Issues in Policing Chapter 7

Problems of Policing Job Stress Fatigue Violence and Brutality Corruption

Job Stress Stress can lead to: Negative attitudes Burnout Loss of enthusiasm and commitment Cynicism Increased apathy Substance abuse problems Divorce Health problems Problematic behaviors

Job Stress, continued Stress may not be constant, but at some time during their career, most officers deal with the effects of stress Causes of stress Difficulty maintaining social and family relationships because of schedule and workload Internal conflict with administrative policies Poor training Inadequate pay Job dissatisfaction Fears about safety Effects of stress can be both physical and psychological

Job Stress, continued Combating stress The more support police get in the workplace, the lower their feelings of stress Stress management programs might help officers focus on the positive aspects of police work

Fatigue An officer who is overly tired may be at higher risk of acting inappropriately or being injured on the job Controlling police fatigue Administrators should ensure officers do not work too much overtime Limitations should be placed on second jobs Officers should give input about shift decisions

Violence and Brutality Who are the problem cops? Only a small proportion of officers are continually involved in problem behavior Some officers are chronic offenders The officers receiving the bulk of complaints are younger and less experienced A number of departments have begun early-warning systems to change the behavior of officers who have performance problems Involves deterrence and education

Violence and Brutality, continued Dealing with problem cops Administrative policies are an effective control on deadly force Threats of civil judgments against individual officers are one of the most significant factors in controlling police brutality Many departments have implemented community policing models to improve relations with the public

Corruption Police departments have almost always wrestled with the problem of controlling illegal and unprofessional behavior by officers Corruption is often hard to combat because the police code of silence demands that officers never turn in their peers, even if they engage in corrupt or illegal practices Recent studies reveal that corruption is quite rare

Corruption, continued Varieties of corruption In a general sense, corruption involves misuse of authority by police in a manner designed to produce personal gain for oneself or others The Knapp Commission uncovered a widespread network of corruption in New York in the 1970s; this commission classified abusers into two groups Meat eaters aggressively misuse police power for personal gain by demanding bribes, threatening legal action, or cooperating with criminals Grass eaters accept payoffs when their everyday duties place them in a position to be solicited by the public Most corruption is of the grass eating variety

Corruption, continued The causes of corruption Police personality—personal financial motives Institutions and practices—wide discretion, coupled with low visibility Moral ambivalence A function of society’s ambivalence toward many forms of vice-related criminal behavior Environmental conditions Environmental and social conditions may enhance the likelihood that an officer involves him/herself in misconduct Corrupt departments—may be generated at the departmental level, which then nurtures deviance Officer characteristics

Corruption, continued Controlling corruption Corruption can be controlled by strengthening the internal administrative review process Another approach is known as the accountability system which makes police supervisors responsible for the behavior of the officers in their command Other departments have organized outside review boards or special prosecutors to investigate reported incidents of corruption We may also change the social context of policing to make it more visible to the public Could decriminalize some vice-related crimes