Policing Purpose & Organization: CJ 101 Chapter 6 Study Guide

What are the 5 purposes of policing?

1. Enforce the laws.

2. Investigate crimes & apprehend offenders..

3. Prevent crime.

4. Keep the peace.

5. Provide the community with enforcement-related services.

What % of all calls to the police require a law enforcement response?

10-20%

Why can't police enforce all of the laws?

Resources are limited.

What 2 factors are the priorities of law enforcement?

1. Community needs.

2. Individual (police) discretion.

Name the 3 situations where an offender may be apprehended.

1. While committing crimes.

2. Shortly after committing a crime.

3. After an extensive investigation.

Define "crime prevention"

The anticipation, recognition, and appraisal (assessment) of a crime risk and taking action to eliminate or reduce crime.

Is crime prevention proactive or reactive?

Proactive

What are the 3 goals of crime prevention?

1. Reduce crime & criminal opportunities.

2. Lower the rates of crime.

3. Lessen the fear of crime.

What does it mean to be proactive?

Preventing problems before they arise.

What does it mean to be reactive?

Reacting to a problem after it arises.

What 3 factors help law enforcement predict crime in order to prevent it?

1. Determining when and where crimes will occur.

2. Allocating resources accordingly

3. Crime mapping, as with CompStat, helps.

Define "CompStat"

Crime analysis and police management process, built on "crime mapping," developed by the NYPD in the mid-1990s.

- Management & accountability to drive down crime records.

What is a "quality of life offense?" (List an example)

A minor violation of the law ("petty crime") that demoralizes community residents and businesses.

- These offenses create physical disorder that reflects social decay.

- Ex: Panhandling, prostitution, & and vandalism.

What % of the millions of daily 911 calls are directed to the police?

70%

What are the 5 core operational strategies?

1. Preventive patrol.

2. Routine incident response.

3. Emergency response.

4. Criminal investigation.

5. Problem-solving.

List examples of support services

Dispatch, training personnel, property/evidence room, and record-keeping.

What is another term for support services?

Ancillary Services

What is the dominant policing strategy?

Preventative patrol

What is preventative patrol?

Preventative patrol places uniformed officers on the street and among the public.

What is the backbone of police work?

Patrol

What consumes most of the resources of local and state-level agencies?

Patrol

When are emergency responses needed?

Crimes in progress, serious injuries, natural disasters, and other situations in which human lives may be in jeopardy.

What two factors are part of the criminal investigation?

What happened and who is responsible?

List 3 things first responding officers do.

1. Provide assistance to the injured and try to capture suspects.

2. Secure the crime scene.

3. Conduct the preliminary investigation.

What is the #1 rule for the first officer at the scene?

Make sure that the scene is safe.

What does ADAPT stand for?

(A)ccess the crime scene

(D)etain the witnesses

(A)rrest the perpetrator (if possible)

(P)rotect the crime scene

(T)ake notes

Define "police management."

The administrative activities of controlling, directing, and coordinating police personnel, resources, and activities.

When was the Political Era?

1840s-1930

What was the agenda of the Political Era?

Police would do whatever the politicians wanted them to because the politicians gave them their position.

When was the Reform Era?

1930s-1970s

What was the agenda of the Reform Era?

Brought back pride because crime was getting out of control so the police went back to enforcing the law and protecting the community.

When was the community Policing Era?

1970s-today

When was the ILP/Homeland Security Era?

2001-today

What is the agenda of the ILP/Homeland Security Era?

Sharing information to fight terrorism within the community and agencies.

List the 3 basic policing styles.

1. Watchman

2. Legalistic

3. Service

What are the 4 factors of the watchman style of policing?

1. Maintaining order.

2. Controlling illegal and disruptive behavior.

3. Roughing up (arresting disruptive people).

4. Considerable use of discretion.

Where is the watchman style of policing typically used?

Areas where there is a lot of crime.

What is the legalistic style of policing?

The police are committed to enforcing the letter of the law.

What approach do police take with the legalistic style of policing?

The police have a "laissez faire" or "hands-off" approach to behaviors that may be bothersome or disruptive but not violate the law.

What does "laissez faire" mean?

Hands off

What is the service style of policing?

The police are concerned with helping rather than strictly enforcing the laws.

- More likely to supplement law enforcement activities with community resources.

What is the most popular style of police in America today?

The service style of policing.

What does community policing emphasize?

Partnering with the community.

What is the goal of community policing?

Police work with the community to help solve problems.

Define "police subculture"

A set of values, beliefs, and acceptable forms of behavior characteristic of American police.

Where does "socialization" into the police subculture begin?

Recruit training and continues thereafter.

What 4 factors characterize police subculture?

1. "Us vs. them"

2. "No one understands our job."

3. "The courts have tied our hands."

4. General police "cynicism"

What is the focus on police subculture?

The focus is on "crime fighting," not community needs.

What event in history changed how police departments operate?

9/11

Define "boundaryless policing"

Sharing information across jurisdictions.

What are fusion centers?

Fusion centers pool and analyze information from law enforcement agencies at all levels, looking for meaningful patterns and actionable intelligence (credible).

How many fusion centers are there in total across 37 states?

70

What 6 factors influence police discretion?

1. Officers' background and personal values

2. Suspect characteristics, priors, attitude

3. Department policy

4. Community interest

5. Pressure from victim

6. Disagreement with the law

True or False? Ethnics training is integrated into most basic training programs.

True

What is the purpose of accreditation?

The purpose is to improve law enforcement services.

List screening methods law enforcement agencies use.

- Personal interviews

- Basic skills test

- Physical agility measures

- Medical exams

- Drug tests

- Background investigations

- Psychological testing

True or False? Women are still significantly underrepresented, especially in top command positions.

True

What causes female officers to feel strain and isolation?

Strain caused by family roles and parenting, under-utilization, and uncooperative attitudes of male officers.