Intro to Law Enforcement Chapters 6-10

Probable Cause

sufficient reason based upon known facts to believe a crime has been committed or that certain property is connected with a crime

Discretion

the power or right to decide or act according to one's own judgment

-consists of a two part decision by a P.O

1. whether to intervene and if the decision to intervene is made

2. how best to intervene

Pretext Stop

a traffic stop initiated by law enforcement under the guise of a minor violation to investigate other suspected criminal activity.

Danger Signifiers

factors that indicate a potential threat or hazardous situation during police encounters.

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Foot Patrol

-oldest method of patrol, predating the invention of the automobile

-common in tourist sites, strip malls, downtown shopping districts

-advantages: close proximity it provides for to citizen sand increased community interaction, allowing officers to build rapport and trust with the public.

Problem Oriented Policing

a policing strategy that focuses on identifying and solving specific problems related to crime and disorder in a community. This approach encourages collaboration between the police and community members to develop effective responses.

Racial Profiling

The use of discretionary authority by law enforcement officers in encounters with minority motorists, typically within the context of a traffic stop, that results in the disparate treatment of minorities

Compstat

Acronym standing for “computer statistics”

-four important elements

1. Accurate and timely intelligence

2. Effective tactics

3. Rapid deployment

4. Relentless follow-up and assessment

-One important aspect: Crime mapping

Broken Windows Model

A policing theory that suggests maintaining and monitoring urban environments to prevent small crimes such as vandalism and public drinking can help create an atmosphere of order and reduce more serious crime.

*Visible signs of disorder lead to more disorder + crime

Letter/Spirt of the Law

Refers to the distinction between the literal interpretation of the law (letter) and the intended purpose or underlying principles of the law (spirit). This concept emphasizes the importance of context and intent in law enforcement and legal decisions.

Policing Styles

1. Watchman

2. Legalistic

3. Service

Watchman style policing

-concerned with mainly achieving “order maintenance” through the control of illegal and disruptive behavior

-uses discretion liberally

-keep order through informal police “intervention” such as persuasion, threats, or “roughing up” disruptive people

Legalistic style policing

-enforces the letter of the law

-routinely avoid community disputes arising from violations of social norms that do not break the law

“laissez faire policing” due to its hands-off approach

Service-Based style policing

-strive the meet the needs of the community and serve its members

-police see themselves more as helpers than as soldiers

-works with social services and other agencies to provide counseling for people who violate minor laws and to assist community groups in preventing crimes and solving problems

Crime Prevention

-police agencies seek to act before a crime happens, thus preventing victimization from taking place

-proactive approach to the problem of crime

-aim to reduce crime and criminal opportunism, but asl lessen the publics fear of crime

Beats and Scheduling

Beat: A specific territorial assignment for a patrol officer

-generally, the larger the beat, the more impersonal the relationship will be between officers and citizens

-frequent rotations of beats can also create distance between officers and the people they serve

Universalistic perspective

-the view that all police officers are similar and that they exhibit some of the same characteristics and behavior patterns

Particularistic perspective

-considers how individual officers differ from one another

-suggests there is no one personality or set of traits that typifies all police officers

Territorial Imperative

-officers who routinely patrol the same area develop a sense of obligation to the area and even a desire to be protective of it; feel they have an duty to protect that area

Directed Patrol

-patrol with directed

-involves concentrating the police presence in areas where certain crimes are a significant problem

Preventative Patrol

-refers to the practice of canvassing neighborhoods in an effort to discourage people from committing crime

Response Time

-the time it takes for police to arrive at the scene of a call for service after being dispatched.

Criminalistics

the scientific study of crime scene evidence, including the collection and analysis of physical evidence to solve crimes.

Heterogeneous Neighborhoods

-neighborhoods with ethnical or racial diversity

Hot Time

-a period during the day when crime is particularly problematic, such as after dark or on a Friday night

Stop and Frisk

-a police practice of temporarily detaining and searching a person for weapons or contraband, based on reasonable suspicion.

-Terry v Ohio

-the duration of a stop must be in consideration

Hot Spots

-areas with a high incidence of crime, often targeted for increased police presence and intervention.

ex. Street corners known for prostitution/drug sales

Forensic Evidence

-physical evidence whose usefulness in a court of law would not be immediately apparent to an untrained observer, such as fingerprints, DNA, and ballistics.

interview Log/ Documentation

-a document containing information about the individuals involved in a the interrogations and actions taken by both sides

-Name (offenders, officers, etc.) , Location Date, Time and details of the conversation.

Hot Pursuit

-the immediate and continuous chase of a suspect by law enforcement to apprehend them without delay, usually initiated when a crime is in progress or when a suspect flees from a crime scene.

Citizen Police Academies

Citizens are given an opportunity to learn about the policing profession and even to experience some of the same sensations that uniformed officers experience

-usually 1-2 weeks long and involve hands-on activities such as ride-along, firearms training, and criminal law instruction.

Citizen Patrol

Typically composed of volunteers who engage in preventative patrol and observe activities in their community, reporting suspicious behavior to law enforcement.

ex. Hells Angels

Civilization

Law enforcement agency’s hiring of nonsworn personnel to replace or augment its corps of sworn officers typically with aims of reducing costs and improving service

*Saves money $$

Pin Map

Colored stick pins would literally be stuck in various places on a map of a city, county, district, precinct or other area

-different colors corresponded to different types of crimes

-problem: maps were static and one dimensional

Crime Mapping (GJS)

A technique used by law enforcement agencies to visually analyze and correlate crime data using geographic information systems (GIS). It enhances understanding of crime patterns and assists in resource allocation.

Geographic Profiling

-its maps connected criminal acts in an effort to determine the location of a residence where a person who broke the law may live

-makes use of Crime Mapping tech

Predictive Policing

Involves the use of analytical techniques to identify likely targets for criminals and prevent crime

Evidence-Based Policing

-uses research into everyday police procedures to evaluate current practices and to guide officers and police executives in future decision making

-the word “evidence” refers to scientific evidence

Seizure

-the seizure of tangible property occurs “when there is some meaningful interference with an individual’s possessory interest in that property”

-A seizure of a person occurs when a police officer, by means of physical force or show of authority, internationally restrains an individuals liberty in such a manner that a reasonable person would believe that he or she is not free to leave

Probable Cause

-defined by the Supreme court as “more than bare suspicion”

-has to consist of more than 50% certainty

-lies somewhere below absolute certainty and proof beyond reasonable doubt

-”the facts and circumstances within an officers knowledge and of which they have reasonably trustworthy information are sufficient to warrant a prudent man in believing that the suspect had committed or was committing a crime”

Reasonable Suspicion

-Something below probable cause but more than a hunch

Arm (Wing) Span Rule

-The "wingspan rule," also known as the search incident to arrest exception, allows police to search an individual and the immediate area surrounding them, including their "wingspan" (the area within their reach), after a lawful arrest. This exception to the warrant requirement is based on the need for officer safety and the prevention of evidence destruction

Protective Sweep

A permissible cursory visual inspection of places in which a person might be hiding to ensure officer safety during an arrest or while executing a search warrant.

Exigent Circumstances

-A situation that makes a warrantless search constitutionally permissible such as hot pursuit, the likelihood of a suspect escaping, or presenting a danger to others, and evanescent evidence

Vehicle Searches

-Inspections of vehicles by law enforcement that can occur without a warrant under certain circumstances, such as probable cause, consent, or expiring exigent circumstances.

-the inherent mobility of motor vehicles made it impractical for law enforcement to obtain a warrant before searching a vehicle.

-people enjoy a lesser expectation of privacy in their vehicles

DRIVING IS A PRIVILEGE

Plain View Search

Can be conducted with or without a warrant

-Coolidge vs. New Hampshire → Plain View Doctrine

1. The police are lawfully in the area where the evidence is located

2. the item is “immediately apparent” as being subject to seizure

3. the discovery of the evidence is “inadvertent”

Consent Searches

Are permissible without a warrant, even without probable cause

“consent cannot be the result of duress or coercion, express or implied”

-consent to search may be valid even if the consenting party is unaware of the fact that he or she can refuse consent

-The scope of a consent search is limited to the terms of the consent

-needs to take place directly after the consent is given!!

Miranda

-suspects must be advised of the 5th amendment right not to incriminate themselves when custodial interrogation takes place

-”the police do not violate a suspects constitutional rights by negligent or even deliberate failures to provide full Miranda warnings”

-It only impacts the admissibility of statements given by the defendant

-”a valid waiver will not be presumed simply from the silence of the accused after warnings are given or simply from the fact that a confession was in fact eventually obtained”

-questioning must cease once the accused asserts his or her right to remain silent

Miranda: Interrogation

Miranda defined Interrogation as “questioning initiated by law enforcement officers

Interrogation “must reflect a measure of compulsion above and beyond that inherent in custody itself”

-in some cases custodial interrogation is permissible without the Miranda warmings, Specifically if public safety is in jeopardy

4th Amendment

protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government.

5th Amendment

The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, in simple terms, protects individuals from being forced to provide information that could be used against them in a criminal case

-Also protects from Double Jeopardy and guarantees due process of law

6th Amendment

guarantees specific rights to individuals accused of crimes, ensuring a fair trial. These rights include a speedy and public trial, an impartial jury, the right to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, the right to confront witnesses, the right to compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in their favor, and the right to the assistance of counsel for their defense. 

Quality of Life Offenses

-minor infractions that, while not serious crimes, can negatively impact the overall well-being and safety of a community.

-These offenses often involve behaviors that are disruptive or nuisances, such as public intoxication, loitering, or panhandling. 

Block Watch

A community crime prevention program where neighbors work together to reduce crime by observing their surroundings, reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement, and promoting a sense of community and safety.

Dactylography

Fingerprinting

Intelligence

Information that has been analyzed and integrated into a useful perspective

Danger Signifiers

A person’s behavior, location, race, dress, age, sex, and so forth

-whether they translate into actual danger or not, they are often perceived as challengers to an officers authority that must be responded to verbally or physically

Disillusionment among officers

Officers develop a sense of disillusionment as they learn that much of the public is unsupportive of what they do and/or has no clear understanding of what police work really is

The Police Mission of the USA

1. to enforce and support the law

2. to investigate crimes and apprehend people who break the law

3. to prevent crime

4. to help ensure domestic peace and tranquility

5. to provide local communities, states, and the nation with needed enforcement related services

Saturation Patrol/Focused Patrol

-police officers flood a certain area in an effort to catch criminals and to deter would-be-law-breakers

-police focus their efforts on certain problems, locations, or times

Four Types of Community Policing

1. Participatory training

2. Community policing training

3. the decentralization of certain police operations

4. the creation of special community policing units

Third Party Policing

formal methods of policing that invoke the use of the civil law rather than the criminal law

-Ex. Security Companies

-more place oriented than person oriented

Body worn cameras

-small, wearable transportable devices worn by officers to record interactions with the public

-footage is saved to local storage devices or uploaded to a web-based storage platform

Intelligences-led policing

“a collaborative law enforcement approach to combining problem-solving policing, information sharing, and police accountability with enhanced intelligence operations”

-Goal is to guide law enforcement activities towards high-frequency offenders, locations, and crime types

Tactical Intelligence

“gaining or developing information related to threats of terrorism or crime and using the information to apprehend people who break the law, harden targets, and use strategies that will will eliminate or mitigate the threat”

Strategic Intelligence

provides information to decision makers about the changing nature of threats for the purpose of “developing response strategies and reallocating resources” to accomplish effective prevention

SARA Model

Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment