CRIM 251 Midterm Prep Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms and definitions from CRIM 251 Chapters 1 through 6, based on the provided midterm prep transcript.

Police

Agents authorized to undertake part of the state’s duty to govern to secure public order and otherwise protect the public and enforce the public law

Policing

The activities of any individual or organization acting legally on behalf of public or private organizations or persons to maintain security or social order while empowered by either public or private contract, regulations, or policies, written or verbal

Pluralization of policing

The expansion of policing beyond the public police to include para-police and private security

Social contract perspective

Perspective that the police are a politically neutral force that acts primarily to enforce the law and protect the public

Critical perspective

Perspective that the police are an instrument used by governments and powerful interests to suppress dissent, stifle protest, and help maintain the status quo

Critical race theory (CRT)

Intellectual and legal framework that examines how laws, policies, and institutions perpetuate racial inequalities and systemic racism

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Component of the constitution Act, 1982 that guarantees basic rights and freedoms

Constitution Act, 1867

Legislation that includes provisions defining the responsibilities of the federal and provincial governments in criminal justice

Criminal Code

Federal legislation that sets out criminal law, procedures for prosecuting federal offences, and sentences and procedures for the administration of justice

Justice (Law Commission of Canada Value)

The police are to maintain peace and security in the community while ensuring that individuals are treated fairly and that human rights are respected

Equality (Law Commission of Canada Value)

All citizens are entitles to policing services that contribute to their feelings of safety and security

Accountability (Law Commission of Canada Value)

The actions of police services that contribute to their feelings of safety and security

Efficiency (Law Commission of Canada Value)

Policing services must be cost-effective

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act

Federal legislation that provides framework for the operation of the RCMP

Mandated responsibilities

The tasks assigned to the police by legislation, including the RCMP Act, various provincial and territorial acts, and regulations and policies formulated by governments

Assumed responsibilities

Police tasks that result from community expectations, downloading, third-party recommendations, and departmental strategic plans and policies

Warrior of the police

View of the police’s role that emphasizes enforcement and the exercise of authority

Guardian role of the police

View of the police’s role that emphasizes peacekeeping and protecting the community

Task environment

The cultural, geographic, and community setting in which a police service operates

Dark figure of crime

The difference between how much crime occurs and how much crime is reported to or discovered by the police

Police legitimacy

The collective actions taken by the police to enhance citizens’ levels of trust and confidence in the police

Procedural justice

Police behaviour that is marked by transparency and the fair, equitable, and respectable treatment of persons in encounter situations

Racism

Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior

Systemic discrimination

Treating persons or groups unfairly by imposing a burden on them or denying them a privilege, benefit, or opportunity enjoyed by others because of their race, citizenship, family status, disability, sex, or other personal characteristics

Prejudice

Unsubstantiated negative pre-judgement of individuals or groups, generally on the basis of ethnicity, religion, or race

Equality (General)

Ensuring everyone has the same opportunities, support, and resources

Equity

Recognition that a person’s circumstances or life history require specific consideration and resources

Hue and cry

In early England, the requirement that able-bodies men assist the police

Frankpledge system

An early system of maintaining order in early England

Statute of Winchester

A statute that made policing a community responsibility

Justice of the Peace Act

Centralized peacekeeping duties under justices of the peace

Sir Robert Peel

Established the first full-time police service

Metropolitan Police Act

Established a full-time, unarmed police force in London

Tiered policing

A model of policing work involving a mix of traditional sworn police officers with new types of police and private security personnel

Collaborative policing

The cooperation between public and private police

Contract policing

An arrangement whereby the RCMP and the OPP provide provincial and municipal policing services

First Nations and Inuit Policing Program (FNIPP)

Program providing services to First Nations and Inuit communities based on agreements between the community and the federal and provincial or territorial governments in which governments share program costs

Para-police

Unarmed officers who generally have special constable status

Strategic planning

The identification of police priorities and objectives and associated resource requirements

Environmental scans

Studies designed to identify trends that may affect demands on the police

Evidence-based policing (EBP)

Policies, strategies, and programs that have been shown by research to be effective in achieving specified objectives

Learning organization

Notion that a police service is constantly seeking improvement, learning from both successful initiatives as well as those that did not achieve their intended goals

Organizational wisdom

An organization’s in-depth understanding of the community and its residents, crime and disorder, and agencies and organizations that can be mobilized to prevent and respond to crime

Police services boards (PSBs)

Civilian boards, whose members are appointed by the province and the municipality, that provide governance and oversight of municipal and provincial police services

Performance measurement

Collective actions taken by a police service to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of its activities and interventions

Crime Severity Index (CSI)

Method used in Canada to determine levels of violent and property crime and to measure the effectiveness of a police service

Clearance rates

Proportion of actual incidents known to police in which a suspect is identified whether or not that suspect is ultimately charged and convicted

Defund the police movement

Multifaceted initiative whose proposals range from advocating for the abolition of the police to diverting policing funds to social services and programs to address the underlying causes of crime and challenges that place persons at risk

Basic qualifications

Minimum requirements to be considered for a job in policing; typically non-negotiable and used to screen candidates during the initial stages of selection

Preferred qualifications

Additional skills, experiences, or attributes that a police service would like candidates to have but are not necessary to be considered for the job

Representative bureaucracy

Concept that government agencies and public servants should reflect the demographic makeup of the population they serve, including characteristics such as race, gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic background

Previously experiences officer (PEO)

Individual with prior experience serving as a police officer who is returning to their previous police service or transferring to a new police service without going through the full initial training process again

Competency-based training

Structured approach to police training that focuses on specific skills, knowledge, and behaviours (competencies) required to perform police duties effectively and ethically

Core competencies

Essential skills, behaviours, and attributes that all police officers must consistently demonstrate to perform their duties effectively, ethically, and professionally

Andragogy

Theory and practice of adult learning, focusing on how adults learn differently from children and emphasizing a learner-centred approach that builds on adults’ prior experiences, needs, and motivations

Case-based learning

Instructional approach where learners develop knowledge and skills by working through realistic, complex scenarios or cases

Cultural competence

The behaviours, attitudes, and policies that enable organizations and professionals to work effectively in situations that involve or affect a range of cultures

Field training officer (FTO)

Experienced police officer responsible for training and mentoring new recruits or probationary officers in the real-world, on-the-job environment

In-service training

Ongoing professional development and skills training provided to police officers to help them stay updated on new laws, tactics, procedures, and technological advancements

Secondment

Arrangement where a police service temporarily assigns an officer to a new position, often with a federal, provincial, or regional police agency or specialty unit

Working personality of police officers

Set of attitudinal and behavioural attributes that develops as a consequence of the unique role and activities of police officers

Code of silence

Officers protecting one another from outside scrutiny and criticism

Blue light syndrome

Attitudinal set that emphasized the high-risk and action component of police work

Occupational stress injuries

Physical and / or mental conditions in police officers caused by their organizational and operational experiences on the job

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Extreme form of critical incident stress that includes nightmares, hypervigilance, intrusive thoughts, and other forms of psychological distress

Hypervigilance

Elevated alertness about potential dangers in the environment

Organizational (workplace) culture

Unwritten rules and corporate norms that dictate how things are done, how things work, what is to be done, and what is valued in the organization

Organizational justice

Extent to which an organization treats its employees fairly; includes fairness related to outcomes, procedures, and interpersonal interactions

Tired cop syndrome

Jet-lag state of police officers, primarily due to shift work

Critical incident stress debriefing (CISD)

A form of crisis intervention that aims to perform psychological first aid to people exposed to or directly affected by a potentially traumatic incident; typically occurs within $24$ to $72$ hours of the incident

Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC)

The centralized, computer-based information system used by police services

High-visibility / high-consequence policing

Police work in rural and northern communities that places officers under constant scrutiny and heightens the impact of their decisions

Computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system

Software platform used by police to manage and coordinate responses to calls for service

Police call-taker

Police support staff responsible for receiving and processing emergency and non-emergency calls from the public

Police dispatcher

Trained professional who coordinates police response by communicating with officers in the field and relaying information from call-takers or other sources

Call triaging

Process of evaluating and prioritizing incoming calls for service based on urgency, severity, and type

Allocated patrol time

Amount of time that patrol officers spend responding to calls from the general public

Unallocated patrol time

Amount of patrol officers’ time that is not committed to responding to calls for service

Knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs)

Framework used to describe the key qualifications required for policing, especially in hiring, training, and performance evaluation

Discretion

Authority to decide between two or more choices

Selective (or situational) enforcement

Discretionary enforcement due to the inability of police officers to enforce all of the laws at all times

Implicit bias

Attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner

Overpolicing

Disproportionate police focus on a racialized population or neighbourhood

Underpolicing

Inadequate police protection or service to certain communities or areas, often resulting in failure to respond effectively to crime, disorder, or public safety needs

Typifications

How patrol officers depict or categorize the people and situations they encounter

Recipes for action

Actions taken and decisions made by patrol officers in various types of encounter situations

Procedural justice (JP) policing

Police approach to citizen encounters that is based on voice, neutrality, respect, and trust

Wicked problems

Complex, deeply rooted social issues that are difficult to define, have no clear solution, and are resistant to resolution

Missingness

State or condition of an individual whose whereabouts are unknown and whose absence is unaccounted for, raising concern for their safety or well-being

Racial profiling

Any action undertaken for reasons of safety, security or public protection that relies on stereotypes about race, colour, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, or place of origin – rather than reasonable suspicion – to single out an individual for greater scrutiny or different treatment

Biased policing

Police actions or decisions that are influenced – consciously or unconsciously – by an officer’s personal prejudices, stereotypes, or assumptions about a person’s race, ethnicity, gender, religion, socio-economic status, or other personal characteristics rather than objective evidence or behaviour

Pretext policing

Police stops or searches for a minor reason that lead to more intrusive intervention

Street check

Policing practice where an officer stops an individual questions them, and may record their personal information, even if there is no specific investigation or suspicious of a crime

Carding

Discriminatory police practice of stopping persons randomly and asking for identification in the absence of any evidence they have committed a crime