public safety

Chapter 10: StreetChapter 10: Street--Level Level Worker Knows BestWorker Knows Best

MaynardMaynard--Moody & Moody & MushenoMusheno

Worker/citizenWorker/citizen--client disagreementclient disagreement

•• Workers and clients often differ on the course of action Workers and clients often differ on the course of action or services needed and what is practical e.g. or services needed and what is practical e.g. ““Big bad Big bad counselorcounselor””

•• Workers often use streetWorkers often use street--level pragmatism, which can be level pragmatism, which can be seen as using discretion or improvising to solve problems seen as using discretion or improvising to solve problems e.g. e.g. ““Cut the powerCut the power””

•• Workers interpretation of situations often call for realism Workers interpretation of situations often call for realism over idealism requiring them to override the judgment of over idealism requiring them to override the judgment of supervisors or guidance of rules & employ pragmatismsupervisors or guidance of rules & employ pragmatism

•• Pragmatism is the norm, idealism the exception in Pragmatism is the norm, idealism the exception in administering of servicesadministering of services –– Occasionally the two are interdependent Occasionally the two are interdependent

Policy & interPolicy & inter--agency conflictsagency conflicts

•• Indifference of interfacing agencies can hamper Indifference of interfacing agencies can hamper efforts of street level workers even in efforts of street level workers even in accordance with policies e.g. accordance with policies e.g. ““Soc. SecuritySoc. Security””

•• Workers professional judgment and values often Workers professional judgment and values often conflicts with that of clientconflicts with that of client’’s familys family

•• Workers call on power of persuasion in such Workers call on power of persuasion in such instancesinstances

•• At times workers have to reluctantly relent to At times workers have to reluctantly relent to objections of other agencies or families, objections of other agencies or families, illustrating limits of street level workersillustrating limits of street level workers

Worker control & client conflictWorker control & client conflict

•• Workers sometimes are required to control Workers sometimes are required to control clients for their own best interest due to clientclients for their own best interest due to client’’s s limited capacity e.g. limited capacity e.g. ““New TruckNew Truck…”…”

•• Clients often a mix of traits, positive/negative, Clients often a mix of traits, positive/negative, worthy/unworthyworthy/unworthy

•• Workers decide which are traits dominate and Workers decide which are traits dominate and respond accordinglyrespond accordingly

•• Personality disorder used as catchall category Personality disorder used as catchall category for troublesome clientsfor troublesome clients

•• Parsimonious services often provided to Parsimonious services often provided to problematic clients in order to 26 cases ASAPproblematic clients in order to 26 cases ASAP

Levels of ConflictLevels of Conflict •• Lack of cooperation between worker and client escalates Lack of cooperation between worker and client escalates

to conflictto conflict •• Mild or lowMild or low--level conflict entails client challenging level conflict entails client challenging

workerworker’’s expertise or practical knowledges expertise or practical knowledge –– Workers use rules to enforce their preferenceWorkers use rules to enforce their preference

•• More extreme conflict exists when clientMore extreme conflict exists when client’’s challenge s challenge workers legitimate authorityworkers legitimate authority –– Particularly that of police which often results in use of forceParticularly that of police which often results in use of force

•• Complaining is a form of challenging a workerComplaining is a form of challenging a worker’’s authoritys authority •• Worker has advantage in stalemates with clientWorker has advantage in stalemates with client

–– Have the power and authority of the state behind themHave the power and authority of the state behind them –– Particularly police, who have coercive power while teachers and Particularly police, who have coercive power while teachers and

counselors generally have persuasive powercounselors generally have persuasive power

Chapter 11: Getting the Bad Chapter 11: Getting the Bad GuysGuys

MaynardMaynard--Moody & Moody & MushenoMusheno

Characterizing the Bad GuyCharacterizing the Bad Guy •• Once a client has been characterized as a Once a client has been characterized as a ““bad bad

guyguy”” this perception becomes relatively fixed this perception becomes relatively fixed e.g. e.g. ““Squeaky WheelSqueaky Wheel…”…”

•• Every incident used as evidence of their Every incident used as evidence of their unworthinessunworthiness

•• Notion of fairness doesnNotion of fairness doesn’’t mean equal or good t mean equal or good treatment, but for unworthy client corresponds treatment, but for unworthy client corresponds with just dessertswith just desserts

•• Workers make moral judgments of bad Workers make moral judgments of bad character and reinforce definition of good character and reinforce definition of good character by punishing bad guyscharacter by punishing bad guys

•• Workers limit services to those that manipulate Workers limit services to those that manipulate the system although they may do the same to the system although they may do the same to bend the rulesbend the rules

Story Details & JudgmentsStory Details & Judgments •• Omitted details also tell storiesOmitted details also tell stories •• Disabled bad guys narratives donDisabled bad guys narratives don’’t tell of the daily t tell of the daily

struggles they endure e.g. struggles they endure e.g. ““Squeaky Wheel..Squeaky Wheel..”” •• Police stories often base moral worthiness on personPolice stories often base moral worthiness on person’’s s

work ethic, marginalized social status e.g. minority, etc. work ethic, marginalized social status e.g. minority, etc. •• Bad guy label includes both behavior and characterBad guy label includes both behavior and character

–– WonWon’’t change andt change and –– Deserve ill treatment they receive Deserve ill treatment they receive

•• Street level workers feel responsibility to enforce moral Street level workers feel responsibility to enforce moral judgments not merely rules & lawsjudgments not merely rules & laws

Punishing the Bad GuyPunishing the Bad Guy

•• Street level workers, particularly police, can Street level workers, particularly police, can become antagonistic toward bad guys and become antagonistic toward bad guys and escalate situationsescalate situations

•• They become sticklers for the rules and use They become sticklers for the rules and use them to harass bad guy clientsthem to harass bad guy clients

•• Workers can become rogue agents of the state Workers can become rogue agents of the state in such instances and may abuse citizensin such instances and may abuse citizens

•• Justify such actions as a service to the Justify such actions as a service to the communitycommunity

Chapter 12: Streetwise Workers Chapter 12: Streetwise Workers & the Power of Storytelling& the Power of Storytelling

MaynardMaynard--Moody & Moody & MushenoMusheno

Stories as rich, descriptive Stories as rich, descriptive narrativesnarratives •• Workers convey the physical & emotional context of Workers convey the physical & emotional context of

street level work through their storiesstreet level work through their stories –– A reflection of beliefsA reflection of beliefs

•• Stories illuminate moral reasoning, conflict, and the acts Stories illuminate moral reasoning, conflict, and the acts of governingof governing

•• Stories provide a sort of narrative statecraft by Stories provide a sort of narrative statecraft by reinforcing the banal truths by which political institutions reinforcing the banal truths by which political institutions operateoperate

•• These are fundamental to comprehending street level These are fundamental to comprehending street level administration and the modern stateadministration and the modern state –– Illuminates governing at its most basic element, interaction Illuminates governing at its most basic element, interaction

between the citizenbetween the citizen--client and the stateclient and the state--agentagent

Identity PoliticsIdentity Politics

•• Identity politics is fundamental to street level work and Identity politics is fundamental to street level work and has a greater impact on citizenhas a greater impact on citizen--client outcomes than client outcomes than bureaucratic politics bureaucratic politics

•• Street level work entails a process of defining and Street level work entails a process of defining and enforcing identities for both partiesenforcing identities for both parties

•• Negative identities of citizenNegative identities of citizen--clients generally become clients generally become fixed once judgment passed and influence service fixed once judgment passed and influence service provisionsprovisions –– Decision making is moral & contingent rather than rule boundDecision making is moral & contingent rather than rule bound –– Decisions made then rules applied, bent, or ignored accordinglyDecisions made then rules applied, bent, or ignored accordingly

Character, fairness, & justiceCharacter, fairness, & justice •• Story details are used to judge personStory details are used to judge person’’s s

character, justify characterization, and quality of character, justify characterization, and quality of service administeredservice administered

•• StreetStreet--level workers are the front line level workers are the front line administrators of public policy and work under administrators of public policy and work under often vague and ambiguous circumstancesoften vague and ambiguous circumstances

•• Tension and conflict exists between roles as Tension and conflict exists between roles as citizen agents enforcing moral standards and citizen agents enforcing moral standards and norms and statenorms and state--agent with state granted agent with state granted authority and power over othersauthority and power over others

•• Racial/ethnic profiling are examples of how Racial/ethnic profiling are examples of how stereotyped identities and misguided moral stereotyped identities and misguided moral judgments can result in misuse of state powerjudgments can result in misuse of state power

Balancing narrativesBalancing narratives

•• An equilibrium must be found between the An equilibrium must be found between the tensions, demands, & expectations of the statetensions, demands, & expectations of the state-- agent and citizenagent and citizen--agent narratives of streetagent narratives of street--level level workersworkers

•• Workers must learn when to go by the book and Workers must learn when to go by the book and when to improvise and advocate on the clients when to improvise and advocate on the clients behalfbehalf

•• Streetwise workers know when and how to Streetwise workers know when and how to strike a balance between state and law abidance strike a balance between state and law abidance (expectations of law) and cultural abidance (expectations of law) and cultural abidance (perceived identity and moral character) (perceived identity and moral character)