Advertisement
Police Abuse of Power Statistics: A Deep Dive into a Critical Issue
Introduction:
The headlines scream it, social media explodes with it – police abuse of power is a pervasive issue demanding urgent attention. Beyond the anecdotal evidence and emotionally charged narratives, lies a complex reality that requires careful examination. This in-depth analysis dives into the chilling statistics surrounding police misconduct, exploring various forms of abuse, regional disparities, and the ongoing efforts towards accountability. We'll dissect the data, analyze the trends, and ultimately, illuminate the urgent need for comprehensive reform. This post offers a comprehensive look at the available data, providing context, clarity, and a deeper understanding of the scope of this critical problem. Prepare to be confronted with uncomfortable truths and inspired to demand change.
I. Defining Police Abuse of Power: A Spectrum of Misconduct
Before diving into the statistics, it's crucial to define what constitutes "police abuse of power." This isn't a monolithic concept; it encompasses a wide range of actions, from excessive force and wrongful arrests to racial profiling, corruption, and intimidation. The severity and consequences vary drastically, but the underlying theme remains the same: a violation of public trust and an abuse of the authority vested in law enforcement officers.
This broad definition makes accurate data collection challenging. Many incidents go unreported due to fear, distrust, or systemic barriers. The lack of standardized reporting across different jurisdictions further complicates the analysis.
II. The Prevalence of Excessive Force: A National and International Perspective
Excessive force is perhaps the most widely recognized form of police abuse. While precise statistics vary significantly depending on reporting methodologies and data collection practices, numerous studies and reports consistently indicate a disturbingly high rate of incidents. In the United States, for example, organizations like Mapping Police Violence provide data suggesting a disproportionate impact on communities of color. International comparisons are difficult to make due to variations in record-keeping and reporting, but similar patterns of excessive force emerge in many countries worldwide.
The lack of comprehensive, standardized data collection makes it challenging to pinpoint exact numbers. However, the readily available information strongly suggests that excessive force is a significant and systemic problem. Further research, focused on improving data collection and analysis, is crucial to develop a more complete picture.
III. Racial Disparities in Police Encounters: A Stark Reality
Numerous studies clearly demonstrate a stark racial disparity in police interactions. People of color, particularly Black individuals, are disproportionately subjected to police stops, searches, arrests, and the use of force. This disparity isn't merely a matter of coincidence; it highlights the persistent issue of racial bias within law enforcement.
While some argue that these disparities reflect differences in crime rates, this explanation is largely refuted by research that controls for socioeconomic factors and crime statistics. The persistent gap suggests systemic racism deeply embedded within policing practices, requiring targeted interventions to address underlying biases.
IV. The Underreporting Problem: The Shadow Statistics of Police Misconduct
A significant obstacle in understanding the true extent of police abuse of power is the pervasive underreporting of incidents. Victims may be hesitant to report due to fear of retaliation, lack of trust in the system, or a belief that reporting will be ineffective. Furthermore, systemic barriers within law enforcement agencies themselves can hinder thorough investigations and accountability.
The “dark figure of crime” applies equally, if not more strongly, to police misconduct. The lack of transparency and independent oversight exacerbates the problem, making it difficult to ascertain the true scale of abuse.
V. Efforts Towards Accountability and Reform: Progress and Challenges
In response to growing public concern, various efforts have been made to improve police accountability and address abuse of power. These include initiatives to enhance training, improve oversight mechanisms, and implement body-worn cameras. However, the effectiveness of these measures varies significantly, and many challenges remain.
True reform necessitates a multi-faceted approach involving systemic changes in recruitment, training, policy, and oversight. Independent investigations, transparent disciplinary processes, and meaningful consequences for misconduct are crucial for fostering trust and accountability.
VI. The Future of Policing: Towards Transparency and Justice
The fight against police abuse of power is far from over. Achieving meaningful and lasting change requires a sustained commitment to transparency, accountability, and community engagement. Data-driven analysis, coupled with community input, can help inform policy decisions and develop effective strategies for reform.
Building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve is paramount. This requires a shift from a punitive model of policing to one that prioritizes community safety, de-escalation techniques, and restorative justice approaches.
Article Outline: Police Abuse of Power Statistics
Name: Unmasking the Numbers: A Critical Analysis of Police Abuse of Power
Introduction: Defining police abuse of power and outlining the scope of the report.
Chapter 1: Prevalence of Excessive Force: Analyzing national and international statistics.
Chapter 2: Racial Disparities in Policing: Examining the data on racial profiling and biased enforcement.
Chapter 3: The Challenges of Data Collection and Underreporting: Addressing the limitations in available statistics.
Chapter 4: Accountability and Reform Efforts: Evaluating the effectiveness of current initiatives.
Chapter 5: Future Directions: Proposing strategies for improved transparency and community engagement.
Conclusion: Summarizing key findings and emphasizing the need for continued reform.
(Detailed explanation of each point in the outline would follow here, expanding on the content already provided in the main body of the blog post. This section would reiterate and elaborate on the key arguments presented, providing further analysis and supporting evidence.)
FAQs:
1. What are the most common types of police abuse of power? Excessive force, wrongful arrests, racial profiling, corruption, and intimidation are among the most prevalent.
2. How accurate are the statistics on police abuse of power? Accuracy varies significantly due to underreporting and inconsistencies in data collection across jurisdictions.
3. Why is there a racial disparity in police encounters? Research suggests systemic racism and implicit bias within law enforcement contribute significantly.
4. What steps can be taken to improve data collection on police misconduct? Standardized reporting protocols, independent oversight, and increased transparency are crucial.
5. What reforms are needed to address police abuse of power? Improved training, community engagement, independent investigations, and meaningful consequences for misconduct are essential.
6. How effective are body-worn cameras in reducing police misconduct? The effectiveness is debated, with some evidence suggesting a positive impact, while others point to limitations.
7. What role does community policing play in reducing police abuse? Community policing aims to improve relationships and trust, potentially reducing incidents of abuse.
8. Are there international comparisons available on police misconduct statistics? International comparisons are challenging due to differing reporting practices and data availability.
9. What resources are available for victims of police abuse? Legal aid organizations, advocacy groups, and government agencies offer support and resources.
Related Articles:
1. The Impact of Implicit Bias on Police Decision-Making: Explores the role of unconscious biases in shaping police interactions.
2. Body-Worn Cameras and Police Accountability: A Critical Review: Analyzes the effectiveness of body cameras in improving accountability.
3. Racial Profiling and the Fourth Amendment: Legal Challenges and Reforms: Discusses the legal aspects of racial profiling and ongoing reform efforts.
4. Excessive Force and the Use of Deadly Weapons by Police: Focuses on the statistics and implications of excessive force incidents.
5. Community Policing Strategies to Improve Police-Community Relations: Examines the role of community engagement in reducing police misconduct.
6. The Role of Independent Oversight Boards in Police Accountability: Discusses the function and effectiveness of independent oversight mechanisms.
7. Police Training and De-escalation Techniques: Improving Officer Response: Explores the importance of effective training in de-escalating tense situations.
8. Restorative Justice and Police Accountability: Alternative Approaches to Justice: Examines alternative approaches to addressing police misconduct.
9. The Psychological Impact of Police Abuse on Victims and Communities: Explores the long-term effects of police misconduct on individuals and communities.
| police abuse of power statistics: Police Wife Alex Roslin, 2016-11 Winner of the American Society of Journalists and Authors' prestigious Arlene Book Award. In Police Wife, award-winning investigative journalist Alex Roslin takes readers inside the tightly closed police world and one of its most explosive secrets: domestic violence in up to 40% of police homes, which departments mostly ignore or let slide. |
| police abuse of power statistics: The Use and Abuse of Police Power in America Gina Robertiello, 2017-05-12 Providing a timely and much-needed investigation of how U.S. law enforcement carries out its public safety and crime fighting mandates, this book is an invaluable resource for students, educators, and concerned citizens. Does America face an epidemic of police officers abusing their powers and disregarding constitutional rights, especially in communities of color? Or are such accusations unfair, especially given the enormous challenges of enforcing the law in 21st-century America? This book provides a unique frame of reference for understanding how some of the issues between the police and the public emerged, identifying events that have shaped current relationships between the police and the public, as well as the public's expectations and perceptions of the police. An authoritative resource for understanding modern law enforcement and its relationship with American communities, this volume addresses subjects including the legal underpinnings of various law enforcement actions and practices; the so-called militarization of police departments; the increased use of force and surveillance to combat crime and terrorism, and to generally keep the peace; and the perspectives of Black Lives Matter activists and other critics of American law enforcement. The entries provide readers with expert analysis of current topics related to the intensifying debate about the American police state; examine the scope of law enforcement issues that have existed for centuries, and explain why they continue to exist; and cover new mandates for exercising police power, enabling readers to critically analyze what is presented to them in the media. Included throughout the book are excerpts from important laws, speeches, reports, and studies pertaining to the subject of the use and abuse of police power in the United States |
| police abuse of power statistics: The Abuse of Police Authority , 2001 Video of Rodney King being beaten by Los Angeles police officers and reports of the torture of Abner Louima by New York City police capture public attention and raise troubling questions about the limits of legitimate police authority in a democratic society. Are such events aberrations or are they extreme examples of a more general problem that plagues American police departments? Although such questions have been raised by the media, politicians, and police scholars and administrators, this is the first study to present a nationwide portrait of how rank-and-file police officers view these and other critical questions of police abuse of authority. Officers provided information on what types of abuse and attitudes toward abuse are observed in their departments, including the code of silence, whistle blowing, and the extent to which a citizen's race, demeanor, and class affect the way police officers treat them; what strategies (including first-line supervision, community policing, citizen review boards, and training) do police officers consider to be effective means of preventing police abuse of authority; and whether police abuse is a necessary byproduct of efforts to reduce and control crime. Responses are also analyzed according to rank, race, region of the U. S., and size of department. |
| police abuse of power statistics: Fight the Power Clarence Taylor, 2018-12-20 A story of resistance, power and politics as revealed through New York City’s complex history of police brutality The 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri was the catalyst for a national conversation about race, policing, and injustice. The subsequent killings of other black (often unarmed) citizens led to a surge of media coverage which in turn led to protests and clashes between the police and local residents that were reminiscent of the unrest of the 1960s. Fight the Power examines the explosive history of police brutality in New York City and the black community’s long struggle to resist it. Taylor brings this story to life by exploring the institutions and the people that waged campaigns to end the mistreatment of people of color at the hands of the police, including the black church, the black press, black communists and civil rights activists. Ranging from the 1940s to the mayoralty of Bill de Blasio, Taylor describes the significant strides made in curbing police power in New York City, describing the grassroots street campaigns as well as the accomplishments achieved in the political arena and in the city’s courtrooms. Taylor challenges the belief that police reform is born out of improved relations between communities and the authorities arguing that the only real solution is radically reducing the police domination of New York’s black citizens. |
| police abuse of power statistics: Police Power and Race Riots Cathy Lisa Schneider, 2014-07-07 Three weeks after Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a New York City police officer shot and killed a fifteen-year-old black youth, inciting the first of almost a decade of black and Latino riots throughout the United States. In October 2005, French police chased three black and Arab teenagers into an electrical substation outside Paris, culminating in the fatal electrocution of two of them. Fires blazed in Parisian suburbs and housing projects throughout France for three consecutive weeks. Cathy Lisa Schneider explores the political, legal, and economic conditions that led to violent confrontations in neighborhoods on opposite sides of the Atlantic half a century apart. Police Power and Race Riots traces the history of urban upheaval in New York and greater Paris, focusing on the interaction between police and minority youth. Schneider shows that riots erupted when elites activated racial boundaries, police engaged in racialized violence, and racial minorities lacked alternative avenues of redress. She also demonstrates how local activists who cut their teeth on the American race riots painstakingly constructed social movement organizations with standard nonviolent repertoires for dealing with police violence. These efforts, along with the opening of access to courts of law for ethnic and racial minorities, have made riots a far less common response to police violence in the United States today. Rich in historical and ethnographic detail, Police Power and Race Riots offers a compelling account of the processes that fan the flames of urban unrest and the dynamics that subsequently quell the fires. |
| police abuse of power statistics: Police Criminology and Crimes James Vadackumchery, 2002 1. Police Crimes down the Millennia 2. Police Crimes in the British India 3. Police Crimes during the Pre-independence Period 4. Police Crimes after the Police Commission: 1902-03 5. Police Crimes after Independence in India 6. Police Criminology: An Introduction 1. Sociology of Police Crimes 8. Psychology of Police Crimes 9. Criminology of Police Crimes 10. Criminogenesis of Police Crimes 11. Police Criminology: A Theory that Explains the Etiology of Police Crimes 12. Enforcement Criminology Bibliography Index |
| police abuse of power statistics: Police Power Paul Chevigny, 1969 |
| police abuse of power statistics: Police Violence William A. Geller, Hans Toch, 1959-12-11 Although the prevalence of police-citizen conflict has diminished in recent decades, police use of excessive force remains a concern of police departments nationwide. This timely book focuses on what is known and what still needs to be learned to understand, prevent, and remediate police abuse of force. The topics covered include: a theory of police abuse of force; the causes of police brutality; measures of its prevalence; the violence-prone police officer; public opinion about police abuse of force; the issue of race; officer selection, training, and attitudes; police unions and police culture; administrative review; procedural justice and the review of citizen complaints; the role of lawsuits; and a survey of police brutality abroad. In the final chapter Geller and Toch suggest new directions for research and practical innovations in law enforcement, from which both police and citizens can benefit. The contributors to this volume are scholars of criminology, criminal justice, social psychology, law, and public administration; former police managers; a police union leader; civilian oversight agency administrators and analysts; civil liberties advocates; police litigation expert witnesses; and media commentators. The combination of theoretical and practical perspectives makes this book ideal for students and scholars of democratic policing and for those in police departments, government, and the media charged with addressing and understanding the problem of improper exercise of force. |
| police abuse of power statistics: The Rise of Big Data Policing Andrew Guthrie Ferguson, 2019-11-15 Winner, 2018 Law & Legal Studies PROSE Award The consequences of big data and algorithm-driven policing and its impact on law enforcement In a high-tech command center in downtown Los Angeles, a digital map lights up with 911 calls, television monitors track breaking news stories, surveillance cameras sweep the streets, and rows of networked computers link analysts and police officers to a wealth of law enforcement intelligence. This is just a glimpse into a future where software predicts future crimes, algorithms generate virtual “most-wanted” lists, and databanks collect personal and biometric information. The Rise of Big Data Policing introduces the cutting-edge technology that is changing how the police do their jobs and shows why it is more important than ever that citizens understand the far-reaching consequences of big data surveillance as a law enforcement tool. Andrew Guthrie Ferguson reveals how these new technologies —viewed as race-neutral and objective—have been eagerly adopted by police departments hoping to distance themselves from claims of racial bias and unconstitutional practices. After a series of high-profile police shootings and federal investigations into systemic police misconduct, and in an era of law enforcement budget cutbacks, data-driven policing has been billed as a way to “turn the page” on racial bias. But behind the data are real people, and difficult questions remain about racial discrimination and the potential to distort constitutional protections. In this first book on big data policing, Ferguson offers an examination of how new technologies will alter the who, where, when and how we police. These new technologies also offer data-driven methods to improve police accountability and to remedy the underlying socio-economic risk factors that encourage crime. The Rise of Big Data Policing is a must read for anyone concerned with how technology will revolutionize law enforcement and its potential threat to the security, privacy, and constitutional rights of citizens. Read an excerpt and interview with Andrew Guthrie Ferguson in The Economist. |
| police abuse of power statistics: In Our Own Best Interest William F. Schulz, 2001 From the director of Amnesty International comes a provocative new argument for defending human rights. When people begin to question why events half a world away affect them, Schulz responds with stories of the connection between American's prosperity and rights violations on the other side of the globe. |
| police abuse of power statistics: The End of Policing Alex S. Vitale, 2017-10-10 The massive uprising following the police killing of George Floyd in the summer of 2020--by some estimates the largest protests in US history--thrust the argument to defund the police to the forefront of international politics. It also made The End of Policing a bestseller and Alex Vitale, its author, a leading figure in the urgent public discussion over police and racial justice. As the writer Rachel Kushner put it in an article called Things I Can't Live Without, this book explains that unfortunately, no increased diversity on police forces, nor body cameras, nor better training, has made any seeming difference in reducing police killings and abuse. We need to restructure our society and put resources into communities themselves, an argument Alex Vitale makes very persuasively. The problem, Vitale demonstrates, is policing itself-the dramatic expansion of the police role over the last forty years. Drawing on first-hand research from across the globe, The End of Policing describes how the implementation of alternatives to policing, like drug legalization, regulation, and harm reduction instead of the policing of drugs, has led to reductions in crime, spending, and injustice. This edition includes a new introduction that takes stock of the renewed movement to challenge police impunity and shows how we move forward, evaluating protest, policy, and the political situation. |
| police abuse of power statistics: Police Unbound Anthony V. Bouza, 2010-06-03 Former chief of police in Minneapolis and commander of the Bronx police force Tony Bouza pulls no punches in this blunt, candid assessment of police culture. Emphasizing the gap between the average citizen's perception of police work and the day-to-day reality of life as a cop, Bouza reveals the inner dynamics of a secretive, fraternal society that will do almost anything to protect itself. The strong bonds of loyalty among police both inspire individual acts of heroism in the face of danger but also repress full disclosure of the truth when corruption or abuse of power are suspected, says Bouza. Young rookies are quickly molded by the unspoken rules and the code of silence that govern a cop's professional life, and they soon learn that physical but not moral courage is expected. Bouza evaluates sweeps, roundups, sting operations, the controversial practice of racial profiling, and the politics of law enforcement. He critically examines the excesses, abuses, and corruption of the New York, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis police forces, among others, offering insights into what went wrong in the infamous Louima and Diallo cases. But his most telling criticism is not directed against the police per se but against our society's ruling elites and the middle class, who give police the unmistakable message that the underclass must be kept down and property owners protected at all costs. He charges that the heart of the problem of both crime and police abuse in America is our tacitly accepted class structure separating the privileged from the poor, and along with it the systemic racism that society as a whole is not yet willing to face. Bouza concludes his critique on a positive note with straightforward proposals on how to make the police more ethical and effective. This controversial, eye-opening book by a veteran insider exposes a reality that TV cop shows never portray and raises serious moral questions about class and race. |
| police abuse of power statistics: Challenges of Policing Democracies Dilip Das, Marenin Otwin, 2012-10-12 In this text, the editors analyze the diverse situations that police forces operate under and the challenges that they face in different kinds of democracies. This cross-cultural comparison of various systems highlights the universal observation that police are a anomaly in a democracy and explores how various influences-for example, large-scale social violence, a zeal for crime fighting, and vulnerability to temptation-often find police incapable of behaving in a democratic manner. Challenges of Policing Democracies goes beyond just showing the similarities and differences of the policing challenges democratic societies face, it also examines the responses and remedies adopted by police in various countries at different levels of democratic achievement and how every society struggles with the challenges of preserving democratic values without sacrificing the effectiveness of policing. |
| police abuse of power statistics: Statistics Frederick L. Coolidge, 2020-01-10 The Fourth Edition of Statistics: A Gentle Introduction shows students that an introductory statistics class doesn’t need to be difficult or dull. This text minimizes students’ anxieties about math by explaining the concepts of statistics in plain language first, before addressing the math. Each formula within the text has a step-by-step example to demonstrate the calculation so students can follow along. Only those formulas that are important for final calculations are included in the text so students can focus on the concepts, not the numbers. A wealth of real-world examples and applications gives a context for statistics in the real world and how it helps us solve problems and make informed choices. New to the Fourth Edition are sections on working with big data, new coverage of alternative non-parametric tests, beta coefficients, and the nocebo effect, discussions of p values in the context of research, an expanded discussion of confidence intervals, and more exercises and homework options under the new feature Test Yourself. Included with this title: The password-protected Instructor Resource Site (formally known as SAGE Edge) offers access to all text-specific resources, including a test bank and editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides. |
| police abuse of power statistics: Police Practices and Civil Rights in New York City Mary Frances Berry, 2000-12 On May 26, 1999, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights conducted a hearing in New York City to examine current police practices & their impact on civil rights in the community at large. The Commission had a strong interest in studying the methods used by the city to balance crime fighting with the exercise of appropriate restraint, particularly following the highly publicized tragedies involving Abner Louima & Amadou Diallo. This report is intended to offer insights into some of the tensions that exist between the New York Police Dept. & the communities that it serves. Chapters: recruitment, selection, & training; police-community relations; & civilian complaints. |
| police abuse of power statistics: Coercive Control Evan Stark, 2009 Drawing on cases, Stark identifies the problems with our current approach to domestic violence, outlines the components of coercive control, and then uses this alternate framework to analyse the cases of battered women charged with criminal offenses directed at their abusers. |
| police abuse of power statistics: Introduction to Criminal Justice L. Thomas Winfree, G. Larry Mays, 2022-01-31 Introduction to Criminal Justice: The Essentials, Third Edition |
| police abuse of power statistics: The Police and the Public Albert J. Reiss, 1971-01-01 Ways we can make our society more civil, our police more humane, our population more responsible. Sociology. Cuts closer to the bone of truth about the police in America than any book I have read.--NY Times Book Review |
| police abuse of power statistics: Ethnicity and Criminal Justice in the Era of Mass Incarceration Martin Guevara Urbina, Sofía Espinoza Álvarez, 2017-02-27 ETHNICITY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN THE ERA OF MASS INCARCERATION: A Critical Reader on the Latino Experience is designed as a Latino reader in criminal justice, covering a much broader spectrum of the Latino experience in criminal justice and society, while giving readers a broad overview of the Latino experience in a single book. Considering the shifting trends in demographics and the current state of the criminal justice system, along with the current political “climate,” this book is timely and of critical significance for the academic, political, and social arena. The authors report sound evidence that testifies to a historical legacy of violence, brutality, manipulation, oppression, marginalization, prejudice, discrimination, power, and control, and to white America’s continued fear about ethnic and racial minorities, a movement that continues in the twenty-first century—as we have been witnessing during the 2015-2016 presidential race, highly charged with anti-immigrant and anti-Mexican political rhetoric. A central objective of this book is to demystify and expose the ways in which ideas of ethnicity, race, gender, and class uphold the functioning and “legitimacy” of the criminal justice system. In this mission, rather than attempting to develop a single explanation for the Latino experience in policing, the courts, and the penal system, this book presents a variety of studies and perspectives that illustrate alternative ways of interpreting crime, punishment, safety, equality, and justice. The findings reveal that race, ethnicity, gender, class, and several other variables continue to play a significant role in the legal decision-making process. With the social control (from police brutality to immigration) discourse reaching unprecedented levels, the book will have broad appeal for students, police officers, advocates/activists, attorneys, the media, and the general public. |
| police abuse of power statistics: Police Corruption Maurice Punch, 2013-01-11 Policing and corruption are inseparable. This book argues that corruption is not one thing but covers many deviant and criminal practices in policing which also shift over time. It rejects the 'bad apple' metaphor and focuses on 'bad orchards', meaning not individual but institutional failure. For in policing the organisation, work and culture foster can encourage corruption. This raises issues as to why do police break the law and, crucially, 'who controls the controllers'? Corruption is defined in a broad, multi-facetted way. It concerns abuse of authority and trust; and it takes serious form in conspiracies to break the law and to evade exposure when cops can become criminals. Attention is paid to typologies of corruption (with grass-eaters, meat-eaters, noble-cause); the forms corruption takes in diverse environments; the pathways officers take into corruption and their rationalisations; and to collusion in corruption from within and without the organization. Comparative analyses are made of corruption, scandal and reform principally in the USA, UK and the Netherlands. The work examines issues of control, accountability and the new institutions of oversight. It provides a fresh, accessible overview of this under-researched topic for students, academics, police and criminal justice officials and members of oversight agencies. |
| police abuse of power statistics: The Crime Data Handbook Laura Huey, David Buil-Gil, 2024-04-30 Crime research has grown substantially over the past decade, with a rise in evidence-informed approaches to criminal justice, statistics-driven decision-making and predictive analytics. The fuel that has driven this growth is data – and one of its most pressing challenges is the lack of research on the use and interpretation of data sources. This accessible, engaging book closes that gap for researchers, practitioners and students. International researchers and crime analysts discuss the strengths, perils and opportunities of the data sources and tools now available and their best use in informing sound public policy and criminal justice practice. |
| police abuse of power statistics: The Punitive Turn Deborah E. McDowell, Claudrena N. Harold, Juan Battle, 2013-11-15 The Punitive Turn explores the historical, political, economic, and sociocultural roots of mass incarceration, as well as its collateral costs and consequences. Giving significant attention to the exacting toll that incarceration takes on inmates, their families, their communities, and society at large, the volume’s contributors investigate the causes of the unbridled expansion of incarceration in the United States. Experts from multiple scholarly disciplines offer fresh research on race and inequality in the criminal justice system and the effects of mass incarceration on minority groups' economic situation and political inclusion. In addition, practitioners and activists from the Sentencing Project, the Virginia Organizing Project, and the Restorative Community Foundation, among others, discuss race and imprisonment from the perspective of those working directly in the field. Employing a multidisciplinary approach, the essays included in the volume provide an unprecedented range of perspectives on the growth and racial dimensions of incarceration in the United States and generate critical questions not simply about the penal system but also about the inner workings, failings, and future of American democracy. Contributors: Ethan Blue (University of Western Australia) * Mary Ellen Curtin (American University) * Harold Folley (Virginia Organizing Project) * Eddie Harris (Children Youth and Family Services) * Anna R. Haskins (University of Wisconsin–Madison) * Cheryl D. Hicks (University of North Carolina at Charlotte) * Charles E. Lewis Jr. (Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy) * Marc Mauer (The Sentencing Project) * Anoop Mirpuri (Portland State University) * Christopher Muller (Harvard University) * Marlon B. Ross (University of Virginia) * Jim Shea (Community Organizer) * Jonathan Simon (University of California–Berkeley) * Heather Ann Thompson (Temple University) * Debbie Walker (The Female Perspective) * Christopher Wildeman (Yale University) * Interviews by Jared Brown (University of Virginia) & Tshepo Morongwa Chéry (University of Texas–Austin) |
| police abuse of power statistics: Does Torture Prevention Work? Richard Carver, Lisa Handley, 2016-07-01 The first systematic analysis of the effectiveness of torture prevention. |
| police abuse of power statistics: Invisible No More Andrea J. Ritchie, 2017-08-01 “A passionate, incisive critique of the many ways in which women and girls of color are systematically erased or marginalized in discussions of police violence.” —Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow Invisible No More is a timely examination of how Black women, Indigenous women, and women of color experience racial profiling, police brutality, and immigration enforcement. By placing the individual stories of Sandra Bland, Rekia Boyd, Dajerria Becton, Monica Jones, and Mya Hall in the broader context of the twin epidemics of police violence and mass incarceration, Andrea Ritchie documents the evolution of movements centered around women’s experiences of policing. Featuring a powerful forward by activist Angela Davis, Invisible No More is an essential exposé on police violence against WOC that demands a radical rethinking of our visions of safety—and the means we devote to achieving it. |
| police abuse of power statistics: (Ab)using Power Dorothy E. Chunn, Robert J. Menzies, Susan C. Boyd, 2001 This book about crime, law, power, and social issues in Canada includes contributions from academics, legal practitioners, journalists, and social activists who have been studying and struggling for years against the abuse of power in myriad realms of Canadian life and represents the first systematic effort in Canada to integrate a variety of topics related to power into a single collection aimed at identifying and exploring common themes, issues, problems, and remedies. |
| police abuse of power statistics: Police Power and Race Riots Cathy Lisa Schneider, 2014-07-17 Three weeks after Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a New York City police officer shot and killed a fifteen-year-old black youth, inciting the first of almost a decade of black and Latino riots throughout the United States. In October 2005, French police chased three black and Arab teenagers into an electrical substation outside Paris, culminating in the fatal electrocution of two of them. Fires blazed in Parisian suburbs and housing projects throughout France for three consecutive weeks. Cathy Lisa Schneider explores the political, legal, and economic conditions that led to violent confrontations in neighborhoods on opposite sides of the Atlantic half a century apart. Police Power and Race Riots traces the history of urban upheaval in New York and greater Paris, focusing on the interaction between police and minority youth. Schneider shows that riots erupted when elites activated racial boundaries, police engaged in racialized violence, and racial minorities lacked alternative avenues of redress. She also demonstrates how local activists who cut their teeth on the American race riots painstakingly constructed social movement organizations with standard nonviolent repertoires for dealing with police violence. These efforts, along with the opening of access to courts of law for ethnic and racial minorities, have made riots a far less common response to police violence in the United States today. Rich in historical and ethnographic detail, Police Power and Race Riots offers a compelling account of the processes that fan the flames of urban unrest and the dynamics that subsequently quell the fires. |
| police abuse of power statistics: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices , 1997 |
| police abuse of power statistics: The Crime Numbers Game John A. Eterno, Eli B. Silverman, 2017-07-27 In the mid-1990s, the NYPD created a performance management strategy known as Compstat. It consisted of computerized data, crime analysis, and advanced crime mapping coupled with middle management accountability and crime strategy meetings with high-ranking decision makers. While initially credited with a dramatic reduction in crime, questions quic |
| police abuse of power statistics: State-Sanctioned Violence Melvin Delgado, 2020-03-16 The helping professions and social scientists traditionally seek concepts and paradigms that can be used in shaping research and services focused on marginalized populations in the United States. Various perspectives have garnered attention across disciplines with intersectionality as a recent, salient example. However, state-sanctioned violence--built upon the foundation established by Intersectionality--introduces a purposeful socio-political agenda that is carried out by various levels of government to subjugate a group due to its beliefs, physical characteristics, and/or social circumstances. This book provides a conceptual foundation on state-sanctioned violence; critiques how this perspective holds relevance for social work research, education, and practice; examines specific examples of how and where state-sanctioned violence is manifested; and projects potential developments into the near future. |
| police abuse of power statistics: Justice before the Law Michael Huemer, 2021-09-06 America’s legal system harbors serious, widespread injustices. Many defendants are sent to prison for nonviolent offenses, including many victimless crimes. Convicts often serve draconian sentences in crowded prisons rife with abuse. Almost all defendants are convicted without trial because prosecutors threaten defendants with drastically higher sentences if they request a trial. Most Americans are terrified of encountering any kind of legal trouble, knowing that both civil and criminal courts are extremely slow, unreliable, and expensive to use. This book explores the largest injustices in the legal system and what can be done about them. Besides proposing institutional reforms, the author argues that prosecutors, judges, lawyers, and jury members ought to place justice before the law – for example, by refusing to enforce unjust laws or impose unjust sentences. Issues addressed include: · The philosophical basis for judgments about rights and justice · The problems of overcriminalization and mass incarceration · Abuse of power by police and prosecutors · The injustice of plea bargaining · The appropriateness of jury nullification · The authority of the law, or the lack thereof Justice Before the Law is essential reading for everyone interested in legal ethics, the rule of law, and criminal justice. It is also ideal for students of legal philosophy. |
| police abuse of power statistics: Police Practices and Civil Rights in New York City United States Commission on Civil Rights, 2000 |
| police abuse of power statistics: LATINO POLICE OFFICERS IN THE UNITED STATES Martin Guevara Urbina, Sofia Espinoza Alvarez, 2015-03-01 Considering the long-lasting and complicated history of U.S. race and ethnic relations, the multiple array of issues currently confronting both ethnic and racial communities, and the shifting trends in the ethnic/racial landscape, this book seeks to provide a comprehensive account of the simultaneous interaction of pressing historical and contemporary forces shaping the Latino experience as well as police-minority relations to better understand the current state of policing and gain further insight into the future role of Latino police in American law enforcement across the country. Delineating the confines of policing a highly diverse and multicultural society in the twenty-first century, this book conjoins historical, theoretical, and empirical research–placing Latino policing within a broader law enforcement and community context. Major topics include the need for Latino police officers; employment of Latino officers by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies; Chicano police officers working in the Latino community; Latino officers, policy, practice, and ethnic realities; Mexican American law enforcement; bridging the gaps, future research, and change in American institutions; policy recommendations toward a new police force; and the future of Latino officers in the American police. Additional issues highlighted include racial/ethnic profiling, police brutality, underpolicing, and overpolicing which challenge the quest for representation, equality, justice, and due process. Finally, the contributing authors demonstrate that the lack of knowledge on Latino police and the overall American police is not inevitable, and thus the book concludes with policy and research recommendations to help bridge this long-neglected void; ultimately, the creation of a new police force for the twenty-first century. The text represents a most timely and essential tool for all levels of policing, law enforcement administrators, criminal justice educators, civic managers, criminologists, sociologists, and others vested in police reform. |
| police abuse of power statistics: Routledge Handbook of International Criminology Cindy J. Smith, Sheldon X. Zhang, Rosemary Barberet, 2011-05-03 The Routledge Handbook of International Criminology brings together the latest thinking and findings from a diverse group of both senior and promising young scholars from around the globe. This collaborative project articulates a new way of thinking about criminology that extends existing perspectives in understanding crime and social control across borders, jurisdictions, and cultures, and facilitates the development of an overarching framework that is truly international. The book is divided into three parts, in which three distinct yet overlapping types of crime are analyzed: international crime, transnational crime, and national crime. Each of these perspectives is then articulated through a number of chapters which cover theory and methods, international and transnational crime analyses, and case studies of criminology and criminal justice in relevant nations. In addition, questions placed at the end of each chapter encourage greater reflection on the issues raised, and will encourage young scholars to move the field of inquiry forward. This handbook is an excellent reference tool for undergraduate and graduate students with particular interests in research methods, international criminology, and making comparisons across countries. |
| police abuse of power statistics: Document Retrieval Index , 1974 |
| police abuse of power statistics: Police in America Steven G. Brandl, 2020-01-07 Grounded in evidence-based research, Police in America provides a comprehensive and realistic introduction to modern-day policing in the United States. This reader-friendly text helps students understand best practices in everyday policing and think critically about the many misconceptions of police work. Author Steven G. Brandl draws from his experience with law enforcement to emphasize the positive aspects of policing without ignoring its controversies. Brandl tackles important topics that center on one question: What is good policing? Included are discussions of discretion, police use of force, and tough ethical and moral dilemmas—giving students a deeper look into the complex issues of policing to help them think more broadly about its impact on society. This title is accompanied by a complete teaching and learning package. |
| police abuse of power statistics: The Demographic Dividend and the Power of Youth Eirliani Abdul Rahman, ElsaMarie D'Silva, Sonja Peteranderl, 2021-02-19 As fertility rates decrease, a country’s working-age population grows larger relative to the young dependent population. With more people in the labor force and fewer children to support, a country has a window of opportunity for rapid economic growth if the right social and economic investments and policies are made in health, education, governance and the economy. Conversely, research shows that resource requirements to support a large population of children and youth can depress the pace of economic growth and prevent needed investments in human capital. The discourse on responding to this population growth frequently excludes the youth. The result can be an apathetic community of young people who withdraw from participation in political and democratic processes. The book is a compilation of articles that address the issue and highlight solutions from different parts of the world, from members of the Global Diplomacy Lab to external contributors: how they see their work promoting, enhancing and contributing to harvesting the demographic dividend. |
| police abuse of power statistics: Gender, Race & Canadian Law , 2020-11-26T00:00:00Z Gender, Race & Canadian Law explores feminist and critical race approaches to Canadian law. The collection, which is suitable for undergraduate courses, begins with a basic overview of Canadian law and an introduction to critical concepts including “the official version of law,” race and racialization, privilege and heteronormativity. Substantive themes include the Montreal massacre, hegemonic and other masculinities, equality rights, sexual assault and other gendered violence, trans, colonialism, immigration and multiculturalism. Contributors: Constance Backhouse Gillian Balfour Mélissa Blais Karen Busby Wendy Chan Sandra Ka Hon Chu Elizabeth Comack Raewyn Connell Pamela Downe Deborah H. Drake Rod Earle Eve Haque Joanna Harris Margot A. Hurlbert Lisa Marie Jakubowski Peter Knegt Ruth M. Mann Peggy McIntosh Marilou McPhedron Martin Rochlin |
| police abuse of power statistics: More Observations and Suggestions Joseph J. Adamson, 2002-02 Like Joseph's first book, Real Prophecy Unveiled: Why the Christ Will Not Come Again, And Why the Religious Right is Wrong, this follow-up (or second volume) will give the power of truth to the people. More specifically, it will liberate us from that which has oppressed many of us; that which has repressed and inhibited all of us, and that which has stifled the happiness and prevented the prosperity of most of us. Here, finally, is a voice with real spiritual and religious authority that will make the greedy rich few ashamed, turn the tables on the hypocritical Religious Right (which claims God is on their side), bring low the proud and militant, and enable the humble and meek to inherit the earth. Now, at long last, the truth will set us free and the pen will finally prove mightier than the sword, because the real weapons of the Lord's warfare are not carnal (or lethal), but they are mighty through God for dealing with the forces of hate, greed, hypocrisy, intolerance, and injustice. Now we can rejoice, because the fulfillment of prophecy is at hand! This is the long-awaited messenger who says, I am your fellow servant, and a brother who has the testimony of Jesus. - Revelations 19:10 |
| police abuse of power statistics: Civil Liability in Criminal Justice Darrell L. Ross, 2018-05-24 The increasing litigation against criminal justice practitioners in the United States poses a significant problem for law enforcement and other personnel. Law enforcement and corrections professionals need to have a working knowledge of both criminal law and the civil law process to ensure that they are performing their duties within the limits of the law. Civil Liability in Criminal Justice, 7th Edition, provides valuable information and recommendations to current and future officers and correctional system employees, introducing them to civil liability and federal law, as well as recommending strategies that can be taken to minimize risks. Civil Liability in Criminal Justice is unique in its combination of applicable case law and related liability research, while still providing an overview of current case law in high-liability areas. This new edition, revised to include up-to-date United States Supreme Court cases, including liability trends on the use of force, arrest-related deaths, custodial suicides in detention, qualified immunity, and the outcomes of the Department of Justice and the application of Section 14141, additional context for liability issues, and extended coverage of collective bargaining and public perception, is a valuable resource for enhancing student knowledge and practitioner job performance. The text is suitable for undergraduate and graduate courses in Criminal Justice programs as well as for in-service and academy training. Ross offers an engaging, accessible introduction to this aspect of the US criminal justice system. |
| police abuse of power statistics: The Best of Emerge Magazine George E. Curry, Brenda L. Webber, Sylvester Monroe, Les Payne, 2009-02-19 The 1990s. African Americans achieved more influence–and faced more explosive issues–than ever before. One word captured those times. One magazine expressed them. Emerge. In those ten years, with an impressive circulation of 170,000 and more than forty national awards to its credit, Emerge became a serious part of the American mainstream. Time hailed its “uncompromising voice.” The Washington Post declared that Emerge “gets better with each issue.” Then, after nearly a decade, Emerge magazine closed its doors. Now, for the first time, here’s a collection of the finest articles from a publication that changed the face of African American news. From the Clarence Thomas nomination to the Bill Clinton impeachment . . . from the life of Louis Farrakhan to the death of Betty Shabazz . . . from reparations for slavery to the rise of blacks on Wall Street . . . the most important people, topics, and turning points of this remarkable period are featured in incisive articles by first-rate writers. Emerge may have ended with the millennium, but–as this incomparable volume proves–the quality of its coverage is still unequaled, the extent of its impact still emerging. Stirring tribute, uncanny time capsule, riveting read–The Best of Emerge Magazine is also the best of American journalism. |
