Police and Crime

PROACTIVE VS. REACTIVE

*Self-initiated (PROACTIVE)

ex:traffic stop

*Response to citizen requests (REACTIVE)

ex:cold report

CRIME CONTROL STRATEGIES

• Proactive vs. reactive
• General vs. specific
• Particular crimes
• specific places
• special offenders
• specific victims

CRIME CONTROL ASSUMPTIONS

Viewed as society's primary mechanism for "fighting crime"???? POLICE & CITIZENS

Other institutions aid in crime prevention: schools, families, communities. POLICE & OTHER SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS

PREVENTING CRIME

CRIME PREVENTION STRATEGIES

• COMMUNITY-ORIENTED POLICING
• NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH
• CPTED (CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN)

ROUTINE PATROL

• VISIBLE PRESENCE IS A DETERRENT

APPREHENDING CRIMINALS

Primary method of learning about crime

• CITIZEN REPORTS
• ON-VIEW ACTIVITY
• POLICE INITIATED INVESTIGATIONS

Most crimes not reported!!

FACTORS IN REPORING CRIMES

• SERIOUS VS. MINORS
• VIOLENT VS. PROPERTY
• INJURY VS. NON-INJURY
• $$$$$$ VS. $$
• AFRICAN AMERICAN VS. WHITE
• POOR VS. WEALTHY

• AGE NO FACTOR
• WOMEN VS. MEN
• TEENAGERS
• OTHER FACTORS

PRIVATE MATTER

• NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGH
• NOT IMPORTANT TO POLICE
• INCONVENIENT

FEAR OF REPRISAL

• NOT CLEAR CRIME HAS OCCURRED
• PROTECT OFFENDER
• LACK OF PROOF

UNFOUNDING A CRIME

• DON'T COMPLETE A CRIME REPORT
• CITIZENS DON'T UNDERSTAND THE LAW
• INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
• ABUSE DISCRETION

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION

*MANY MYTHS

• EXCITING &DANGEROUS;HEROIC 7 EXTRAORDINARY SKILLS

*SEPARATE UNITS

*HIGH STATUS

• NOT ALL UNITS!

*MORE INITIATIVE

• MORE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTROL YOUR OWN WORK: MORE DISCRETION

*CLEAR MEURE OF SUCCESS

• NUMBER OF ARREST

INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS

• PRELIMINARY
• ARREST DISCRETION
• FOLLOW-UP

REALITY OF DETECTIVE WORK

ROUTINE                                 NON-PRODUCTIVE

                   NOT GLAMOROUS!!!

SUPERFICIAL                            FOOTWORK

CASE SCREENING

*ACTUAL CASELOAD

• HAVE SUFFICENT LEADS

*NOMINAL CASELOAD

• ACTUALLY WORKED

*WORKABLE CASELOAD

• ALL CASES ASSIGNED

MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION

• CLEARANCE RATE *TRUE VS. OFFICIAL, VARIOUS CRITERIA, MANIPULATED (COULD BE WHAT A DEPT. IS DOING)
• DEFINING ARREST?

*LEGALLY ARRESTED

• IN CUSTODY

*BEHAVIORALLY ARRESTED

• A STOP;PHYSCAL RESTRAINT

*SUBJECTIVELY ARRESTED

• BELIEVE NOT FREE TO GO?

*OFFICIALLY ARRESTED

• OFFICIAL REPORT OF ARREST

CASE SOLVABILIITY FACTORS

*STRUCTURAL

• GOOD LEAD SUSPECT DESCRIPTION (CAN YOU GO ANYWHERE WITH THIS CASE)

*ORGANIZATIONAL

• MORE DETECTIVES, MORE TRAINING, BETTER MANAGEMENT

*ENVIRONMENTAL

• CHARACTERITICS OF THE COMMUNITY; SIZE, ECONOMICS, CHARACTERISTICS OF RESIDENTS

*OFFICER PRODUCTIVITY

• TYPE OF CRIME SOLVED, WORK ETHIC