Intro to Policing Exam 3 Chapter 12
Abuse of authority--physical abuse
(police brutality and police violence), in which officers use more physical force than is necessary during interactions with the public
In 2012, the ownership of the NPMSRP was transferred to the
Cato Institute
Deviance that does not result in personal gain
Perjury, Sleeping While on Duty, Sex While on Duty, Consuming Drugs or Alcohol While on Duty, Police Brutality, Deadly Force
Peer Group/Socialization--causes of deviance and misconduct
The socialization process that police officers experience when entering the profession is another potential cause of police deviance. The socialization process is the primary way that police officers learn their occupational values and morals
Individual officer--cause of deviance and misconduct
Traits associated with individual police officers involved in misconduct, such as poor decision-making, impulsivity, immorality, or some other personality flaw. Additional individual officer characteristics include age, sex/gender, race, and education
Police misconduct
acts committed by police officers that violate department policies and procedures--includes cases in which police officers use physical force when it is not warranted according to guidelines provided by department policies and officer training
Blue Wall of Silence
an unwritten rule, embedded within the police subculture, which protects the interests of police officers who violate criminal law
Abuse of authority
any action by a police officer without regard to motive, intent, or malice that tends to injure, insult, tread on human dignity, manifest feelings of inferiority, and/or violates an inherent legal right of a member of the police constituency
When a scandal involving the police is brought to the public's attention, it is common for police chiefs to blame the misconduct on
bad apples
Some police officers are not allowed to work at
bars or liquor stores, dance clubs, and strip clubs, as these places can provide easy access to illegal activities,83 and [Page 226]the unsavory reputations of these businesses do not mirror the same image that is viewed as desirable by police administrators
Philip Stinson (a former police officer and attorney turned academic)
began collecting data on incidents of police crime
Acts of wrongdoing in the reform era
burglaries, briberies, and protection of illegal vice activities such as gambling and prostitution
If there is corruption among other prominent people within a community (such as prosecutors, politicians, and other community leaders), police officers may use that as an
excuse to justify their own behavior--if deviance is tolerated within local city government, there is also a chance that police deviance would be tolerated by police organizations
Two ways to think about the socialization process
from a value-predisposition perspective and a values-learned perspective
Rotten Pockets
groups of police officers are working together when they are involved in acts of deviance
Organizational rules
how organizational rules that govern police corruption are established, communicated, and understood by police personnel
socialization process from a values-learned perspective
idea that police values are learned through the socialization and culturalization processes that take place when people enter the policing profession
Officers who earn low salaries may seek additional money through
illegitimate or illegal means (shakedowns, briberies, robberies, etc.) and by taking on second jobs, or moonlighting
The National Police Misconduct Statistics and Reporting Project (NPMSRP)
includes collection of misconduct data from various media sources--verified by NPMSRP staff
Police deviance occurs in American police agencies today; however, it is difficult to determine exactly how prevalent it is because
many police agencies do not track incidents of police deviance (they are not required to keep track), and those that do keep track may be reluctant to provide that [Page 222]information to the public
Commission suggested that the removal of veteran officers who were grass eaters was one way to prevent
new police officers from becoming corrupt, as they would no longer have anyone modeling this type of behavior for them
Direct Involvement in Criminal Activities
officers' engaging in felonies such as burglary, robbery, and larceny for monetary or material reward
Bad apples
one or a few police officers that are involved in acts of wrongdoing--believed to be unlike or unrepresentative of the rest of the officers working within the police organization
In April 2019, USA TODAY released a
database consisting of cases of police misconduct where officers have been investigated and/or disciplined (this includes cases that both did and did not result in arrests--consists of records from thousands of police agencies
limitation of the Stinson database
only includes incidents where police officers were arrested; thus, there could be other incidents of police misconduct that occurred but did not result in arrest, media outlets may also choose to report only the most egregious cases that come to their attention
a number of police officers that were grass eaters had learned this behavior from
other veteran officers working within the organization
Police deviance in community/problem-solving era
police corruption scandals continue to be exposed
The nature of police work has also been identified as a contributing factor to
police deviance
A lack of supervision or inadequate oversight of police officers also allows acts of
police deviance to go unnoticed
A 2019 study using data from the London Metropolitan Police Department found evidence that
police officers involved in deviant acts can influence the spread of misconduct within a police organization
Abuse of authority--psychological abuse
police officers verbally assault, ridicule, discriminate against, or harass someone or threaten to take formal police action that is not justified against that person
Abuse of authority--legal abuse
police officers violate an individual's constitutional, federally protected, or state-protected rights
Grass eaters
police officers who accept payoffs and gratuities from which the circumstances of police work might develop
Consuming Drugs or Alcohol While on Duty
police officers who consume these substances shortly before or during their shifts--dangerous
Meat eaters
police officers who misuse their power and position to exploit situations for large payoffs in a premeditated manner
The socialization process reflects the
police subculture that is present within police organizations
Police deviance in the political era
serious problem stemming from intense political involvement, officers were handpicked by local politicians in an effort to help them maintain their positions--politicians would receive sums of money from the men that they hired to serve in these positions
Police agency records
source of information on police deviance--not every police agency collects this information and in cases where they do collect it, they are not obligated to release this information to the public
Rotten branches
subunits within police organizations (such as specialized units—gang-suppression units, vice squads, etc.) that are involved in corrupt activities
Rotten orchard
systems become the contexts for widespread and institutionalized rule-bending and illegality ... a wider system failure .... The system includes the police organization, the criminal justice system and the broader socio-political context
Felony Fix
the "fixing" of felony-level cases for money or other forms of material reward--includes tampering with evidence and giving false testimony in court proceedings to influence the outcome of felony court cases
Corruption of Authority
the acceptance of free or discounted meals/liquor, services, or property/goods by police officers--Some business owners see it as a gesture to show their appreciation to the local police, while others believe that it can lead to more serious forms of police deviance
Police occupational deviance
the criminal and noncriminal acts that take place during the course of normal work activities and that are committed under the authority that police officers are granted in their positions
Professionalization
the formal process through which police officers learn the norms and values of the profession through training and practice
the public learns of police deviance from
various media sources
The severity of disciplinary actions increased when there was
video footage taken during incidents of police misconduct
Knapp Commission
was formed to investigate police corruption in the NYPD as a result of the Serpico case. This commission concluded that police deviance was not the result of a few "bad apples" in the NYPD; instead, they found evidence of widespread corruption throughout the police department
Internal payoffs
when one officer sells days off, holidays, or work assignments to another officer, or when officers provide payments or favors in exchange for promotions--not very common today, police unions monitor these processes closely to ensure fairness and equity to their members
Protection of illegal activities
when police accept money from vice operations or legitimate businesses operating in an illegal manner
Police Deviance
when police officers are involved in activities or behaviors that are inconsistent with accepted norms, values, or ethics associated with the policing profession
Opportunistic thefts
when police officers commit theft from arrestees, victims, crime scenes, and unprotected property
Misdemeanor/Traffic Fix
when police officers dispose of traffic tickets and other misdemeanor-level citations in exchange for money or some other kind of reward
Perjury
when police officers lie or withhold information while under oath--erodes the credibility of police officers in the courtroom
Example of police corruption
when police officers take money from crime scenes for their own personal use instead of logging the money into evidence as part of their criminal investigation
Shakedowns
when police officers take money or other items of value from traffic offenders or criminals that are caught in the act of committing crimes
Police Brutality
when police officers use abusive language, intimidation, and threats toward people (including threats with weapons); conduct unwarranted stops and searches; and use nonlethal physical force on people when it is not justified--1% of cases
police deviance behaviors are either
(1) activities that result in some personal gain for police officers, and (2) activities that do not result in any gain for police officers
police corruption
Acts that are committed by police officers during work that result in some kind of personal gain or gain for others
2018 study analyzed data collected by the NPMSRP found that
An analysis of 691 cases of police misconduct from 2015 revealed that 39% involved violence, 21% involved alcohol/drugs, 18% involved department policy violations, 15% involved sex, and 7% involved acts motivated by personal gain or profit.57 Approximately 64% of misconduct incidents resulted in disciplinary action--disciplinary action more likely to occur when criminal charges were filed against officers involved in misconduct, and the severity of disciplinary action increased when formal charges were filed against the officer(s)
Community--Causes of Police Deviance and Misconduct
Corruption among prominent people within a community (such as prosecutors, politicians, and other community leaders) can be used as an excuse by police officers involved in acts of misconduct to justify their own behavior. Corrupt actions by other officials suggest that corruption is tolerated within a community. Additional community factors utilized in research on this topic include percentage of poverty and education levels, population mobility, racial/ethnic population composition, percentage of youth in population, percentage of female-headed households, unemployment rates, and percentage of households receiving government assistance
NYPD and Frank Serpico
Corruption in NYPD were revealed when Frank Serpico reported that police officers were involved in vice racketeering and other illegal activities--When he refused to accept money from vice operations, he was treated as a "rat" or outcast by his colleagues
Deviances that result in personal gain
Corruption of Authority, Kickbacks, Protection of Illegal Activities, Opportunistic Thefts, Misdemeanor/Traffic Fix, Felony Fix, Direct Involvement in Criminal Activities, Internal Payoffs, Shakedowns
Causes of police deviance and misconduct
Individual officer, Peer/Group Socialization, Organization, Community
Deviance can lower
Morale among officers--when someone publicly makes mistakes, it effects the whole department
USA Today Database reveals that
Most incidents of police misconduct involve minor infractions--shows that there are officers who are frequently named in investigations of misconduct or "repeat offenders"
Organization--Causes of Police Deviance and Misconduct
Organizational factors such as low pay/inadequate salaries, a lack of opportunity for advancement and promotion, insufficient supervision, and the autonomous nature of police work contribute to police deviance. Additional organizational factors include organizational size, formal policies, number of districts or precincts, presence of internal affairs, ratio of nonsworn employees working in the organization, and the number of hours of training
Controlling police deviance according to Herman Goldstein
Organizational rules, the code or blue certain, public expectations, prevention and control mechanisms
Rotten barrels
When some police officers begin their careers as "good cops" but end up becoming "bad cops" or rotten apples--means that police misconduct is part of the police subculture within a police organization.
Testilying
a slang term used for police officers giving false testimony against defendants in criminal trials
High levels of discretion and opportunity
can result in instances in which police officers make the wrong decision and choose to participate in deviant acts, easily frequently interact with people who are involved in criminal activities
Third degree
common course of action to get confessions from people--involved questioning suspects for extended periods of time without food, water, or sleep; using bright lights and threats during interrogations; and using physical force to get people to provide them with information
Police deviance can also undermine the efforts of police agencies that are committed to
community policing--If community members do not trust their local police because of known police misconduct, it is likely that they will not want to partner with them
New police officers may begin their careers being trained by seasoned officers that may be involved in deviant activities and some officers will
continue to participate in such activities over the course of their careers
Cato Institute
continued to track media accounts of police misconduct across the United States to provide an estimate of the extent of this problem--publishes an annual report to raise public awareness of this issue
Police deviance may become an accepted practice by police officers if there is a presence of
corruption in the community or local government
Police crime
crimes committed by sworn law enforcement officers who are given the general powers of arrest at the time the offense was committed (on or off of duty)
Stinson's Database
includes summary information on 10,287 criminal arrest cases from the years 2005-2014 involving 8,495 individual nonfederal sworn law enforcement officers, each of whom were charged with one or more crimes. The arrested officers were employed by 3,429 state, local and special law enforcement agencies located in 1,486 counties and independent cities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia
when police officers with records of misconduct transitioned between working groups within the police organization, they consistently
increased the likelihood that officers working around them would also be accused of bad behavior
Kickbacks
instances in which police officers accept gifts, money, goods, or services for referring people to specific businesses (towing companies, ambulances, bail bonds, etc.)
Criticisms of rotten apples
it does not account for the long history of police corruption present in some police agencies, does not explain the absence of police deviance in other police agencies, does not explain why some police officers begin their careers as "good cops" but end up becoming "bad cops" or rotten apples
USA Today Database limitations
it only includes records from police agencies that track incidents of police misconduct and that make this information available to the public--the only way that we can get a complete picture of this issue is if police agencies are required to systematically collect this data and make it accessible to the public
causes of police deviance that come from within police organizations
low pay or inadequate salaries, lack of opportunity for advancement and promotion (which can ultimately lead to additional pay)
Acts of deviance can
lower the public's confidence in the police and erode the relationship between these two groups and increase citizen complaints--cost taxpayers money in the form of settlements and payouts
Police socialization process is the
primary way that officers learn their occupational values and morals
vice crimes
prostitution, illegal gambling, and the illegal sale of alcohol, etc
Sex While on Duty
refers to police officers who engage in sexual acts during their scheduled shifts
Sleeping While on Duty
refers to police officers who sleep or take naps during their scheduled shifts--officers are not able to provide necessary services to the public if they are sleeping on the job
How agencies combat moonlighting
restrict the number of hours worked at a secondary job or not allow it at all, also restrict the type of businesses in which police officers can work at for a second job
socialization process from a value-predisposition perspective
the idea that people bring with them a set of broader societal values when they enter police organizations--societal values that are valued by police agencies are reinforced, while the societal values that conflict police agencies are replaced or changed during the processes of professionalization and culturalization
Culturalization
the informal process experienced by police officers as they learn the norms and values of the profession through interactions with their field training supervisor, "war stories" told by more seasoned police officers with whom they work, and personal experiences on the job
Multivariate analysis revealed that if there was more than one officer present on the scene of misconduct incidents
the odds of disciplinary action being taken against the officer decreased, and in cases where discipline was taken, it was likely to be less severe
Acts of wrongdoing in the political era
the receipt of money, goods, and services from business owners under the agreement that the police would provide additional security to their businesses, ignored vice crimes if they were given some of the profits that resulted from these activities
Police deviance in the reform era
the use of the third degree, police officers' use of excessive force against people of color was reported by the media
Moonlighting is problematic because
there are people who will not be able to perform their duties as police officers as a result of being tired from working a second job
Police corruption and police misconduct
two subsets of occupational deviance
Grass eaters and meat eaters
two types of corrupt officers
(1) occupational deviance and (2) abuse of authority
two types of police deviance
(1) nonsexual contact (sexual harassment, flirting while on duty); (2) voyeuristic contact (watching other people have sex in public places); (3) contact with crime victims (sexual harassment); (4) contact with offenders (inappropriate body searches, frisks, and pat downs); (5) contact with juvenile offenders (sexual harassment and sexual contact); (6) sexual shakedowns (officers demanding sex from people involved in criminal activities); and (7) citizen-initiated contact (consensual sex between police officers and citizens)
types of police sexual misconduct
Deadly Force
use this when it is not warranted--not enough data to know the extent of this
Discretionary power in political era
used in questionable ways when interacting with immigrants and impoverished residents, which often included acts of brutality
