final test in policing

Police

Non-military individuals or organizations given the right by the government to use coercive force to enforce the law.

Crime Control

The police activity focused on responding to and investigating crime as well as apprehending individuals who have committed criminal acts.

Order Maintenance

Police efforts designed to prevent and control behavior that disturbs the public.

Crime Prevention

Collaborating with community partners to provide a range of services aimed at preventing crime.

Deinstitutionalization

The movement of psychiatric patients from hospitals to community outpatient clinics, often leading to increased challenges in managing mental health in the community.

Socio-political forces

Social and political factors that influence policing and the role of the police within society.

Peel's 9 Principles of Policing

A set of principles formulated by Sir Robert Peel that outline the fundamental responsibilities and functions of the police.

RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police)

Canada's national police force that provides federal, provincial, and municipal policing services.

Municipal Police

Local police forces typically responsible for law enforcement in cities or towns.

Regional Police

Police services that serve multiple adjacent municipalities, often coordinating efforts across those areas.

CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material)

Material related to the exploitation and abuse of children, often found on the internet.

Mental Illness in BC

A significant social issue impacting police services, with a large number of individuals experiencing severe addiction and mental illness.

Supreme Court of Canada

The final court of appeal in Canada, hearing cases that raise important legal issues.

Statute Law

Written laws enacted by the legislative body, like the Parliament of Canada.

Stare Decisis

The legal principle that mandates lower courts to follow precedents set by higher courts.

Indictable Offence

A serious criminal offence that carries a severe penalty, typically defined as 2 years or more in prison.

Summary Offence

A less serious offence punishable by incarceration not exceeding 6 months and/or a maximum fine of $5,000.

Hybrid Offence

An offence that can be prosecuted as either a summary offence or an indictable offence based on the prosecutor's discretion.

Case Law

Law established by previous court decisions, based on the rule of stare decisis.

Probation

A sentence allowing an individual to remain in the community under specific conditions instead of being incarcerated.

Parole

A conditional release from incarceration after serving part of a sentence, allowing re-integration into the community.

Judicial Interim Release Hearing

A court proceeding to determine if an accused can be released prior to trial or must remain in custody.

Uniformed Patrol Officer

Considered the 'backbone' of policing; the majority of police officers work at the patrol level.

Patrol Methods

The primary approach to policing, generating 90% of patrol work from dispatch, mostly non-crime related.

Appearance Notice

A legal document given before someone is charged with an offense, requiring their attendance in court.

Summons

A legal document given after someone is charged, informing them they must attend court to respond to criminal charges.

Reasonable and Probable Grounds

The legal threshold that a police officer must meet for arrests and searches; higher than mere suspicion but lower than beyond a reasonable doubt.

Arrest Warrant

A document that permits a police officer to arrest a specific person for a specified reason, issued by a court official.

Detention

Occurs when a police officer assumes control over a person’s movement, significantly restricting access to counsel.

One-Plus-One Principle

Police have the authority to use force that is one level higher than what the suspect is exhibiting.

Use of Force Continuum

A framework that outlines the levels of force that can be used by police based on the level of resistance presented by suspects.

Intermediate Weapons

Tools such as police dogs, stun guns, and pepper spray used by officers to gain control of a situation when suspects pose a threat.

Lethal Force

Authorized only when there is a reasonable belief that the suspect poses an imminent danger of death or grievous bodily harm.

Cooperative Suspect

A suspect who obeys all lawful orders and does not require any force to comply.

Active Resistance

When a suspect actively prevents an officer from controlling them without physically assaulting the officer.

Assaultive Resistance

When a suspect physically assaults or attempts to assault an officer during an encounter.

De-escalation

A process used by officers to reduce tension and potentially avoid the use of force.

Time-Distance Ratio

The concept that maintaining a safe distance (usually 30 feet) gives an officer time to react to a suspect’s actions.

Threat Cues

Visual or behavioral signs that indicate an escalation in conflict is imminent, prompting officers to prepare for potential violence.

Communication in Police Work

Verbal and non-verbal skills used by officers to manage situations effectively, ensuring clarity and authority.

Stun Gun

Also known as a Conducted Energy Weapon, used to incapacitate suspects through electrical shock.

Reasonable Suspicion

A legal standard based on observable facts that suggest a crime may have occurred, lower than probable cause but more than mere guessing.

Police Use of Force

Force used by officers to gain control or compliance from a suspect.

One-Plus-One Principle

Police have the authority to use force that is one level higher than the suspect's level of force.

Reasonable and Probable Grounds

A standard that requires officers to have reasonable grounds to act when using force.

Policies governing use of force

Four principles set out by the Canadian Criminal Code regarding the use of force by police officers.

Suspect Resistance Levels

Five identified levels of resistance by suspects, ranging from cooperative to grievous bodily harm.

Search Warrant

A legal document issued by a court that authorizes police to search a specific location.

Plain View Doctrine

Allows evidence to be seized without a warrant if it is in plain view during a lawful search.

Entrapment

Occurs when law enforcement officers induce someone to commit a crime they would not have likely committed otherwise.

Covert Surveillance

Involves observing or gathering intelligence on a suspect without their knowledge.

Investigation Challenges

Issues faced by police in connecting crimes across jurisdictions due to a lack of communication.

Police Interviewing

The process by which police gather information from individuals, which includes police interrogations as one form.

Effective Interviewing

A skill that requires training, experience, knowledge of law, and interpersonal skills.

Interview Room Characteristics

Must minimize distractions, with no windows, plain walls, adequate seating, and minimal space.

Admissible Statements

Statements obtained from accused persons that can be used as evidence in court.

False Confessions

Confessions made by individuals that are not true, which police aim to avoid.

Voluntary False Confession

A false confession made without police coercion, often driven by internal pressures.

Coerced-Complaint False Confession

A false confession made under police coercion, aimed at stopping an unpleasant interrogation.

Coerced-Internalized False Confession

A false confession made by an individual who temporarily believes they committed the offense due to aggressive interrogation tactics.

Reasons for False Confessions

Includes excessive deception, long interrogations, and leading questions among other factors.

PEACE Method

A method of interrogation that emphasizes preparation, engagement, account, closure, and evaluation without coercion.

Interrogation Tactics

Strategies utilized during an interrogation, including pre-interrogation, interpersonal, and questioning tactics.

Evidence and Confessions

The amount of evidence available is a primary factor influencing a suspect's decision to confess.

Interpersonal Tactics

Skills used to build rapport during an interrogation, such as compassion, empathy, and active listening.

Questioning Tactics

Techniques for asking questions during an interrogation, including the use of open-ended and closed probing questions.

Closure in Interrogation

The process of summarizing what the suspect said, resolving misunderstandings, and explaining future steps.

Evaluate in Interrogation

Assessment of the information provided by the suspect after the interrogation has concluded.

Crime Concentration

Crime is disproportionately concentrated in a small set of neighborhoods within a city.

Homicide Statistics

75% of homicides in Pittsburgh occurred in approximately 30% of neighborhoods.

Street Segments

Within high crime neighborhoods, crime is predominantly concentrated within a small selection of street segments.

P-or-P Investigations

Pattern-or-Practice Investigations examine the impact on policing practices and their influence on crime rates.

Active Policing

A strategy where police officers actively engage with the community and are visible to deter crime.

Passive Policing

A strategy where police primarily respond to calls for service rather than actively engaging with the community.

Reactive Approach

A model of police work centered on random patrol and reaction to incidents rather than proactive crime prevention.

Proactive Policing

An approach focused on preventing crime through targeted measures rather than just responding to incidents.

Community Policing

A philosophy of policing centered on partnerships and problem-solving between police and the community.

Data-Driven Policing

Using collected crime data to identify emerging problems and formulate targeted strategies.

Hot Spots Policing

Identifying specific geographical locations with high amounts of crime to effectively allocate police resources.

CompStat

A computerized statistics system used for performance management in modern policing emphasizing accountability.

Relentless Follow-Up and Assessment

The principle of regularly reviewing interventions and strategies in policing to ensure effectiveness.

Crime Hot Spots

Specific areas identified as having a disproportionately high rate of criminal activity.

Pattern of Crime

The consistent relationships and trends of criminal activity observed in specific neighborhoods or areas.

Stop-and-Frisk

A controversial policing strategy where officers stop and search individuals based on reasonable suspicion, often criticized for racial profiling.

Racial Discrimination

Unfair treatment of individuals based on their race, often seen in policing practices and traffic stops.

Predominantly White Neighborhoods

Areas where the majority of residents are White, found to influence the likelihood of stopping Black individuals.

Objective of Study

To examine disparities in policing practices across different ethnic groups, specifically in stops and arrests.

Hit Rate

The percentage of searches that yield contraband, used to assess the effectiveness of police searches.

Use of Force

The level of physical coercion used by police, ranging from verbal commands to lethal force.

Data Analysis

The method of examining data collected from police encounters to identify patterns of racial bias.

Officer Ethnicity

The racial background of the police officers involved in stops, which may affect how policing is conducted.

Threshold for Stopping

The level of evidence or suspicion required by police to justify stopping an individual, which may vary by race.

Racial Bias

Prejudice in favor of or against one race compared to others, influencing police stops and searches.

Diversity in Policing

The inclusion of individuals from various backgrounds, such as gender, ethnicity, and culture, within police forces.

Over-Policing

A disproportionate focus by law enforcement on a racialized population or neighborhood, which can lead to increased police presence and attention.

Pretext Policing

When police conduct a stop or search for a minor violation with the intention of escalating to more intrusive interventions.

Carding

An intelligence gathering technique where a police officer stops a citizen without reasonable suspicion or probable cause, often collecting personal information.

Stop-and-Frisk

A practice where police officers stop and search individuals for illegal contraband without reasonable suspicion.

Bias-Free Policing

A requirement for police officers to make decisions based on reasonable suspicion and probable grounds, rather than stereotypes related to race, ethnicity, gender, or religion.

Systemic Racism

Institutional policies or practices that perpetuate racial group inequity through societal structures.