Transcript Chapter 7

Understanding the
Criminal Justice System
CJUS 101
Chapter 7: Police
Misconduct
Police Misconduct
1. Police corruption / crime
- opportunity
a. Meals and services
- owner wants protection
- feels pressured
b. Kickbacks
- direct suspect / witness / victim
- attorney / tow-truck / bail bond
- paid fee
Misconduct
c. Opportunistic theft
- checking for open doors / windows
- searching crime scene
d. Planned theft
- using position to commit crimes
e. Shakedown
- extort money: business / citizens
f. Protection
Misconduct
- protecting illegal activities
g. Case fixing
- alter report / evidence / testimony
h. Private security
- greater protection: people / places
i. Patronage
- favoritism in hiring / promotion /
assignment
Misconduct
2. Violence / brutality
- contempt of cop
- peer pressure
a. Use of force
- necessary / reasonable
- state law
- department manual
b. Brown vs. Mississippi (1936)
- US Supreme Court
Misconduct
- coerced confessions
(1) Brutality
- pressure to perform
- suspicion / racism / hostility
- condemnation of officers
(2) Police authority
- question / resist authority
- verbal / physical force
- compliance
Misconduct
(3) Social value
- look down on certain groups
- drunk / transient / drug user
- sex offender / criminal
(4) Decision-making
- taught to use force
- protect yourself
c. Deadly force
Misconduct
- reasonable / necessary
(1) Authorized to use
- a last resort
- stop fleeing felon
(2) Tennessee vs. Garner (1985)
- posed significant threat of
death
- serious physical injury
- to officer or others
Misconduct
(3) Supervision difficult
- unknown location
- contact by radio
(4) Doctrine of sovereign Immunity
- cannot sue w/o permission
- ruled unconstitutional
(5) Who polices the police?
- the public
- complaints filed
Misconduct
3. Curbing police brutality
- changes that must be made
a. Administration / policy manual
- provide strong leadership
- establish standards / set example
b. Recruitment / training
- tighter screening
- polygraph / psychological
- background check / medical
Misconduct
(1) Pre-disposed personality
- power / action
(2) Community police training
- cultural awareness
- community interaction
- community trust
- negotiation skills
c. Integration
- hiring minorities / females
Misconduct
- cross section of community
- provides greater understanding
d. Civilian review board
- allow public input
- public judges
- need to be trained
e. Community oriented policing (COP)
- more public contact
- social service workers
Misconduct
f. Laws / prosecution
- greater penalties for police
- civil suits filed
g. Police professionalism
- education / salary / professional
goal / code of conduct