Challenges to Effective Policing. Recruitment and Training: Becoming a Police Officer Basic Requirements : U.S. Citizen No felony convictions Valid Driver’s

Challenges to

Effective Policing

Recruitment and Training: Becoming a Police Officer

Basic Requirements: U.S. Citizen No felony convictions Valid Driver’s License Minimum 21 years of age Weight, eyesight, and fitness requirements Background check Polygraph

Recruitment and Training: Becoming a Police Officer

Training includes the police academy.

Laws of arrest, search, seizure, and interrogation

Weapons use Crime scene

preservation Witness interviewing First aid Self-defense

Field Training occurs after the

academy. The field

training officer (FTO) helps the rookie apply what (s)he has learned “the the streets.”

Recruiting Members of Minority Groups and Women

Only within the past fifteen years have police agencies actively been recruiting women, African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, and other minority groups.

Minority representation in police agencies has grown from 14.6% in 1987 to 23.6% in 2003.

Recruiting Members of Minority Groups and Women

Discrimination and the Law 1964 Civil Rights Act 1972 Equal Opportunity Employment Act

The Benefits of a Culturally Diverse Police

Force Improved community relations Higher levels of service

Police Organization

Cornerstones:

Bureaucracy

Delegation of Authority

Law Enforcement in the Field

Field Services (operations) include:

1. Patrol activities

2. Investigations

3. Special operations


The purposes of patrol include: The deterrence of crime by maintaining a visible

police presence The maintenance of public order and a sense of

security in the community The twenty-four hour provision of services that

are not crime related


Routine patrol activities can be categorized

into four areas: Preventive patrol Calls for service Administrative duties Officer-initiated activities


Investigations: Reactive, rather than proactive The responsibility of detectives Success is measured with clearance rates, or the

number of cases resulting in arrest and prosecution

Aggressive strategies include going undercover and working with confidential informants.

Law Enforcement in the FieldForensics is the practice

of using science and

technology to

investigate crime.

Forensics can be used

to determine:

Cause of death/injury Time of death/injury Type of weapon Identity of the victim Identity of the offender

Law Enforcement in the FieldThe DNA Revolution: DNA provides the genetic blueprint for every living

organism. When DNA is recovered at a crime scene and

matched to a suspect, the odds that match is conclusive are 30 million to 1.

The Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) is a database that stores DNA samples taken from crime scenes.

As of 2007, CODIS has produces almost 59,000 cold hits nationwide.

Police Strategies: What Works

More police officers, less crime? Response time to 911 calls

Incident-driven policing Response time as a benchmark of efficiency

Differential response “Cold” calls versus “hot” calls

Police Strategies: What WorksGeneral patrol:

relies on officers to monitor

a certain area to detecting

crimes in progress or

preventing crimes due to

their presence.

Also called preventive

patrol, or random patrol.

Directed patrol:

is designed to respond to a

specific criminal activity at a

specific time.

Targeted areas are labeled

hot spots.

Police Strategies: What WorksReactive Arrests:

Arrests that come about

as part of the ordinary

routine of police patrol

and calls for service .

Proactive Arrests:

Arrests that occur when

police take the initiative

to target a particular

type of criminal

behavior.

Police Strategies: What Works

Broken Windows Theory: A neighborhood in disrepair signals that criminal activity

is tolerated in the area By cracking down on quality-of-life crimes, police can

reclaim the neighborhood and encourage law-abiding citizens to live and work there

Based on order maintenance of neighborhoods

Police Strategies: What WorksCommunity policing is a strategy that emphasizes community support for and cooperation with police in preventing crime.

Community policing is: less centralized proactive in nature

Community Policing

Problem-Oriented Policing: A key component of community policing Moves beyond simply responding to incidents and

attempts instead to control or even solve the root causes of criminal behavior

Two important aspects of problem-solving policing are “hot spots” and crime mapping

“Us versus Them”: Issues in Modern Policing

Police Subculture:

The values and perceptions that are shared by members of a police department. These values permeate agencies and are taught to new officers through a process of socialization.


Rituals critical to the police officer’s acceptance

of police subculture: Attending a recruit academy Working with a senior officer who passes on the

lessons of police work and life Making the initial felony arrest Using force to make an arrest for the first time Witnessing major traumatic incidents for the first time


The Blue Curtain, aka the “blue wall of silence”

Police cynicism Physical and mental dangers associated with

police work Chronic stress Alcohol abuse Suicide


Authority and the Use of Force

Reasonable Force: Deadly Force:The degree of force Force likely or that is appropriate intended to causeto protect the officer death.and other citizens.


The United States Supreme Court and Use

of Force:

Tennessee v. Garner (1985)

Graham v. Conner (1989)


Types of Corruption: Bribery Shakedowns Mooching


Sherman’s Stages of Moral Decline: Officers accept minor gratuities. Officers accept bribes. Officers actively seek out bribes and commit

extortion.


Police accountability: Internal investigations Citizen Oversight

Police EthicsEthical dilemmas are defined as a situation

in which law enforcement officers: Do not know the right course of action Have difficulty doing what they consider to be

right; and/or Find the wrong choice very tempting

Police EthicsFour categories of Ethical Dilemmas: Discretion Duty Honesty Loyalty

Police Ethics

Officers should ask themselves: Is it legal? Is it balanced? How does it make me feel about

myself?

Documents

Challenges to Effective Policing. Recruitment and Training: Becoming a Police Officer Basic Requirements : U.S. Citizen No felony convictions Valid Driver’s