NCJ Number
211648
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 33 Issue: 5 Dated: September/October 2005 Pages: 487-500
Date Published
September 2005
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This article examined police officers’ perceptions and tolerance of abuse of force.
Abstract
Research studies show that police violence and associated forms of misconduct darken the police image, inhibit police effectiveness, reduce criminal justice system effectiveness, usurp judicial authority, promote selective and discriminatory enforcement, and erode public trust and confidence in police and the American system of justice. This article investigates several dimensions of police officers’ support for the use of excessive force and explores the degree to which officers view such conduct as a serious breach of departmental norms and regulations. It examines the type of discipline advocated in response to such a transgression, as is the extent to which officers are willing to report the use of excessive force by their colleagues. Differences between line officers and supervisory personnel are also explored. The article concludes with an examination of the implications for policies aimed at improving police practice by reducing the use of excessive force. Use of excessive force and its associated forms of misconduct continue to plague policing. Given this, traditional efforts to reduce police violence need to be redoubled and new initiatives developed and successfully implemented. Tables and references