

False

Data collected by the FBI show more citizens were killed by the police in 2015 than any other year in history

False

Police use of excessive force is a good example of police corruption.

False

Police work is dangerous because more officers die while performing the job than do workers in any other occupation

False

Self-report surveys are a good way of accurately estimating the extent of misconduct among officers

False

Some types of police corruption can be good

False

The 21-foot rule basically eliminates police discretion in deadly force situations

False

The code of silence is unique to the police. It seldom exists in other social groups, occupations, or organizations

False

The continuum of force can be thought of as a tool of the police that basically eliminates discretion in use of force situations

False

The phenomenon known as suicide by cop is basically a media construction; in reality, it does not actually exist

False

The research is clear: Police officers do not live as long as members of the general population

False

Workplace stress is not difficult to measure accurately

False

Meaning of "police corruption"

Misuse of authority for personal gain Examples: -Gratuities -Accepting bribes -Theft (many circumstances) -Extortion

When is force most often used

Most often used in arrest situations and when suspect is "resisting" (or disrespectful)

Frequency of police officer injuries by cause (accident, assault)

Non-Fatally Injured -10% due to assaults -50% due to complete accidents -40% involved a subject but not an assault

Of all injuries to officers, frequency of officer serious injuries

Of all incidents, serious injuries are uncommon (5%) -Most injuries are lacerations, abrasions, and strains

Research has identified dealing with bosses and dealing with coworkers as 2 of the most stressful aspects of work

True

Relative frequency of police suicide

Police officers are NOT more prone to suicide than comparable people in other occupations -Similar causes for police officers and for others

Frequency of force vs. all arrests

Police use of force is relatively infrequent -Bodily force is most common -Approximately 2-3% of arrests involve use of force, physical force of some sort

Circumstances of police vehicles accidents

Police vehicle accidents are significant risks for officers. Most common during routine patrol -Most serious injuries result from crashes during emergency responses or when officers are on motorcycles

Policing as a dangerous occupation, rankings

The police occupation does NOT rank among the top 10 most dangerous jobs

Actual danger vs. perceptions of dangers

To an extent policing is dangerous, it is not simply because of murders and assaults, as these incidents are relatively uncommon -Still, police work feels dangerous

How to reduce dangers / risks of police work

Training and equipment can mitigate but not eliminate the dangers on the job -For example: body armor

According to the research, of all citizens who report officers did not behave appropriately during a street stop or traffic stop, fewer than 5% actually file a complaint

True

Bodily force is the most common type of physical force used by police officers

True

Citizen complaints are most likely to be received by officers early in their careers

True

Early intervention systems are designed to identify officers that represent a potential problem and correct their behavior before they engage in more serious conduct

True

In police vehicle pursuits, fleeing motorists are much more likely to crash than the police

True

Most police officer motor vehicle crashes occur while officers are on routine patrol, not when responding with lights and sirens in emergency situations

True

Issues associated with police honesty and deception

When Honesty isn't needed: - Undercover Missions - Interviewing a Suspect in Interrogation - Trying to get a suspect off the Street When Honesty is Needed: - When Testifying - In Police Reports