CRM100 - POLICING

Formal social control

Police are an institution of formal social control that seek to regulate human behaviour through threat of punishment

Informal social control

Police will try to convince people to voluntarily comply with the law

4 important concepts of criminal investigation

1. Natural justice: the right to a fair hearing

2. Locards exchange principle: the perpetrator of a crime will bring something into the crime scene and leave with something from it

3. Chain of custody: the chronological documentation that records the sequences of custody, control, transfer, analysis and disposition of evidence

4. Confidentiality: anyone who learns about the identity of a subject under investigation ought to be bound by a duty of confidentiality

5 step approach to criminal investigations

1. Receive initial complaint

2. Plan the investigation eg identify elements

3. Data collections eg interviews forensics

4. Data analysis

5. Write investigation report

4 models of policing

1. Problem oriented policing

2. Intelligence led policing

3. Community policing

4. Order maintenance policing

Problem oriented policing

The systematic identification and analysis of crime problems (causes patterns etc) and development of associated crime control strategies

• hot spot policing: examining the concentration of crime in neighbourhoods and allocating resources accordingly

• Hot targets (products, victims): consideration of likely targets of crime based on their characteristics

• Repeat offenders/victimisation: recognition that criminal behaviour and victimisation are often repeat occurrences

Intelligence led policing

The collection and analysis of data to inform risk management/preventative strategies

• crime prediction

• Crime prevention (surveillance)

Community policing

Embodying policing by consent, and strengthening the perceived legitimacy of the police by building relationships with community groups

• community liaison officers eg lgbtq

• Community groups: PCYC

• Officers beholding connections w social institutions eg schools

Order maintenance policing

A philosophy of punitive policing derived from the broken window thesis

Eg zero tolerance policies, move on powers

Broken window thesis

Crime has a snowballing effect where minor infractions can escalate into more significant criminal activity. Police should pursue minor infractions to avoid this snowballing

Police culture

How police officers see the social world and their role in it, or the values norms and perspectives and craft rules that inform officers conduct

3 examples of dimensions of police culture

1. Purpose/mission (sense of justice)

2. Pragmatism (resource/time limitations )

3. Machismo (performative masculinity)

Police corruption

Misconduct that involves a failure to uphold the public interest or prioritisation for self interest

Noble cause corruption

The use of illegitimate means to secure institutionally legitimate or desired ends