Issues in Policing - Key Terms

Double Marginality

According to Nicholas Alex, the social burden that African American police officers carry by being both minority group members and law enforcement officers

Blue Curtain

The secretive, insulated police culture that isolates officers from the rest of society

Cynicism

The belief that most people’s actions are motivated solely by personal needs and selfishness

Police Styles

The working personalities adopted by police officers that can range from being a social worker in blue to being a hard-charging crime fighter

Discretion

The use of personal decision making and choice in carrying out operations in the criminal justice system

Low-Visibility Decision Making

Decision making by police officers that is not subject to administrative review—for example, a decision not to arrest someone or not to stop a speeding vehicle

Overload Hypothesis

The theory that police workload influences discretion so that as workload increases, less time and attention can be devoted to new cases, especially petty crimes

Demeanor

The way a person outwardly manifests his or her personality

Racial Profiling

A term to describe racial influence over police discretion

Police Brutality

Actions such as using abusive language, making threats, using force or coercion unnecessarily, prodding with nightsticks, and stopping and searching people to harass them

Corruption

Exercising legitimate discretion for improper reasons or using illegal means to achieve approved goals

Knapp Commission 

A public body that conducted an investigation into police corruption in New York City in the early 1970s and uncovered a widespread network of payoffs and bribes

Meat Eater

A term used to describe a police officer who actively solicits bribes and vigorously engages in corrupt practices

Grass Eater

A term used to describe a police officer who accepts payoffs when everyday duties place him or her in a position to be solicited by the public

Mollen Commission

An investigation set up to inquire into police coruption in New York City in the 1990s

Accountability System

A system that makes police supervisors responsible for the behavior of the officers in their command

Deadly Force

The intentional use of a firearm or other instrument, resulting in a high probability of death

Nondeadly Force

Force that is unlikely to cause death or significant bodily harm

Excited Delirium

An overdose of adrenaline that can occur in heated confrontations with the police

Impact Munitions

Less-lethal weapons that are ised to stun or otherwise incapacitate uncooperative suspects so they can be subdued/ Examples include rubber bullets and beanbag projectiles

Taser

A nonlethal weapon conducted energy device that administers a shock to an uncooperative suspect by way of an electrified dart

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

The nation’s monument to police officers who have died in the line of duty