Police Process Exam #3
Issues associated with police honesty and deception
For police work deception and even sometimes lying is part of the job, like with interrogations, but there is a line between legal and illegal deception, like writing a police report.
Frequency of felonious and accidental deaths to officers, trends and patterns, FBI statistics
In most years there are more officer deaths due to accidents than there are due to murder, with about 50 officers being murdered per year.
Circumstances of police vehicle accidents
Vehicle accidents are most often associated with accident deaths --> most hazardous.
Meaning of "police corruption"
"Misuse of authority for personal gain", meaning excessive force is not included.
Patterns regarding police use of force (e.g., who uses it most often)
A small percentage of officers in a PD account for a majority of force incidents
Early Intervention Systems
An information management system designed to monitor the performances of officers and identify those officers who show at-risk behaviors.
Code of secrecy, code of silence
An unwritten rule of the police culture that holds officers should not report the misconduct of fellow officers.
Frequency of sexual harassment in policing
Between 53% and 77% of female officers have experienced at least one sexually harassing behavior in their policing careers.
Types of force and likelihood of officer/subject injuries
Bodily force is the most common type of physical force and the most likely to result in officer and subject injuries.
Effectiveness of body armor
Body armor is not Bullet proof but bullet resistant, distributing the force of the bullet throughout the vest. Once struck with gunfire they are no longer effective.
Body armor as standard equipment
Body armor is required by most police departments today, with their cost declining.
Stress vs. burnout
Burnout is a prolonged response to stress; overwhelmed, hopeless, emotionally exhausted
Frequency of citizen complaints
Citizens complaints are uncommon, with research showing 3% of people who reported seeing police misbehaving actually filed a complaint.
Most common "stressors" in police work
Common stressors are: Killing someone, other officers dying, being attacked, using force, a high-speed pursuit, shift work, etc.
When is force most often used
Force is most often used in arrest situations when the subject is "resisting" or not listening to commands.
Continuum of force, and its limitations
Limits: Needs to be specific enough to guide action, consider subjects resistance, and consider "threat assessments".
Methods of measuring police misconduct, limitations
Methods include: Self-report surveys, citizens complaints filed, number of lawsuits filed, media reports, and decertification statistics.
Frequency of officer injuries by cause (accident, assault)
Most officer injuries are caused by accidents not assaults, with 50% due to complete accidents and 10% due to assaults.
Of all injuries to officers, frequency of serious injuries
Of all incidents, serious injuries are uncommon (5%).
Types of force, and frequency of
Officers Presence --> Verbal Command --> Control Talk, Hands-On Techniques --> Bodily Force --> Impact Weapons --> Deadly Force | (Decreases as it goes up)
Frequency of PTSD in officers
Officers have a 7% to 19% chance of having PTSD depending on the study.
Less-than-lethal forms of force
Pepper spray, Tasers, etc.
Relative frequency of police suicide
Police officers are no more likely to commit suicide than demographically comparable people in other occupations.
Frequency of force vs. all arrests
Police use of force, especially at the higher end of the continuum, is relatively infrequent, with approximately 2-3% of arrests involving physical use of force.
Risks of police vehicle pursuits
Police vehicle pursuits are extremely dangerous and stressful, with 5% of vehicle accidents results from pursuits.
Policing as a dangerous occupation, rankings
Policing is dangerous but does not rank among the top 10 most dangerous jobs.
Actual danger vs. perceptions of danger
Policing is dangerous but it is not simply because or murders and assaults, as these incidents are relatively uncommon.
Stressors by shift
The 3rd shift ("nights") disrupts the circadian rhythm and causes overall health issues, with rotating shifts being especially problematic.
Tallies on number of citizens killed by the police
The FBI doesn't keep track of the number of citizens killed by police officers but news stations like Washington Post do.
Noble cause corruption
There is no such thing as "Nobel Cause" corruption, corruption as corruption.
How to reduce dangers/risks of police work
Training and equipment can mitigate but not eliminate the dangers of the job. (don't need to be in too speed when responding to emergency's)
21-foot rule, and its limitations
Used a guideline for the use of force, with a 21-foot boundary allowing for an officer to draw their weapon, with potential vs. actual threat analysis.
Suicide by Cop, characteristics and frequency of incidents
When a subject takes deliberate actions to get shot by the police, with frequencies varying from 11-80%.
Rankings about police honesty and ethics
When looking at surveys about honesty and ethical standers, police officers are seen to be on the more positive side of the continuum.
Characteristics of people upon whom deadly force is most often used
White Males.