CCJS 100 – Criminal Act Assignment - DUE FRIDAY

6: Policing

Learning Objectives

In this section, you will be introduced to the history of policing in the United States. Today, policing is under

the microscope to ensure past mistakes are not repeated and forward momentum is reached. It is for this reason this

section will explore the history, as well as the foundations, that the American policing system was built upon. At

the end of this section, students will be able to:

• Discuss how the history of policing relates to current policing

• List the different parts of the history of policing

• Recognize the four eras of policing and identify the important parts of each era

• Explain why Sir Robert Peel is important to policing

• Describe how August Vollmer impacted policing

• List what three issues marked the Political Reform Era

• Illustrate several important occurrences during the Community Policing Era

• Discuss why the fourth era of policing is the Homeland Security Era

Critical Thinking Questions

Discussion Questions: 1. Why is the history of policing important to understand?

2. What about kin policing made it not a good form of policing?

3. What are the four eras of policing?

4. How was the Homeland Security Era established?

5. Why was Sir Robert Peel important to policing?

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6. What did August Vollmer believe police should be doing?

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6.1. Policing in Ancient Times

TIFFANY MOREY

The development of policing in the United States coincided with the development of policing in England.

In fact, the United States legal system traces its roots back to the common law of England. However, we

can go all the way back before 1750 BC to see how forms of policing were common during ancient times,

to what is now known as kin policing. Kin policing is when a tribe or clan policed their own tribe, and it often turned bloody quickly. The blood feuds would go on for a long period of time.

1

However, it is estimated, also sometime around 1750 BC, that the Code Hammurabi was engraved in

stone. This code detailed 282 sections of how one individual should treat another individual in society, and

the penalties for such violations. The code is seen as the beginnings of law and justice. Around 1000 BC,

Mosaic Law emerged. This law was a new form of rational law and hoped to predict what behaviors were

prohibited. In Mosaic Law, the ruling class did not create the law. The Code of Hammurabi and Mosaic Law

formed the ladder that would eventually lead to the creation of policing, as we now know it today. 2

Peisistratus (605-527 BC), who was the ruler of Athens, has been called the father of formal policing.

During this time of growth, new Greek city-states were being developed and blood feuds that lasted decades

had to be quashed. Kin policing slowly washed away due to its barbaric nature and new doors opened for a

modern city driven policing model. The first police service in Athens was developed by Sparta and it is often

looked at as the first secret service. 3

Augustus Caesar (27 BC), who was the first emperor of Rome, was instrumental in creating what is

now called the urban cohorts. The urban cohorts were men from the Praetorian Guard (Augustus’ army), charged with ensuring peace in the city. As crime rose and became more violent, Augustus formed the vigils, which were not affiliated with the Praetorian Guard, but were charged with fighting crime and fires. The

vigils were given the power to protect and arrest. 4

From 6 AD until the 12th century, Rome was patrolled day and night, by a public police force. With the

fall of the Roman Empire, kings then assumed the role of protection. From the 12th-18th centuries, kings in

England appointed sheriffs. At age fifteen, boys could volunteer with the posse comitatus to go after wanted felons. Constables, a police officer with limited authority, assisted the sheriffs with serving summons and

1. Berg, B., (1999). Policing in a modern society. Oxford: Elsevier. 2. Berg, B., (1999). Policing in a modern society. Oxford: Elsevier. 3. Berg, B., (1999). Policing in a modern society. Oxford: Elsevier. 4. Berg, B., (1999). Policing in a modern society. Oxford: Elsevier.

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warrants. Because young volunteers did the policing work, there were several problems, such as corruption

and drunkenness. Victims who had the means to hire private police or bodyguards to so for protection, but

unfortunately, that meant those who were poor, had neither help nor protection. 5

5. Berg, B., (1999). Policing in a modern society. Oxford: Elsevier.

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6.2. Sir Robert Peel

TIFFANY MOREY

The 19th century in England heavily influenced the history of policing in the United States. Not only

did policing radically change for the first time in over six centuries, but the father of modern policing, Sir Robert Peel, set up the stage for what is known today as modern policing. Sir Robert Peel, the British Home Secretary, coined the term ‘bobbies’ as a nickname for cops and he believed policing needed to be

restructured. In 1829 he passed the Metropolitan Police Act, which created the first British police force and

what the 21st century knows for today’s modern-day police. 1

1. Cordner, G., Novak, K., Roberg, R., & Smith, B., (2017). Police & Society. New York: Oxford University Press.

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Sir Robert Peel

Sir Robert Peel is best known for the Peelian Principles. He did not create the twelve principles but used

a combination of previous codes that he expected police to follow. The exact historical origins of the twelve

listed principles below are unknown, but it has been theorized that the principles were slowly created over

the years by academics studying Peel.

1- The police must be stable efficient, and organized along military lines;

2- The police must be under government control;

3- The absence of crime will best prove the efficiency of police;

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4- The distribution of crime news is essential;

5- The deployment of police strength both by time and area is essential;

6- No quality is more indispensable to a policeman than perfect command of temper; a quiet, determined

manner has more effect than violent action;

7- Good appearance commands respect;

8- The securing and training of proper persons is at the root of efficiency;

9- Public security demands that every police officer be given a number;

10-Police headquarters should be centrally located and easily accessible to the people;

11-Policemen should be hired on a probationary basis; and

12-Police records are necessary to the correct distribution of police strength

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2. Cordner, G., Novak, K., Roberg, R., & Smith, B., (2017). Police & Society. New York: Oxford University Press.

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6.3. Policing Eras

TIFFANY MOREY

Researchers Kelling and Moore (1991) evaluated the first three eras of policing. These eras are discussed

below, and are often referred to as the Political Era, the Reform Era, and the Community Era. Through the microscope of seven topical areas, listed below, an understanding of how policing evolved begins.

1. Authorization

2. Function

3. Organization

4. Demand

5. Environment

6. Tactics

7. Outcomes

These seven characteristics have been used to evaluate how policing operated throughout history, most

notably through its organizational structure, tactics, and primary focus. 1

Political Era: The political era is often referred to as the first era of policing in the United States and it began around the 1840s with the creation of the first bona fide police agencies in America

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This era of policing is marked by the industrial revolution, the abolishment of slavery, and the formation

of large cities. One way to confirm the start of this era is to look at the creation of police departments in

larger cities:

1. Greene, J. R., & Mastrofsky, S. D. (Eds.) (1991). Kelling, G.L., & Moore, M. H. (1991). From political to reform to community: The evolving strategy of the police. In Community Policing: Rhetoric or Reality. New York: Paeger.

2. Oliver, W. M. (2006). The fourth era of policing: Homeland security. International Review of Law, Computers & Technology

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• New York Police Founded 1845

• Chicago Police Founded 1855

• Philadelphia Police Founded 1751

• Jacksonville Police Founded 1822

• Indianapolis Police Founded 1850’s

• Detroit Police Founded 1865

• Portland Police Founded 1870

• Eugene Police Founded 1863

• Jackson County, Oregon Police Founded 1852

With the advent of the industrial revolution, came goods and services. Along with new job

opportunities, came a myriad of conflict as well. The fast-growing cities had to answer these problems with

solutions in the form of policing. The abolishment of slavery and the new free black population created

many unforeseen issues too with The Klu Klux Klan. The Klan began to make terrifying appearances and

their reign of terror left many in fear. Policing had not yet formally entered the scene; therefore, The Klan

operated virtually unencumbered.

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London Strike: Truck Under Protection

The United States saw tremendous growth in major cities, had the industrial revolution, and the

abolished slavery, which is when the Political Era of policing was set into motion. As its name suggests, it

was an era of politics, mainly because of how policing was limited as a result of new laws, made clear by

the Constitution. America answered the call by following the English and Sir Robert Peel’s principles. Not

unlike today, policing during this era was under the control of politicians. Politicians, like the mayor, had

no problem controlling everything a policeman did during his call of duty (NOTE: the word policeman/ men is utilized in this era/context, because during this time period, women were not allowed in the

profession, and if they were accepted it was under a microscopic view of certain stereotypical matronly

duties to be performed). In fact, Black policemen were rarely hired. Black policemen made their way into

policing in the late 1800s, but when the Civil Rights Act of 1875 was ruled unconstitutional, Black officers

all but disappeared from policing until the 1950s.

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News Box: A look at the salaries:

1957 annual wage for a police patrolman – Milwaukee Police Department: $5,405.40

1957 Annual Report Milwaukee Police Department https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/

Groups/…/Archive…/1957AnnualReport.pdf

News Box: 61 years later 2018 annual wage for police patrolman- Milwaukee Police Department:

$57,291.00

Milwaukee, Wisconsin- State website https://city.milwaukee.gov/fpc/Jobs/Police-Officer.html

News Box: 2018 Annual wage for first step trooper- Oregon State Police: $56,184.00 Oregon State Police- Oregon.gov website https://www.oregon.gov/osp/RECRUIT/Pages/

salary_benefits.aspx

Reform Era: Because the Political Era of policing ended up being laced with corruption and brutality, the panacea for the negativity became the Reform Era. One police chief was largely at the forefront of this

new era, Chief August Vollmer. He is considered the pioneer for police professionalism. August Vollmer was the Chief of Police in Berkeley, California (1905-1932). He had many new beliefs about policing that

would forever change the world of policing:

1. Candidates who were testing to be in policing had to undergo psychological and intelligence

tests

2. Detectives would utilize scientific methods in their investigations, through forensic

laboratories

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3. Recruits, for the first time, would attend a training academy (police did not receive any

formal training prior to August Vollmer’s arrival)

4. Assisted with the development of the School of Criminology at the University of California

at Berkeley

Chief August Vollmer saw policing and officers as social workers that needed to delve into the causes

behind the acts in order to solve the issue, instead of just arrest it. 3

He knew in order to rehabilitate

offenders, police officers needed to look behind the handcuffs and start looking into the person and reason

behind the behavior. 4

3. Reppetto, T.A. (1978). The Blue Parade. New York: Free Press. 4. Reppetto, T.A. (1978). The Blue Parade. New York: Free Press.

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“Father of modern law enforcement”

Diversity in policing started to make a mark during this era, but it would fall irrevocably far from

meeting any type of quota. It was a better era for diversity than the Political Era, but the numbers don’t lie

in that it fell dismally short.

The Community Era- 1980s to 2000: In the 1960s and 1970s the crime rate double and it was a time

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of unrest and eye-opening policing issues. Civil rights movements spread across America and the police

were on the front lines. Media coverage showed controversial contacts between white male officers and

African American citizens, which further irritated race relations in policing. The U.S. Supreme Court

handed down the landmark Miranda v. Arizona and Mapp v. Ohio decisions. The writing was on the wall that the policing environment had to change. The days of answering everything with bullying or police

professionalism were no more. The Community Era of policing began and those in police administration

hoped this new era held the answers to fixing decades-old issues. The police needed help and they would

turn towards the community and its citizens for assistance.

This new era of community policing held that police couldn’t act alone; the community must pitch in

as well. Whether the problems were a dispute between neighbors or high crime area drugs and shootings,

these issues did not develop overnight and could not be solved by a response of police alone. Instead,

these community problems needed a pronged approach where the police worked together with the

community and over time the issues could be systematically solved. Out of the box thinking was common

in community policing and often community leaders were identified in order to make the impact. During

this time police candidates started showing up to the application process with Associates and Bachelors

degrees. The ‘old school officers’ mocked these degree-holding candidates. But the landscape was changing

and officers needed more thorough training than ever to answer the call.

Problem-oriented policing was an after effect of community policing, in that it utilized community

policing, but focused on the problems first. The biggest difference was problem-oriented policing used a

defined process for working towards the solution. The problem was torn apart layer by layer and rebuilt

according to set parameters that have a proven record of working.

The Community Era was also a time for research. Prior to this era, research on crime, police, or criminal

justice topics were few and far between. With new federal government funding options available, this era

missions could be accomplished through grants and the needed research began. Proof of what worked,

what didn’t, and suggestions on how to improve policing were abundant. Without research or studies,

policing can become stagnant. But with funding available, the answers were a questionnaire or interview

away and solutions came rolling in.

Community Era Example

“I remember the Community Era very well. I was a new police officer during this time and actually at the

forefront of Community Policing and Problem-Oriented Policing. I was the first woman officer at my police

department that was pregnant and the administration was open to suggestions when asked what to do with me

when my belly expanded. I politely suggested that once I was five to six months pregnant and began to show (and

not fit in my uniform or patrol belt anymore), I will be voluntarily transferred to the Crime Prevention Division.

With my doctor approving this decision, my belly grew, and I transferred to this new division. I remember hitting

the streets and knocking on doors, spewing how great of a panacea Community Policing was. It took some buy-

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in and with the citizens who ‘bought-it,’ the concept actually became a reality and worked! Months later we had

a string of burglaries occurring in a high-crime neighborhood. The detectives, patrol, everyone hit the streets,

knocking on doors, questioning everyone, in an attempt to find the criminals responsible. With no avail, I turned

to Community Policing. I brought in a mounted police officer and horse. My colleagues chucked and shook their

heads in response! What was I thinking?!?! “It was a waste of resources,” they balked! How could a cop on a horse

solve this crime? I was glad; I ‘wasted my time,’ because it worked! The officer on the horse brought citizens out

of their houses that normally would never have spoken to a police officer normally. The horse was such a spectacle

in the neighborhood, that it was the catalyst that caused citizens to not only come out of their houses but to start

talking about what and who they had been seeing in and around their neighborhood that did not belong. One

such sighting was a vehicle description, which led to criminals responsible for the burglaries. ”

The Homeland Security Era- 2001 to Present: On September 11th, 2001, when terrorists hijacked airplanes and flew them into the World Trade Center buildings and Pentagon in the United States, a fourth

era of policing, the era of Homeland Security, was said to emerge. 5

The long-lasting repercussions of this

terrorist act would forever change life for Americans, but the daily activities of all policing departments.

There is some debate in the field as to the order of policing eras and what they should be called. Some

scholars list the policing eras as:

1. Pre-Policing Era

2. Political Era

3. Reform Era

4. Community Era

While others believe the policing eras are:

1. Political Era

2. Reform Era

3. Community Era

4. Homeland Security Era

The realities of the tragedy of 9/11 were that it did start a new era of policing. In fact, a case could

be made for the large dark line that became metaphorically visible on 9/11/01, when the Community

5. Oliver, W. M. (2006). The fourth era of policing: Homeland security. International Review of Law, Computers & Technology.

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Era shifted to the Homeland Security Era as airplanes destroyed America’s feelings of safety. Policing will

probably always involve some sort of Community Era policing in order to make a difference.

Remembering 9/11: A Decade Later

Policing under Homeland Security is marked by a more focused concentration of its resources into crime

control, enforcement of the criminal law, traffic law, etc., in order to expose potential threats and gather

intelligence. 6

Scholars have examined the pros and cons of a national police department in the United States. For

example, Canada has a Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Whereas, depending on location, one could

go through several different cities and counties while driving to the store, all of which have their own

respective police departments. With the advent of the Homeland Security Era, a new model of centralized

organizational control began due to the need for information dissemination. One of the biggest flaws of

9/11 was the lack of communication between law enforcement agencies. The Department of Homeland

Security was developed and one of its first major missions became the dissemination of information and

6. Oliver, W. M. (2006). The fourth era of policing: Homeland security. International Review of Law, Computers & Technology.

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communication. So, while a national police department does not exist in the United States, communication

and information are now a common thread that binds all of the different types of law enforcement agencies.

10:28:24 a.m. on September 11th, 2001 was the precise second that photojournalist Bill Biggart took the final shot of his life. He

took his last breath moments later when the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed upon him. Four days later, searchers

found his body, his burnt-edged press cards, his three demolished cameras, six rolls of film, and one small undisturbed compact flash

card carrying almost 150 digital images. It was the remains of one horrifying day and one extraordinary life. “I am certain if Bill had

come home at the end of that day, he would have had many stories to tell us, as he always did. And had we asked how it really was,

he would have said, ‘Take my advice, don’t stand under any tall buildings that have just been hit by airplanes.”-Wendy Doremus,

wife of Bill Biggart.

Homeland Security Era Examples

I remember I awoke to live video showing one of the World Trade Center buildings with smoke billowing

from the windows. I wondered hesitantly how the fire started? Then, as one video camera rolled, by happenstance,

it caught an airplane flying directly into the second World Trade Center building and my worst fears came true.

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I think I stumbled to the edge of my couch and steadied myself, although I really don’t remember, as I watched

what happened next, slowly unfold. The effects of that day will never be forgotten.

During a trip to New York, last summer, I visited the World Trade Center museum. As I walked through the

halls, a pin drop could have been heard. The respect, sadness, and overwhelming feelings that filled me made it

difficult to breathe. Not only did the terrorists kill and destroy many things that day with their hate but they

forever changed policing. I was a patrol officer at the time when the devastation ravaged America. Sadness filled

our department for our brothers and sisters that lost their lives. We didn’t realize at the time, but our departments

and thousands of others in policing across America were in for major changes, because of the heinous acts of a

few. The first changes I remember taking place were: Active shooter updates and training; Incident Command

System (ICS) updates and training; NEMA emergency management training; Gas masks were distributed for

each individual officer, to be carried full-time, along with 3 month re-check and applicable training; Policy and

procedure updates and additional response training depending on the call type; Reconfiguration of call type and

responses to each; COMMUNICATION became the center of everything.

It became essential to hire a person to go through all the communication and alerts we received daily and alert

those the information effected Unless those in the policing field had blinders on, the era of Homeland Security,

was probably at the time, and will probably always be, one of the most substantial in policing history.

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6.4. Levels of Policing and Role of Police

TIFFANY MOREY

Learning Objectives

After reading this section, students will be able to:

• Understand the various options for careers in the policing and law enforcement arena

• Discuss educational requirements are required for law enforcement positions with the federal

government, state, county, municipal or city officer candidates

• Explain what a state police officer’s main objectives are

• Describe the difference between commissioned and civilian

• List several divisions that a commissioned officer can promote to

• List several departments that a civilian can work within a law enforcement type agency

• Discuss why different police departments work with each other

Critical Thinking Questions

1. What education does a candidate need for jobs in federal law enforcement?

2. What education does a candidate generally need for city or county jobs as a police officer?

3. Is there a difference between a person who is considered commissioned and a person who is

considered a civilian?

4. Does every law enforcement agency have the same opportunities for advancement?

5. Why do different police departments work together?

6. Can a person be a homicide detective without being a police officer?

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Southern Oregon University Criminology and Criminal

Justice student Christina Richardson volunteered to try on the

Oregon State Police explosive unit bomb suit at the annual

Lock-In Event.

Policing Types It is an exciting time for those entering the policing or law enforcement field. The choices are endless, and

one need not look far to find areas that draw the mind and excitement of the prospects in such a career field.

All too often, candidates only think of local police departments; i.e., city or county agencies. The options

available are genuinely multi-faceted. Whether one is looking for the stereotypical police officer role, or if it

is the study of the criminal mind, possibly criminal forensics, or even crime analysis, or if one loves the forest

or the water, the options are endless. While the below list is not all-inclusive, it does give a good detailed

look at the array of careers one could have in the policing or law enforcement field.

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ODOT partnered with the Ashland Police Department to raise awareness about unlicensed movers.

Federal Level: The federal arena of law enforcement careers is broad and vast. The options are almost endless, and the rewards outweigh most of the other local agencies. However, there is a catch, which

centers on education and experience. Most law enforcement-related careers in the federal arena require a

bachelor’s degree, at a minimum plus three years of related full-time work experience before applying.

Candidates interested in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as a special agent, for example, are

looking at the following educational requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree in either accounting, computer science/information technology, foreign

language (only a criminal justice major if the candidate is planning on working full-time for a

law enforcement agency for at least three years before applying),

• OR a JD degree from an accredited law school,

• OR a diversified bachelor’s degree AND three years of professional experience, OR a master’s

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degree, or Ph.D. along with two years of professional experience.

Federal job possibilities (the list is not comprehensive)

• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF)

• Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

• Secret Service

• Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

• National Security Agency (NSA)

• United States Marshals Service (USMS)

• U.S. Park Police

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

• Department of Justice

• Federal Bureau of Prisons

• U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID)

• U.S. Army Counter Intelligence

• Dept. of Ariculture-Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG)

• U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement & Investigations (USFS LEI)

• Department of Commerce-Office of Inspector General (DOC-OIG)

• Office of Security (DOC-OS)

• US Commerce Department Police

• Office of Export Enforcement (OEE)

• National Institute of Standards and Technology Police

• United States Pentagon Police

• Department of Defense-Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS)

• United States Pentagon Police (USPPD)

• Department of Defense Police

• Defense Security Police

• Defense Logistic Agency Police

• United States Coast Guard (USCG)

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• Plus Many More ++

State Level: State police work for a state. For example, in Oregon, the state police work for the state of Oregon and the department is Oregon State Police (OSP). In Nevada, the state police are Nevada Highway

Patrol (NHP) and work for the Nevada Department of Public Safety. The commissioned (certified by the

state with powers of arrest) employees are generally called troopers (a.k.a. police officers), their uniform is blue (except for California Highway Patrol who wear tan and dark brown uniforms), they wear round

tipped hats, and their primary duty is to patrol the highways and interstates; however, many state police

also investigate many different criminal crimes, run criminal forensic labs, along with divisions of fish and

wildlife. The duties of each state agency are different and unique to each state. For example, OSP has an

explosives unit (see photo below).

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Oregon State Police (OSP) Trooper Greg Costanzo showing Southern Oregon University Criminology and Criminal Justice

students the OSP explosive unit robot during the annual Lock-In Event.

County Level: There are 3,142 counties in the United States. 1

Each county has an elected Sheriff and

deputies (a.k.a. police officers) work directly under the Sheriff. Deputies are no different from any other city police officer other than the Sheriff can be responsible for the courts and jails (a.k.a. correctional

facility) in their respective county. But there are also many city police departments that are responsible for

jails, so it just depends on the department.

Each state is divided into counties, and each county, depending on size, could have a sheriff’s office.

Examples of sheriff offices (county police) in Oregon:

1. U.S. Department of the Interior (2018, September 23). How many countries are there in the United States. Retrieved from https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-many-counties-are-there-united-states.

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• Jackson County Sheriff’s Office

• Josephine County Sheriff’s Office

• Douglas County Sheriff’s Office

• Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office

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Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Sgt. DiCostanzo assisting during the Southern Oregon University Criminology

and Criminal Justice annual Lock-In Event (for the K-9 patrol dog demonstration). Every year the CCJ

Department along with the CCJ Crim Club puts on the Lock-In Event (February or March). During this event law

enforcement agencies across the state participate and assist with spreading the word about law enforcement. For one

afternoon students learn about such programs as: K-9 patrol dogs, eplosives unit, defensive tactics, MILO (police

officer simulator training), CSI, SWAT, DUI, and parole/probation. Students at SOU can enroll for 1 credit for this

one day class and other students in the community can attend as well. Don’t miss the Lock-In event if you are

interested in law enforcement or in understanding the various facets of law enforcement.

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A Deputy monitors Pleasant Creek Road in the early morning adjacent to the Garner Complex. Credit: Facebook –

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon

Municipal/City Level: Municipal/City police work under a municipality or city. If a city has a government, i.e., mayor and city council members and a municipal code (misdemeanor laws for the city),

then the city can have city police. If a person works for a city, the designator is a police officer. Some cities

have a connected jail (a.k.a. correction or detention facility), while others are operated through the Sheriff

and the county.

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Most state, county, municipal/city police departments do not require future candidates to have a

bachelors’ degree. Currently, many of the candidates testing for such positions do have an associates or

bachelor’s degree, therefore although it is not required, the candidates are more desirable because they have

a college degree. Generally, college degrees become a required educational background, when an officer

wants to enter management, i.e., sergeant, lieutenant, captain. However, many Chiefs and Sheriffs have

either a Masters or Ph.D. The following are municipal/city police departments in Oregon:

• Ashland Police Department

• Talent Police Department

• Phoenix Police Department

• Medford Police Department

• Central Point Police Department

• Eagle Point Police Department

CCJ students in the CCJ 387 Law Enforcement Test Prep Class take a field trip to Medford Police Department, where Sgt. Budreau

gives instructions to Officer Josephson on how to properly pull the dummy during the ORPAT test.

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Learn More about every law enforcement agency in the U.S.

For a complete list of law enforcement agencies (state, county, municipal/city)

visit: http://Discoverpolicing.org

Miscellaneous Policing Jobs: There are many police jobs that may fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government, state, county, or city or they are civilian positions (see below):

• Bailiff for a Court

• Animal Control or Animal Cruelty Investigator

• Computer Forensics

• Correctional Counselor

• Court Clerk or Court Reporter

• Criminologist

• Private Investigator

• Criminal Justice Administration

• Crime Prevention Specialist

• Protection Officer

• Forensic Accountant, Anthropoligist, Artist, Hypnotists, Nurse, Pathologist, Psychologist,

Scientist, Serologist, Toxicologist

• Judge

• Juvenile Probation Officer

• Latent Print Examiner

• Legal Secretary/Paralegal

• Loss Prevention Officer

• Mediator/Negotiator

• Pre-trial Officer

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• Security Analyst

• Security Officer

• Social Worker

• Victims Advocate

• Plus Many More ++

Becoming an Officer Example

“I regularly get asked the following question: “Do I have to be a ‘real cop’- you know, a cop that drives in a

patrol car and answers calls for service, to be a homicide detective?” I understand this question because of a lot

of the cop, and detective television shows out there today do not accurately represent this situation. I am so glad

the television shows are available because they work as a recruitment tool for many departments. But, I have to

disappoint many people, when I give the honest answer…”Yes, you have to be a ‘real cop’ before you can be a

detective.” And, I go a step further, in explaining that it can take years, or even decades, to test and promote to

a homicide detective.” I explain that many smaller departments that do not have many homicides in a given year,

have positions open in the detective bureau every two-five years. But, the larger departments that have hundreds to

thousands of homicides a year, will only promote every ten-to-twenty years, because even though an officer could

promote to the detective bureau within several years, the homicide detective is a glamorous position, therefore one

must ‘do their time’ as a property detective, investigating vehicle burglaries, etc., before there is a retirement and

they have proven themselves enough to take that position.

Divisions within Each Agency: Law enforcement agencies, whether they are federal, county, state, or municipal/city, generally have jobs available within two major areas: 1- Commissioned 2- Civilian.

Commissioned is a term that describes an employee that has been through police training is certified as a police officer and has arresting powers in the state. Civilian is a term that describes an employee who has not been through police training and does not have arresting powers.

One of the fantastic parts of policing is the vast array of jobs available. Whether a person is looking in

the commissioned or civilian arena, there are a plethora of choices. Once a candidate has gone through the

testing process for a particular law enforcement agency and is hired after a certain number of years ‘on the

road’ (length of time required on the road, is determined by each department) the seasoned officer can then

test for many tantalizing individual divisions. Every department is different as to those specialized divisions.

For example, the Ashland Police Department (APD) in Oregon is a smaller police department and offers its

officers a chance to engage in community policing and problem-oriented policing at a one-on-one level,

due to its smaller size (thirty-fourty officers).

On the other hand, because of its smaller size, the opportunities for advancement are minimal. Officers

with the department can also promote to management. However, APD does have a few detectives but they

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do not offer its officers the more more glamorous divisions such as those offered by the Portland Police

Bureau (PPB). An officer at PPB can promote to the following divisions: Drugs and Vice, Narcotics, Asset

Forfeiture, Youth Services Division, Traffic, Family Services Division, Detective, K-9, Explosive Disposal,

Gang Enforcement, Air Support Unit, Rapid Response, and more.

Policing can be multifaceted thereby keeping its officers engaged. Unlike many other professions, the

daily job of a police officer, depending on the respective department, can change with divisions. One year

a police officer may be writing a traffic citation from a patrol car, and the next year the same police officer

may be driving an off-road motorcycle patrolling the local park or riding a mounted horse in the downtown

area.

The choice to have a career in policing is enormous, but the candidate must go one step further and

start researching to decide what type of policing, and then dig even further to pick which agency and what

possible divisions the candidate would like to have the opportunity to join one day.

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office demonstrates K-9 patrol procedures during the annual Lock-In Event at Southern Oregon University.

During this K-9 class students get to learn how patrol dogs operate and they actually get to see a bite demonstration and learn how the

K-9’s are trained.

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COMMISSIONED- Divisions within a Law Enforcement Agency:

• Detective/Investigations (Persons Crimes- Property Crimes- Homicides, Rape, Robbery,

Burglary, Auto Theft, DUII, Domestic Violence)

• Motors

• Narcotics

• Human/Sex Trafficking

• VICE

• Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)

• SWAT

• K-9 (patrol, drug, and search & rescue dogs)

• Crisis Negotiator

• Mounted Unit (horses)

• Air Unit

• Training/Range Master

• Academy/Tac Officer

• Bike Patrol

• Recruiting

• Internal Affairs

• Public Information Officer

• Gangs

• Search & Rescue

• Forest and Fish & Wildlife

• Marine

• Various Area Task Force (usually made up of various law enforcement agencies in the area-

to sometimes include federal agencies too)

• Plus Many More ++

CIVILIAN- Divisions within a Law Enforcement Agency:

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The civilian areas of each police department are also fascinating. Not every person is meant to go into

law enforcement as a police officer. It is a strenuous and stressful job that attracts many but only made

for a few elite. However, don’t fret; there are many options in the law enforcement realm. Putting on a

bullet-proof vest, filling a holster with a semi-automatic handgun, and continually training to be in tip-top

condition does not appeal to everyone, so there are still many jobs available in the law enforcement arena.

Civilians are the other half of the equation and are a much-needed commodity for every law enforcement

agency. When a citizen dials 9-1-1, a dispatcher answers the phone, and that dispatcher is a civilian. When

a police officer finds heroin on a suspect and takes custody of it and later books it into evidence at the police

station, the evidence technician is the civilian that logs and follows through with the chain of custody for

the heroin evidence. Civilians are just as important as the commissioned positions at a law enforcement

agency.

Example civilian positions at law enforcement agencies:

• Dispatch/911 Operator

• Records

• Crime Analysis

• Forensic Unit/CSI

• Training

• Fleet Management

• Support/Facilities

• Human Resources

• Operations Support Unit

• Recruitment Coordinator

• Volunteer Coordinator

• Administrative Support

• Plus Many More ++

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Students at Southern Oregon University with a major in Criminology and Criminal Justice take the CCJ 321 CSI and CCJ 462

Forensic Criminal Investigation classes and practice crime scene investigation skills for a future career as a Crime Scene Investigator

Contact with Outside Agencies: It takes a team to accomplish policing. One federal, state, county, or city police agency cannot do it all alone. In order to succeed the agencies must work together. Whether a

narcotics division works with the ATF or an entire SWAT team comprised of officers from various city and

county departments, the team concept in policing is unwavering.

Oregon has a lot of examples of coordination between different agencies to make things happen. For

example, in Jackson County (Oregon) there is The Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement (MADGE)

Unit; there was a need in Jackson County, to work towards controlling the gangs and drugs in the valley,

and one department could not complete the mission alone. Therefore, MADGE was created to engage the

following agencies:

Medford Police, Ashland Police, Central Point Police, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State

Police, Jackson County Community Corrections, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security

Investigations Division, and the Oregon Army National Guard. Not only does the job get done more

efficiently and more effectively but also the communication that occurs when nine different agencies

converge is awe-inspiring.

In the News: MADGE is proactive in gang intelligence and gang prevention. In 2015, MADGE and Medford Police Department investigated 247 gang-related crimes; a strong majority of these crimes were

graffiti cases. With the continued help of CSO Todd Sales, this graffiti is removed or painted over with

the assistance of youth offenders completing their community service hours, for their part in graffiti. In

2015 there was a 140% increase in gang-related aggravated assault cases, from 5 in 2014 to 12 in 2015.

Current numbers of documented gang members have leveled off from past years. In 2015, MADGE

and Medford Police have identified 315 documented gang members and associates that participate in

organized crime activities. This information is compiled for the furtherance of an investigation involving

organized criminal gang activities http://Madge Task Force Retrieved from http://www.ci.medford.or.us/

Page.asp?NavID=2400 i City of Medford (2018, September 23). Madge Task Force Retrieved from

http://www.ci.medford.or.us/Page.asp?NavID=2400

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Finally, once one enters the policing field, the contacts made daily are numerous.

An officer who works for a city police department can have contact with:

• Jails/Correction/Detention Facilities and Employees

• Prisons

• Prosecutors Office

• Defense Attorneys

• Judges and Lawyers

• Various Social Services

• Educational Entities

These contacts are precious to every police officer and without them; the officer could not complete

their job effectively.

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6.5. Recruitment and Hiring in Policing

TIFFANY MOREY

Learning Objectives

After reading this section, students will be able to:

• Describe the parts of the written test

• Discuss why a candidate must study, study, study, for the oral board interview

• Explain the type of questions on an oral board interview

• List the different types of a physical agility test

• Explain why departments are starting to utilize the assessment center test

• Recognize why a candidate’s background is the most important part of the testing process

• Describe why candidates fear the psychological evaluation

• Understand the B-Pad Video Test

Critical Thinking Questions

1. What is on the written test?

2. How should a candidate study for the oral board interview?

3. What is the best way to prepare for the physical agility test?

4. How can a candidate prepare for an assessment center?

5. What is the best way to start preparing for the background investigation and interview?

6. Does the psychological evaluation only check if a candidate is psycho or crazy?

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History of Recruitment and Hiring What History? ‘Nil’ For lack of a better word, would describe the history of recruitment and hiring of

new officers. Before the 1960s, as long as the candidate was a white male, had a heartbeat, and there was an

opening for a cop, the job was most likely his. Women and officers of color were all but non-existent on the

force. Women were only allowed into the ‘boys only club’ if they wore a pencil skirt and fit a prescribed role

consistent with being a woman. In some departments, women were allowed to work in the detective bureau

and interview children victims, because women supposedly talked to children better than men, because of

their ‘maternal’ instincts. These stereotypes continued in policing towards women and minorities until new

laws forbidding such behavior, made their way into the scene. With new employment laws passed between

the 1960s to the late 1990s, many doors opened for women and minorities.

Recruitment and Hiring Example

When I was in the recruitment division of my police department and also as a professor at a university, I

continually saw future police candidates unprepared for the Law Enforcement Testing Proces, a.k.a. The LET Prep

For some reason, candidates assumed that if they had their associates, or bachelor’s degree, they did not need to

study and prepare for the LET Prep. Unfortunately, that could not be farther from the truth. Just like a high school

student getting ready to enter college, needs to take the ACT or SAT, that student must still study and prepare for

those tests if there is to be a successful outcome. Due to the importance and multifaceted LET Prep, it is even that

much more critical that the candidate take the time to train and prepare. When asked how much time should be

spent studying and preparing? My response was always “as much as you can!” But, in reality, the candidate should

start preparing a minimum of six months before the written test (which is the beginning step of the LET Prep).

A good guide is one hour a night. Also, I recommend studying appropriately for each part of the LET Prep. For

example: The Oral Board Interview should be prepared for with the candidate actually speaking aloud the answers

to pre-determined questions (such as: “Tell us about yourself”), the candidate should video themselves to playback,

watch and learn from, and if at all possible the candidate should ask friends and family to sit on a ‘mock oral board

panel’ and the candidate should answer questions aloud and in front of the panel. The more realistic the training,

the better prepared the candidate will be.

The Law Enforcement Testing Preparation (LET Prep) One of the most challenging entry-level testing processes in the United States is for the position of police

officer. A typical ‘regular’ job, such as a cashier at a store, requires the candidate to fill out a job application,

then go onto a job interview, and poof, they are hired! There is a good reason why the LET Prep is so

difficult and thorough. Unlike a cashier, a police officer, once hired and trained, becomes the beholder of

great power with authority to take away a person’s freedom all under the protection of the government to

shoot and possibly take a life, when a life is threatened. Officers have the authority to take away a person’s

rights and freedoms and this type of power should not be given to anyone with just the flick of a coin, the

testing process should be rigorous and thorough. Therefore, with those facts, the law enforcement testing

process should be thorough and rigorous, to ensure the right candidate is hired.

When thinking of the LET Prep, it can help to compare it to the ACT, SAT, National Football League

Training Camp, and military boot camp, all combined. The best way a new candidate can ensure failure is

to forego studying and go into the process unprepared.

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Written Test -LET Prep The written test is tough! It can be compared with the ACT and SAT and some parts are even a bit more

difficult! Eighty percent of the candidates that take the written test fail! The written test has the following

types of questions:

• Reading Comprehension

• Vocabulary

• Spelling and Grammar

• Observation/Memory

• Deductive Reasoning/Inductive Reasoning

• Spatial Orientation

• Math

• Essay/Incident Report Writing/Written Communication

• Analytical Ability

Every law enforcement department is different, although generally there are two basic ways departments

administer the written test. The first is through an online testing service. The candidate registers online

to take the test and then will go to a pre-determined location (such as a library) with a proctor, to take

the written exam on a computer. The candidate can then send their exam score to a participating law

enforcement agency, to which the candidate is applying. The second is through the law enforcement agency

itself. The agency the candidate is testing for will post the written test date, and the candidate will respond

to the agency and take the written test. Most agencies score the written test on site, and the candidate learns

right there and then if they have a passing score to move forward in the testing process. Every agency also

differs concerning the passing score. Most agencies require at least a seventy percent to pass the written test

and move on in the hiring process. Although there are no set rules as to the passing score, some agencies

require seventy-five or eighty percent to pass the written test, it just depends on the individual agency.

The written test is tough! There are no shortcuts for studying for it, except to sit down and put the time

in. The best way to study is take one subject at a time, study one hour a night, and follow up with practice

tests of the respective subject. List the areas of concern after grading the practice tests and move onto the next

subject. After all subjects have been studied, go back and spend more time focusing on the areas of concern.

A reasonable period needed to study for the written test is generally six to twelve months.

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Hiring Our Heroes

Senior Airman Alfonzsa Jackson of the 127th Maintenance Squadron speaks with Trooper Walter Crider of the Michigan State Police

during the Hiring Our Heroes job fair at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., May. 18, 2013. Jackson, a six-year member of the

Air National Guard and recently a member of the 127th MXS Aerospace Ground Equipment crew, attended the job fair to explore

possible career opportunities in law enforcement. More than 300 were in attendance visiting with representatives of more than 50

employers. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by TSgt. David Kujawa.)

Physical Agility Test- LET Prep The physical agility test is given three different ways, depending on the department;

#1-State Physical Agility Test: In Oregon, for example, most of the departments utilize the ORPAT or

Oregon Physical Agility Test. The ORPAT is a job sample physical ability assessment process. The goal is

to assess an entry-level police officer candidate in the physical demands a police officer is likely to replicate

during routine duties.

• Part One- Mobility Run: 1235 Foot Obstacle Run Where the Candidate Demonstrates Mobility,

Agility, Flexibility, Power, and General Physical Endurance

• Part Two- Push Activity, Controlled Falls, Pull Activity

• Part Three- ‘Dummy’ Drag, 165-pound ‘Dummy’ is Dragged 25 Feet

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During the CCJ 387 Law Enforcement Test Prep Class, students took a field trip to Medford Police Department, where Sgt. Budreau

assisted the students with the various portions of the ORPAT.

#2-Physical Agility Test: A department will hire various testing agencies that have developed physical

agility courses, to set up and test entry-level police candidates.

• A description of a ‘dummy’ suspect is given (this ‘dummy’ just committed a crime)

• The candidate runs through various obstacles; four-foot cyclone fence jump, window crawl

through, one-hundred to three-hundred yard dash, and six-foot fence jump

• The candidate picks the suspect ‘dummy’ out of a lineup and drags the one-hundred+ pound

suspect ‘dummy’ twenty+ feet

#3-Military Physical Fitness Test

• Push-ups: a certain number, in a specified amount of time

• Sit-ups: a certain number, in a specified amount of time

• Pull-ups: a certain number, in a specified amount of time

• Two-mile run: in a specified amount of time (times are dependent on sex and age of candidate)

Just as with the written test, the physical agility/physical fitness test must be prepared for. All of the above

three tests require the candidate to work out and perform various physical fitness activities for a specified

period of time before the testing process in order to ensure the candidate is in proper physical condition for

the test. It is also the time for the candidate to realize that physical fitness must be a career-long decision in

law enforcement, and this is the perfect time to start with the mindset of keeping physically fit as a lifestyle.

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Officers with the Ashland Police Department teach a defensive tactics class during the annual Lock-In Event.

This is a great time for SOU CCJ students to learn the tactics officers train in during the police academy and

every year during defensive tactics recertification.

Oral Board Interview- LET Prep The oral board interview is one of the least prepared for testing portion of the LET Prep since the

questions for an entry-level police officer candidate are very basic:

• Tell us about yourself?

• Why do you want to be a police officer?

• What have you done to prepare for the job?

There often is the feeling by candidates, that the answers to the above questions are a given and known,

therefore why would one need to study or prepare for such easy questions? However, that way of thinking

could not be further from the truth. The oral board interview consists of a table with two-to-four police

department represenatives, usually a police officer, possibly a volunteer police department representative, and

one or two supervisors on one side of the table, and one chair placed in the center of the room (or the

opposite side of the table) for the candidate to sit. This set up is meant to place the candidate on the spot

and cause some stress to occur. This will help the panel members see how the candidate responds to stress.

The reason behind this is because the job of a police officer will entail at times, stressful situations and being

the center of attention when citizens will look towards the police officer for guidance. Therefore, this is one

way to gauge how the candidate or future police officer will respond in a stressful situation.

Successful candidates learn positive ways to prepare for the oral board interview by taking college/

university classes, obtaining study guides, writing out answers to the obvious questions, memorizing

answers, and conducting practice sessions with family and friends where the questions and answers are read

aloud.

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Paul Donaldson, right, Tallahassee Police Department policeman, speaks to Pamela Cherry and Toccora Ferguson, contract

custodians, during the Veterans career fair Oct. 19, 2017, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Over 55 potential employers were

present to network with attendees, compete for hiring opportunities and schedule interviews

Oral Board Story

I have been a panel member on dozens of entry-level police officer oral board interviews. I was always amazed

at how unprepared the candidates were. Once during one oral board interview one candidate, was asked: “Tell us

about yourself,” to which the candidate began by rolling his eyes towards the ceiling while he chomped on his gum

and proceeded to say: “hmm…..well……hmm” and then he put his right hand into his right pant’s pocket and

began jingling his keys. The room was quiet other than the panel members’ thoughts of how this question could

have stumped the candidate. The candidate proceeded by swallowing loudly and without making eye contact with

any of the panel members said: “I am in college and I just broke up with my girlfriend and … hold on…let me

think…I know there was something else…could you repeat the question?”

At this time I put him out of his misery and moved onto the next question. He, of course, continued to flail with

each question and at the end, he failed the oral board interview. I do not know if he would have made a good police

officer or not, but I do know this…he did not prepare for his oral board interview. I can almost guarantee (because

I have seen this from many other candidates as well) that he knew we would ask that particular question, but he

figured, why did he need to study that question? He knew all about himself, heck he grew up with himself, and he

often spoke to his friends and family about himself regularly so of course, he would not have any troubles rambling

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off all the amazing things he had done in his life. Unfortunately, he did not figure on one big thing; STRESS! Stress

and nerves cause the most confident of us to freeze and stumble on our words.

Therefore, the most poised of us must prepare a handwritten (or typed) pre-determined answer to many such

questions, then create study cards (or notes in a smartphone) of the appropriate answer and finally study, study, and

study more, and memorize! That way when the actual stress hits and the nerves take over, the immediate response

will be to go back to what was studied. Don’t take my word for it. Look it up! It is actually a favorite tool and used

by police officers regularly in their weapons and defensive tactics training as well. Can you think of a more stressful,

nerve-racking situation, than having a person threaten or point a weapon at you? The way most officers begin to

respond to such stressful situations is they revert unknowingly to their training.

A second example of a female candidate on an oral board interview; a common question on the oral board panel

has to do with knowledge of the department the candidate is testing for. As I read off the following question to

the female candidate, her eyes opened as big as a flying saucer. “Who is the Police Chief of this department?” As

the clock ticked away the seconds, her mouth continued to slowly open and eventually it completed the fish open

mouth look. She, of course, did not know the answer. As the questions continued, it became apparent that she was

going to fail as well, due to her lack of studying. My recommendation… if you want to work somewhere, you

really should know a little bit about the department, especially who the top cop is!

Assessment Center/B-Pad- LET Prep Assessment centers are not new to police department testing. However, they have generally been utilized

for management promotional testing, when a police officer tests to be a sergeant or sergeant tests to be

a lieutenant. With successful results in the previous arena and with the importance of hiring the best

candidate, human resources and recruitment divisions have turned towards assessment centers and B-Pad

Video Assessment, as an additional layer of testing in the LET Prep, to ensure hiring of the correct candidate.

Assessment centers are practical testing situations, where the candidate must ‘act’ out their response. It is a

time for the testing agency to see how the candidate might respond in different situations. One of the most

common assessment center utilized at the entry police candidate level is the group assessment center. This

group assessment center can look very different depending on the agency hosting the assessment, but the

general framework is the same for all. For the group assessment center, eight-twelve candidates will enter the

testing facility and sit around a table. The proctor will then give the candidates an ‘issue’ to solve. Example

issue: “There have been a large number of bicycles stolen from the university in the last three months.

What can we do to stop this?” There will be two-four evaluators at a table adjacent to where the candidates

are sitting, and the evaluators watch and listen while the candidates try and solve the issue. It is impressive

how quickly candidates lose their temper, become rude to other candidates, talk over candidates, or more

positively, how candidates work with other candidates, compliment real ideas, and work quickly towards a

viable solution.

B-Pad Video Assessments are completed generally with one candidate at a time. A candidate enters a room

alone, and a proctor shows the candidate a projector screen and a video camera. A video camera records the

candidate. The proctor starts the video camera recording and leaves the room. Once the video starts playing,

the candidate must respond towards the screen, and ‘act’ out whatever the candidate feels is the appropriate

answer to the situation. One such example of the scenario played on the video was of a mentally challenged

individual that was asking to return to Mars. The individual in the video had a knife. The candidate had

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to talk and act out what should be said to the mentally challenged individual in the video. The recording

of the candidate is then watched at a later time by a panel of evaluators from the department and graded

accordingly.

Hiring Example

Candidates are often terrified when it comes to the psych eval and the medical physical. One common question

I usually get is: “I am currently taking a prescription of an anti-depressant, prescribed by my family doctor because

I am bi-polar. Will this keep me from being a police officer?” My answer is always, “I do not know.” But I further

explain that this is not a decision made by the police agency itself, instead the recommendation to hire or not,

is made by the psychlogist (who evaluated the psychological evaluation) and the medical doctor (who evaluated

the medical/physical). Both doctors will look at the entire psychological and medical profile of the candidate and

together make a recommendation to the hiring agency on whether or not the medication and reason for the use of

the medication could be an issue.

Background Investigation-LET Prep The background investigation is probably one of the most critical portions of the testing process. After

the candiate passes the written, phyiscal fitness/agility, oral board interview, and assessment center portions

of the test, the candidate is given a background packet to fill out. The packet is very thorough and asks

the candidate everything from where the candidate went to school, worked, prior drug use, prior arrests,

prior illegal actions/criminal activity (even if not arrested). The background investigator can spend days to

weeks, investigating the candidate to ensure honesty and a good moral compass. The biggest issues in this

portion of the testing, centers around prior drug use and criminal activity. Unfortunately, most agencies do

not list their requirements on past drug use openly. A lot of agencies utilize the FBI’s prior drug use police.

However, most agencies hold the right to make their own decisions for each individual candidate.

Psychological Evaluation- LET Prep The psychological evaluation (psych eval) is one of the least understood of the hiring process. When asked,

a majority of the candidates openly state they have nothing to worry about since the psych eval only tests for

psychos, but they will also admit that they quietly fear the psych eval since it is the unknown that causes the

most fear. There is no way to study for the psych eval. The best advice given is to tell the truth and this holds

true for every part of the L.E.T. Process. However, do understand that the psych eval is not just looking for

those candidates with mental illnesses, it is also looking for those that will not make good police officers or

have aggression issues or controlling issues to name a few.

Medical Examination- LET Prep The state where the candidate is going to work as a police officer will determine the depth at which the

medical/physical is completed. Possible testing that could occur during this phase of the testing process is:

• Blood/urine/hair drug tests

• Hearing test

• Eye examination

• Lung capacity

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• EKG

• Treadmill stress test

• Chest X-Ray

• Cholesterol test

• Various other blood tests

Chief or Sheriff Interview- LET Prep Once a candidate has passed the written test, physical agility test, oral board interview, group assessment

center/B-Pad assessment, and background investigation, if the department is still interested in the candidate,

the candidate is made a ‘conditional offer of employment.’ In laymen’s terms, it means the department is

interested in the candidate, but still wants the candidate to go through the psych eval and medical physical.

Due to the intrusiveness of those two tests and results, the department must prove they are interested in the

candidate enough to make a conditional offer of employment, all of which is dependent on the results of

those two tests, of course.

If the candidate shows no issues with the psych eval or medical/physical, the candidate is then called in to

the Chief or Sheriff’s office (depending on the department) for an interview. After the interview and all of

the above testing areas are finished, the Chief or Sheriff will most likely call a meeting with the background

investigator and the psychologist who completed psych eval and go over the final candidates one by one.

From this meeting a list is created of whom the department will hire. An ‘informal’ type of interview is

informal in nature since the ‘top cop’ (a.k.a. Chief or Sheriff) is looking to meet a potential new police officer.

Photos above, from left to right: Medford Police Department patrol vehicle, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office K-9 patrol vehicle, and

Medford Police Department BearCat SWAT vehicle. Law Enforcement agencies across Oregon participate in the Annual Lock-In

Event. The above vehicles parked these vehicles for viewing at Lock-In.

Mentoring and Retaining All too often, departments place everything into the LET Prep, and then after the candidate is offered

the job, accepts, and starts the dream job of a police officer, this new officer can be lost and forgotten in

the shuffle. Departments must ensure that mentoring and retaining occurs. Mentoring can be completed

through proper supervision from the top down and ensuring first-level supervisors are responsible for those

they supervise. A good supervisor can make the difference between an officer disliking or loving their job.

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6.6. Recruitment and Hiring Websites for Future Careers

TIFFANY MOREY

FBI Past Use Drug Policy

It does matter what you do in school! If you want a career in law enforcement make sure you understand the past

use drug policy of law enforcement agencies. Many departments follow the published FBI past drug use policy.

For more information see the FBI’s past drug use website link below:

https://www.fbijobs.gov/working-at-FBI/eligibility

A N D F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N A B O U T T H E R E Q U I R E M E N T S F O R A N F B I S P E C I A L

A G E N T V I S I T T H E F O L L O W I N G W E B S I T E :

https://www.fbijobs.gov/career-paths/special-agents

VISIT THE WEBSITE BELOW FOR INFORMATION ON BEING A

CIA SPECIAL AGENT:

https://www.cia.gov/careers

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CIA

VISIT THE WEBSITE BELOW FOR INFORMATION ON BEING A

SECRET SERVICE SPECIAL AGENT:

https://www.secretservice.gov/join/careers/

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Secret Service

VISIT THE WEBSITE BELOW FOR INFORMATION ON BEING A

DEA SPECIAL AGENT:

https://www.dea.gov/careers

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DEA

VISIT THE WEBSITE BELOW FOR INFORMATION ON BEING A

TROOPER WITH THE OREGON STATE POLICE:

https://www.oregon.gov/osp/RECRUIT/pages/index.aspx

State Departments Recruitment and Hiring Websites

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Oregon State Police

VISIT THE WEBSITE BELOW FOR INFORMATION ON BEING A DEPUTY WITH

THE JACKSON COUNTY SHERRIF’S OFFICE:

http://jacksoncountyor.org/sheriff/General/Employment-Opportunities

County Departments Recruitment and Hiring Websites

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Jackson County Sheriff’s Office

VISIT THE WEBSITE BELOW FOR INFORMATION ON BEING A DEPUTY WITH

THE DESCHUTES COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE:

https://sheriff.deschutes.org/about-us/join-the-sheriff%27s-office/

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Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office

VISIT THE WEBSITE BELOW FOR INFORMATION ON BEING A POLICE OFFICER

WITH

THE MEDFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT:

http://www.ci.medford.or.us/Page.asp?NavID=1446

City Departments Recruitment and Hiring Websites Medford Police Department

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Medford Police Department

VISIT THE WEBSITE BELOW FOR INFORMATION ON BEING A POLICE OFFICER

WITH THE

PORTLAND POLICE BUREAU:

https://www.joinportlandpolice.com/start

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Portland Police Bureau

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6.7. Police Misconduct, Accountability, and Corruption

TIFFANY MOREY

Learning Objectives

This section will cover police misconduct and accountability. After reading this section, students will be able to:

• Discuss the different corruption types in policing

• Explain the difference between a meat eater and a grass eater

• List the different ways an officer engages in noble-cause corruption

• Describe how a police officer uses stereotyping on the job

• Discuss the importance of having a reliable internal affairs division/bureau

• Explain why excessive use of force is difficult to quantify

Critical Thinking Questions

1. How are grass eaters and meat eaters different?

2. What is noble cause corruption?

3. Why are there misunderstandings of police accountability?

4. What are the functions of an internal affairs division/bureau?

5. What happens if a police department shows a pattern of excessive use of force?

Corruption Types Police officers have a considerable amount of power. With one fail swoop, an officer can take a person’s

freedom away. That is a tremendous amount of power. An officer is also given the authority to carry a gun

and for protection of either the officer or a person, take the life of a citizen as well. These decisions are

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dangerous, and unfortunately, at times there are officers who not only overstep their boundaries but jump

directly in the pit of corruption.

While the media paints a picture that most police officers are corrupt, this could not be further from the

truth. The Bureau of Justice confirmed that only 0.02% of the police officers in the U.S. engage in some

type of corruption. While the media makes money selling stories, the police story that starts the five-o’clock

news is not always true. When the media covers a police shooting for instance, the investigation has not

been completed, therefore the only answer the police department will have for the media is ‘no comment.’

A cover-up then comes to mind; however, when the invesitgation is completed weeks to months later,

the media is not always as interested in the story, especially if there was no police corruption. Even more

importantly it takes two-years to basically train a new police officer. The same police officer then continually

trains every month to ensure the knoweldge of current laws and many other tactics are up-to-date. Unless

one is a trained commissioned law enforcement officer, there is no way the public, nor media can truly

understand why an officer acted and responded the way he or she did, unless they experienced the exact same

circumstance.

No matter the profession, whether it is an actor, a cashier, a president of a non-profit organization, or a

police officer, corruption can occur. The focus on law enforcement is more dramatic due to the glarmour of

the type of work performed. Either way, corruption should not be condoned and if it does occur, the reaction

must be swift and stern. Those in law enforcement hold a badge which grants the carrier the authority to

take away a person’s rights therefore, the authority that comes with the badge should NEVER be taken for

granted.

Grass Eaters In 1970, The Knapp Commission coined the terms ‘meat eaters’and ‘grass eaters’ after an exhaustive

investigation into New York Police Department corruption. Police officers that were grass eaters accepted

benefits. Whether it was a free coffee at the local coffee shop, fifty percent off lunch, or free bottled water

from the local convenience store, these cops would take the freebie and not attempt to do the right thing by

explaining why they cannot accept the benefit and then pay for the benefit. By accepting benefits, the officer

was, in turn, agreeing that whoever gave the benefit, i.e., coffee, or lunch, etc., was to receive something

in return. What if the coffee shop wanted the officer to patrol their shop every morning between the busy

hours of six and seven a.m.? Would that be fair to other coffee shop owners that did not give free coffee to

the officer? 1

Meat Eaters These officers expected some tangible item personally from those served, in order to do their job. Whether

it was money ‘shakedown’ to ensure a convenience store was not robbed, or the officer felt there was nothing

wrong with stealing from a drug dealer during a drug raid; ‘no one would notice a pound of cocaine missing,

right?’ These officers felt entitled and were aggressive in making sure they got what they thought was theirs.

If a person has the lifelong goal of being a police officer, then that same person will want to protect the

innocent from those criminals that aim to do them harm.

Noble Cause Corruption Noble-cause corruption is a lot more commonplace then many think. Many officers work twenty-five

years and may never see another cop steal something, but they will see noble-cause corruption. Most officers

join the force to make the world a better place in one way or another. While officers understand they cannot

1. Caldero, M. A., Dailey, J. D., & Withrow, B. L. (2018). Police Ethics: The Corruption of Noble Cause (4th ed.). New York, NY, USA: Routledge/Taylor and Francis.

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solve everything alone, they do think they can make a difference. The noble-cause is the goal that most officers have to make the world a better and safer place to live. “I know it sounds corny as hell, but I really

thought I could help people. I wanted to do some good in the world, you know? That’s what every cop

answered when asked why he became a police officer. 2

Officers sign on and get hired wanting and striving to do the right thing. However, it is a slippery slope

that the officer continually slides on from the academy, through field training, and on into the deeper parts

of a police career.

Slippery-Slope Model of Noble-Cause Corruption

1. “Forget everything you learned in training (school), I’ll show you how we really do it

out here.”This what an officer often first hears from a TO (training officer). The statement is only superficially about the lack of utility of higher education. What it is actually about is loyalty

and the importance of protecting the local group of officers with whom the officer works.

2. Mama Rosa. It looks like a free meal. This is not to test willingness to graft, but whether an officer is going to be loyal to other officers in the squad. It also serves to put officers together

out of the station house.

3. Loyalty Back-up. Here, an officer is tested to see if he or she will back up other officers. This is more involved because officers may have to ‘testify’ (give false testimony), dropsy (remove

drugs from a suspect during a pat-down and then discover them in plain sight on the ground),

the shake (similar to dropsy, only conducted during vehicle stops), or stiffing-in a call. These are

like NC (noble-cause) actions, and may indeed by NC actions, but their purpose is to establish

loyalty.

4. Routine NC (Noble-Cause) Actions Against Citizens. Magic pencil skills increase penalties by shifting the crime upwards. Protect fellow officers with fictitious chargers.

Construct probable cause. Illegal searches of vulnerable citizens.

I am the Law. This is the belief that emerges over time, in which officers view what they do as the right thing to do. This is the practical outcome of the old adage ‘power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts

absolutely.’ A police officer does not have absolute power, but he or she has the backing of the legal system

in almost all circumstances. Behavior can become violent, as with the Rampart CRASH unit.” 3

Therefore, every officer can start out wanting to save the world somehow, but when the real-world job

of an officer starts to take hold, it is a problematic grasp to release.

2. Baker, M. (1985). Cops: Their lives in their own words. New York: Pocket Books. 3. Withrow, B.L., Dailey, J.D., & Caldero, M.A. (2018). Police ethics: The corruption of noble cause. New York: Routledge.

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6.8. Current Issues: Police Shootings

TIFFANY MOREY

One of the most controversial issues in regards to policing in the 21st century are police shootings. The

‘police shooting’ topic causes much debate and is always in the headlines of every media outlet when

it occurs. After an officer-involved shooting, citizens want answers, rightfully so. Unfortunately, police

departments cannot immediately provide those answers. The all too familiar ‘no comment’ or ‘we do not

have any information at this time’ or only providing limited facts, does not appease saddened or angry family

members or the general public.

Police departments cannot comment because they may genuinely not know the entire story. Police unions

are there to protect officers, and the officers need time between the shooting and when they are required

to write the police report on the incident and answer questions about the shooting for a variety of reasons.

Therefore, directly after the shooting, when the media or the general public wants answers, there might not

be any answers known to give. However, this immediately reads as the department has something to hide.

Whether that is true does not matter in the eyes of many. An investigation must occur before the department

can make a formal statement, and release body camera or dash mounted camera footage and information

about the shooting. All too often though, this information comes too late.

One case that signifies this all too well is the officer-involved shooting and killing of Michael Brown, in

Ferguson, Missouri. 1

In the News: Michael Brown- Ferguson Missouri – Officer Involved Shooting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2104nz_h5A

1. Department of Justice. (2015). Department of Justice report regarding the criminal investigation into the shooting death of Michael Brown by Ferguson, Missouri police Officer Darren Wilson. Washington, DC: Department of Justice.

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Ferguson Police Department Michael Brown Crime Scene

The riots that occurred during the aftermath of the incident resulted in numerous arrests, millions of dollars

in property damage sustained, and almost insurmountable damage to the relationship between police and

young Black males. The Ferguson Police Department, where the officer is employed who shot and killed

Michael Brown, had many issues; however, much of the information that the media released shortly after the

shooting was later investigated and found incorrect.

Police officer involved shootings are very serious. Officers train and qualify quarterly with their duty

firearms and regularly review what is required to use deadly force. After every police-involved shooting (use

of deadly force), once the investigation is complete, a grand jury or coroner’s inquest (depending on the

jurisdiction and outcome of the shooting) must take place. There is a trial where the actions of the officer

involved are examined to determine if the use of deadly force was justified. The officer describes in detail

the shooting and why the officer felt it necessary to use deadly force. Witnesses take the stand and tell what

they heard or saw. Finally, a jury decides whether or not the use of deadly force was justified. If the shooting

is justified, the officer will not face formal charges for the use of the use of deadly force. However, if the

shooting is determined to be unjustified, the officer can face felony charges, up to the murder. Generally, at

this point, the officer is fired from the respective police department, and the prosecutor’s office files charges

against the officer. For instance, at the Portland Police Bureau, any use of deadly force goes through eight

different reviews, in order to determine if the officer was justified.

In the News: Officers that utilize deadly force (such as a police shooting) once the investigaiton is completed are required to go through a grand jury or coroner’s inquest (depending on the state). This

process is similar to any criminal trial. If the jury finds that the officer was NOT justified (in their decision

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to use deadly force) that officer is generally fired by their police department and then can face murder or

manslaughter charges. For example: Chicago police officer found guilty of murder https://www.cnn.com/

videos/us/2018/09/05/jason-van-dyke-trial-orig-bk.cnn

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6.9. Current Issues: Use of Force and Vehicle Pursuits

TIFFANY MOREY

Police officers have the power to use force if deemed necessary. If an officer uses more force than required for

the situation, this brings up many red flags. The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994

authorized the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to initiate civil actions against

policing agencies if the use of force utilized is excessive or constitutes a pattern of depriving individuals of

their rights. 1

One additional issue in police use of force situations is that it is difficult to measure. There are many types

of force police can use. The force utilized varies from going hands-on to pepper spray, taser, ASP baton,

control holds or takedowns, to deadly force. Every situation is different because it involves human beings

and can be interpreted differently from those involved to those standing on the side-lines.

Vehicle Pursuits

Vehicle pursuits have dramatically changed over the last decade. It used to be commonplace for officers

to engage in several vehicle pursuits during one-shift. Officers would get in a vehicle pursuit for many

reasons, stemming from locating a rolling stolen vehicle to a driver failing to stop after running a stop

sign. Vehicle pursuits have at a minimum, two, four-to-five thousand-pound deadly weapons (a.k.a.= the

vehicles) that are driven recklessly (most times), chasing one another. The morgue has seen large numbers

of fatalities due to vehicle pursuits. Victims range from an innocent person in a crosswalk at the wrong

time when the vehicle police pursued, hit the victim, or the innocent person driving across an intersection

with a green traffic light struck while the pursuing vehicle runs a red traffic light. There are too many sad

stories of the innocent victim killed because the police decided to pursue a vehicle with lights and siren and

the pursuing vehicle refused to pull over.

Because of the many senseless fatalities, many police departments have updated their vehicle pursuit

policies and procedures. Although the policies of each department do differ in minor areas, most

1. DOJ. (March 2, 1998). Justice Department Consent Decree Pushes Police to Overhaul Operations, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, C-1.

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departments have chosen to only approve a vehicle pursuit in dire situations. Such a situation fitting that

description would be if the driver of the fleeing vehicle were actively engaging in behavior that was placing

other citizens in immediately dire harm.

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6.10. Current Issues: Stereotypes in Policing

TIFFANY MOREY

Human beings are infamous for stereotyping. A first impression when meeting a new person takes only

seven seconds. According to Pitts (2013), smiling, shaking hands, introductions, speaking clearly,

maintaining eye contact, looking smart, and not sitting down, are sure-fire ways to ensure a more positive

stereotype; however regardless, the seven seconds is irrefutable.

Stereotyping in policing is almost a foregone conclusion. Citizens expect their police to protect them

by being not only reactive but proactive. One of the most popular policing methods is to view a situation

and proactively make a quick decision on whether or not a crime is about to occur, and if it is, stop it

from happening. One of the ways police proactively operate is through stereotyping. “Police officers spend

a great deal of time working their beats…one thing is common to all police officer working personalities:

in an effort to know who or what is ‘wrong’ on their beat, police officers must know who is ‘right’ or who

belongs.” 1

When officers cross over the line is when they leave out the step of asking the who, what, where, when,

why, and how after the stereotyping occurs, to confirm their thoughts. It is at this point that the officer is

engaging in a type of implicit bias policing and this opens many doors to corruption. It is another slippery

slope that officers must always be aware of while performing their many duties.

“Stereotyping or Terry Stop” Example

No matter how controversial policing is today, one common thread is that citizens want police

to be proactive, not reactive to violent crime. Whether it is stopping an active shooter in a school, a burglary, or

even a robbery, proactivity in policing is necessary to halt horrendous crimes from occurring. In 1968 the United

States Supreme Court decided Terry v. Ohio, which further explained reasonable searches under the 4th amendment and played a vital role in the below story.

I was one of six officers with my department, chosen to work in our first ever problem-solving unit (PSU). Our

substation was placed in a neighborhood where 21 murders had occurred in just a few months. We were tasked

1. Perez, D.W. (2011). The paradoxes of police work. Florence, KY: Cengage Publ.

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with being proactive and working with the community to stop the bloodshed. The two-mile radius neighborhood

were composed predominantly of minority residents, and their distrust of our presence was apparent immediately.

The residents had stereotyped us as rotten apple police officers and at first, did not want our assistance, they did

not trust us. This was further agitated by the fact that we were there to be proactive and stop any future murders

from occurring. Plus, we had the Terry v. Ohio decision to assist with our proactive actions. The citizens did not understand what that meant. They also did not understand that as one of the officers pledged to protect the area, I

was feeling like an unwanted officer in their neighborhood. They did not know that I got into policing to change

the world, if even just a little. They did not know how frustrated it made me feel when no matter how hard I tried,

no one would not trust me. One day, as a four-year-old child approached me for a police sticker, the mom grabbed

the child by the arm and said, “Get away from that Po-Po, she is a Bi***, and don’t you dare talk to her, ever, or you’ll

get it!” I cried that night when I got home from work, wondering how I could help this neighborhood if I couldn’t

even get one mom to trust me? Whether or not it was true, stereotyping had occurred in this neighborhood. Then

on top of it, I had to utilize the Terry v. Ohio decision to be proactive, to keep the murders from occurring. It felt like a Catch-22 with no solution. The answer did not come to me instantly. All I could think to do was my job

and stop the murders (as I was directed to do). I remembered that four-year-old in my everyday actions. I knew my

efforts could make him safer, but would he ever understand? I utilized Terry v. Ohio, by learning the neighborhood, recognizing the residents, and learning who belonged, and who did not. I was either on foot or on a bicycle in

this neighborhood due to the small size. This allowed for a lot of interaction with the residents. If I had reasonable

suspicion to think a citizen was about to commit a crime or had evidence of a crime, Terry v. Ohio gave me the right to investigate further. At first, this angered the neighborhood. They felt we were harassing them, stereotyping

them. I could understand how they felt that way, and instead of trying to make this neighborhood safe overnight, I

decided to begin to change how the neighborhood perceived us, slowly. The way I did this was through education.

Through my daily interactions, I talked to the citizens in the neighborhood about what I was doing and why.

Instead of speaking in ‘general’ I spoke about only one incident at a time.

One night, at 2:00 a.m., I was walking with my partner through the neighborhood. I had to head back to the sub-

station and as I rounded one building, I saw two citizens looking through a window of an apartment. I stopped and

just watched. Everything ran through my mind. Had they lost their keys? Was this their apartment? Or, were they

looking to break-in and burglarize the apartment, possibly even commit a home invasion and hurt those inside? All

of this happened in seconds, not minutes. Because of Terry v. Ohio, I legally investigated. The two citizens did not

live in the apartment and they were trying to burglarize it. One of the suspects had a gun. Because of Terry v. Ohio, I was able to be pro-active and stop this from occurring. A single mom and three children under six years of age lived

in that apartment and were home. The mom did not trust banks and kept her savings in between her mattresses. I

do not know what I stopped that night. I do not know if the suspects would have used the gun, or if they would

have found the mom’s large cash savings or what else they might have taken; however, I did stop a burglary from

occurring and that felt good. The next day while speaking to some of the citizens in the neighborhood, I explained

this. I used this one example to explain why my unit was there. How we stopped this crime and how we all wanted

to make a difference. This one story did not change how the neighborhood saw us; however, after many more

stories such as this, I began to see a change.

Michelle, one of the citizens in the neighborhood got my cellular telephone number (yes we had cell phones

back in the day!). She began calling me when she heard talk about a possible crime occurring. We hosted many

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events in the neighborhood as well. From ice cream socials, back-to-school fairs, and we even worked hard to find

donations and get every child in the neighborhood a bicycle (or scooter). After three years, our substation closed.

We had gone a year without a murder and the crime rate dropped 98%. To this day Michelle still calls me and we

chat about what is currently occurring in our lives. Michelle is my friend and I dare say I think she thinks of me

as her friend too. There was a lot of stereotyping that went on in that neighborhood during those years. I found

my way through it all and I think the neighborhood did as well. In the end, we worked together through good ole

community policing and made the area safe again.

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6.11. Current Issues: Accountability

TIFFANY MOREY

One of the most significant issues with police accountability is knowledge of the job of a police officer.

If a person is ignorant about policing policies, procedures, rules, regulations, and how police operate, then

there is going to be a disconnect when the media portrays police in different situations. All too often citizens

get their knowledge of how the police operate through television shows. Miranda admonition is a classic example. The television show ‘Law and Order’ is notorious for showing the actors playing detectives, giving

Miranda to a suspect, every single time; they place a suspect under arrest. The classic clip shows the hand- cuffs ‘click, click’ going on, and then as the detectives walk the suspect to their vehicle, they are verbalizing,

from memory, Miranda. In reality, this could not be further from the truth. Police have a considerable amount of power. Due to the temptation to abuse assigned power police

must ascribe to a higher standard than someone in a non-policing profession. However, members of the

public cannot appropriately identify police misconduct at all levels. “Most citizens possess an incomplete and

incorrect understanding of what it entails. Often…American citizens frequently believe the police guilty of

misconduct when, in fact, they are not…Dirty Harry is a hero of sorts to many Americans. When a Dirty

Harry-type officer engages in curbside justice aimed at a local bully, for example, people tend to be very

supportive of this type of misconduct. 1

Miranda Misconceptions

Thanks to the CSI Effect, Miranda is misunderstood by the general population. Shows such as Law and Order,

show the detectives slapping the hand-cuffs on the suspect, after the investigation is completed, and immediately

verbalizing the Miranda requirements aloud to the suspect. This is not how Miranda is applied. The Miranda

decision requires officers to read certain statements when those officers plan on INTERROGATING a suspect.

If the suspect is NOT free to leave and the officer wants to question the suspect, in an attempt for the suspect

to make incriminating statements, the suspect must be read Miranda admonishments AND must understand the

admonishments. If an officer sees a person break the law, the only time that officer needs to read Miranda prior to

interrogating the suspect, is if the officer wants to question the suspect. If the officer sees the crime, there generally

1. Perez, D.W. (2011). The paradoxes of police work. Florence, KY: Cengage Publ.

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is no need to question the suspect about the crime, therefore Miranda is not required. For instance, if an officer is

using a radar gun and sees a vehicle speeding 40 mph in a 25 mph speed zone, the officer does not need to read the

driver of the vehicle Miranda, unless that officer wants to interrogate the driver. The officer can write the driver a

citation without reading Miranda and in some states the officer can arrest the driver for speeding without reading

Miranda (in Oregon, speeding is a traffic violation, therefore, drivers cannot be arrested for speeding, this is not true

for all states, in some states traffic violations are misdemeanors).

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6.12. Current Issues: Internal Affairs and Discipline

TIFFANY MOREY

Internal affairs (IA) exists to hold officers accountable for their actions. Whenever there is an issue, either

brought forth by another officer, a supervisor or a member of the general public, the IA division of the police

department is responsible for conducting a thorough investigation into the incident. Members of the IA

division work directly under the Chief or Sheriff.

In the 1960s the overwhelming number of riots revealed the problem of corruption and misconduct in

policing- one of the most significant issues centered around citizen complaints against officers and the lack

of proper investigation into the complaint. Most officers back then were found exonerated (not guilty) when

a complaint ensued, and this did not bode with the public. 1

Supervisors in Policing Example

As a young girl, I never had dreams of one day being a supervisor in the police world. In fact, I didn’t even want

to be a cop! However, life would direct me towards policing, and after years of testing, I found myself hired as a

police officer in Las Vegas. The life of an officer is full of wonder and excitement, but it is also full of stress, and a

lot of pressure! After I completed the police academy, field training, and probation I soon learned that all supervisors

(sergeants and lieutenants) were not created equal.I received my first police oficer annual evaluation and found that

I ONLY met standards in the areas evaluated. How could that be, I thought? I had never worked harder! I always

stayed late, I wrote amazing reports, I volunteered and helped out my community, I engaged in constant training, I

did everything I knew AND was trained to do. Yet, I still only met standards. Now I wasn’t delusional. I knew that I

was a new police officer and had many things to learn, but why was my sergeant failing to mentor or recognize me

for my above average efforts in many areas? I was even told by a female sergeant, that she had to work harder than

any other police officer because she was a female, so I should have to do the same. Where was mentoring? Where

was the training offered by supervision? I soon learned it did not exist and the only way to create it was to test for

promotion myself and enter the world of supervision as a sergeant. Don’t get me wrong, throughout my tenure as

a police officer I did encounter some amazing supervisors, but they were rare and an exception to the rule. I did

the test for promotion, and I was promoted to sergeant. My goals were to change the way officers were supervised

1. Goldstein, H. (1977). Policing a free society. Cambridge, MA: Ballinger.

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at my department. I worked hard to create a sergeant training program that ensured future supervisors received

the knowledge and power of how-to mentor and train their employees. Three years later I tested and promoted to

lieutenant. I took advantage of my new position in adminstration to mentor many young officers and help them to

succeed in their careers.

Discipline Police departments are paramilitary organizations or a semi-militarized force whose organizational

structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but

which is formally not part of a government’s armed forces. Therefore, the handling of discipline is serious

business. If an officer is accused of a minor infraction, such as the use of profanity, the officer’s immediate

supervisor will generally handle the policy infraction and note what occurred in the officer’s file and counsel

the officer of the following: 1- Inform the police officer why the conduct was wrong 2- Inform the police

officer how to stop engaging in the conduct 3- Inform the police officer when the conduct must stop 4-

Inform the police officer the time elapsed after the conduct and a scheduled meeting to review and ensure

the conduct is still not occurring. Depending on the conduct, the supervisor may require the officer to attend

training to assist the officer.

Another answer was to create external civilian review boards to hold police accountable for their actions

by reviewing all use of force incidents. With the onset of the 21st century and new technology, came new

tools in policing. One such tool was a new program called IA Pro. This program followed individual officers

throughout their entire career. A scheming grass or meat eater officer could bid on a new shift each year,

gaining a new supervisor who would be oblivious to past infractions. IA Pro ensured any, and all infractions

by an officer were recorded and followed through upon by the applicable supervisor. If an officer used

profanity, the program would require the officer to attend training. If the officer used profanity a second time

within the prescribed time limits, the officer would be placed on an timed employee development program

and could face discipline up to termination. IA Pro was not a panacea, but it would significantly lower the

number of officers allowed to continue to operate as grass or meat eaters.

If an officer is accused of a more serious infraction, such as excessive use of force or lying, the officer

will immediately be placed on administrative leave and The Internal Affairs Division of the department will

investigate the incident. The Internal Affairs Division will offer a finding of 1- Sustained Complaint 2- Not-

Sustained Complaint 3- Exonerated Complaint 4- Unfounded Complaint. Once one of the above complaint

dispositions is assigned, it is then forwarded to the Command Staff (Chief or Sheriff and Assistant Chief/

Sheriff, Deputy Chief/Sheriff, and Captains) for review and discipline. Discipline can include time-off up to

termination.

When an Officer Does Something Illegal Example

I was a lieutenant over two sergeants and dozens of officers when I received the dreaded phone call. One of my

officers was being placed on administrative leave by Internal Affairs due to a horrendous allegation. The officer had

been pulling over female drivers for ‘so-called’ traffic violations and offering them an ‘out’ if they performed some

sort of sexual activity. My heart sank, how could this have happened and on my watch? After weeks of investigation,

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I learned that the officer had been engaging in this illegal activity for months. It took several brave women to

contact our Internal Affairs Division and tell their stories, to stop it. I racked my brain as to what I could have done

to prevent the officer. Did I miss the signs? Should I have been sterner? What could I have done? Even years later

it tears at my soul. What those women had to endure. How scared they must have been. It must have been their

worst nightmare come true. I have played many scenarios in my head as to what I could have done or should have

done to stop this officer’s actions. And I finally learned that some people are just ethically and morally corrupt. No

matter how hard we, in supervision, try to identify them through the L.E.T. Process or keep tabs on them when

they engage in such acts, sometimes they slip through the cracks and are allowed to spread their evilness. This is

what happened with this officer. The officer was smart enough to engage in this activity while alone on patrol,

knowing that he could stop this action if another officer or supervisor assisted on the traffic stop. His actions were

scary and should send a message to every police department and every supervisor that they must always be on the

look-out for those officers that are corrupt and will use their power to engage in illegal and horrendous crimes. This

was a hard lesson for me to learn, but an eye-opening one that would forever change the way I supervised those

officers in my command.

Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System

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6.13.Current Issues: Body Cameras

TIFFANY MOREY

An overwhelming number of police officers welcome body cameras, just like citizens. The reason being the

high number of citizen complaints received which center around a citizen exaggerating or lying in order to

try and get out of an expensive traffic related citation. ‘The officer yelled at me and made me feel stupid and

used profanity.’ Is an example of a citizen complaint often reported to a supervisor. Body camera footage of

the incident more than often shows the exact opposite. The truth often is that the citizen did run the red light

or failed to stop at the stop sign and did not want to accept responsibility and pay the fine. Body cameras

changed the environment of citizen complaints; however, body cameras also ensure that grass-eaters do not

partake in temptation. Moreover, those meat-eaters are held accountable for excessive use of force or illegal

actions.

Body cameras would seem to be the panacea for all police misconduct, the truth of the matter is not so

concrete. First, body cameras only show one point of view. Until small drones can hover above the officer

showing a 360-degree view, the accurate recollection of an event can never be indeed known. Second, no

matter how full-proof department policies and procedures regulate the use of body cameras, there will always

be a user that can turn off the camera in certain situations. Body cameras are one answer in a giant puzzle

to hamper and stop police misconduct. As technology improves, so hopefully will view the body cameras

record.

Police Body Cameras: What Do You See Exercise

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/04/01/us/police-bodycam-video.html

“People are expecting more of body cameras than the technology will deliver,” Professor Stoughton said. “They

expect it to be a broad solution for the problem of police-community relations, when in fact it’s just a tool, and like

any tool, there’s limited value to what it can do.” You will have a 500-word response to the questions below.

• First, go to the above link and complete the activity. Be as honest with yourself as possible.

• Second, after the videos and this experiment, has your view of policing and the role of video changed?

Do you think body cameras are worth the expense or could we do without? What are the pros and cons?

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6.14. Myth: “Police Only Write Speeding Tickets to Harass Citizens

and it is Entrapment.”

TIFFANY MOREY

Many people believe that a traffic officer or for that fact, any police officer, who is engaging in speed

enforcement and is hidden, is guilty of entrapment and such behavior is tantamount to harassment. First, an

officer does not have to be wholly or partially visible in order for a traffic citation to be valid. Also, the officer

does not have to take you to, or show you a photo of, the speed limit sign (applicable for the location you

were driving), before a citation is issued. If you get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, you are required

to know the speed limit of the roads you drive. If you decide to speed, even just one mile over the speed

limit, you are, by the letter of the law, speeding, and this is a traffic offense. If an officer either through

radar or visual speed estimation, determines you are speeding, that officer has every legal right, to issue you

a speeding citation.

However, let’s consider a different situation. If, while having coffee at a local coffee shop, an officer started

chatting with you about a new speed limit along Main St. The officer told you that the speed limit had been

raised from 20 mph to 35 mph (which was a lie); and believing that officer, you left the coffee shop and drove

along Main St. going 35 mph. You then glanced up and saw the unmistakable red and blue lights in your

rear-view mirror. You were stopped by a different officer, who told you the speed limit was only 20 mph

(not 35 mph) and issued you a speeding citation. These actions would be considered entrapment because the

other officer was trying to get you to engage in criminal behavior.

Now onto why it is not harassment for an officer to give out speeding citations. According to The

Association for Safe International Road Travel; “Nearly 1.25 million people die in road crashes each year,

and an additional 20-50 million are injured or disabled” (2018). Our police are tasked with making our roads

safe and saving lives. Since 3,287 people die every DAY from traffic collisions, police must take responsibility

and try to lower this massive number. Therefore, police study not only where these crashes are occurring,

but the mitigating factors that cause them. It may surprise you to know that the number one cause for road

crashes, is speeding. How do police then slow people down? Education is the first step, however, sometimes

the only way to educate is through a speeding citation.

The next time you get a speeding citation (for going faster than the posted speed limit), instead of accusing

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the officer of harassment, you should take responsibility and be the first step in lowering the number of

deaths from related road crashes. 1

1. Road Safety Facts. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.asirt.org/safe-travel/road-safety-facts/

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