APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM OF EXCESSIVE FORCE BY POLICE

• NCJ Number: 31040
• Journal: Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 3 Issue: 4 Dated: (DECEMBER 1975) Pages: 377-383
• Author(s): K E RENNER; D A GIERACH
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: Northwestern University
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS PAPER DESCRIBES A STUDY WHICH USED PROBABILITY ANALYSIS TO STATISTICALLY EVALUATE WHETHER THE USE OF EXCESSIVE FORCE BY POLICE WAS DUE TO CITIZENS' ACTIONS OR A CHARACTERISTIC TENDENCY OF SOME POLICEMEN.

Abstract

RESEARCHERS ASSUMED THAT POLICE USE OF PHYSICAL FORCE WOULD BE DIRECTLY RELATED TO CHARGES AGAINST THE CITIZEN FOR RESISTING ARREST OR ASSAULTING AN OFFICER, AND THAT THE ACTUAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE FREQUENCY OF ENCOUNTERING INDIVIDUALS WHO RESIST OR ASSAULT FOR ANY PARTICULAR OFFICER WOULD CORRESPOND CLOSELY TO WHAT WOULD BE EXPECTED ON A CHANCE BASIS. THIS CHANCE DISTRIBUTION COULD BE READILY CALCULATED WITH THE AID OF A COMPUTER AND WOULD SERVE AS THE STANDARD OF COMPARISON FOR THE ACTUAL DISTRIBUTION, ALLOWING ODDS TO BE ASSIGNED THAT ANY ONE OFFICER WOULD HAVE THE SAME NUMBER OF ASSAULT OR RESISTING CASES BY CHANCE ALONE. THIS STUDY RECORDED THE NUMBER OF RESISTING ARREST AND ASSAULT CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST CITIZENS BY EACH OFFICER ON THE POLICE FORCE OF A MIDWESTERN CITY OF 60,000 FOR THE YEARS 1970 THROUGH 1973. THREE FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS WERE MADE: THE FIRST FOR THE OFFICERS WHO HAD BEEN ON THE FORCE FOR ALL FOUR YEARS; THE SECOND FOR THOSE ON THE FORCE FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS; AND THE THIRD FOR THOSE ON THE FORCE FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. IN EACH CASE, THE ACTUAL DISTRIBUTIONS INDICATED THAT SOME POLICE OFFICERS HAD A LARGER NUMBER OF SUCH INCIDENTS THAN WOULD BE EXPECTED BY CHANCE AND THAT MORE OFFICERS THAN WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPECTED BY CHANCE HAD ZERO SUCH INCIDENTS. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE THREE OFFICERS WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBERS OF ACTUAL ASSAULT OR RESISTING CASES CONTRIBUTED EXCESSIVELY TO THE USE OF FORCE AND WERE GIVING THE ENTIRE FORCE A BAD REPUTATION. STUDY LIMITATIONS AND BIAS ARE DISCUSSED ALONG WITH POSSIBLE IMPLICATION OF THIS ANALYSIS FOR OFFICER SUPERVISION, SELECTION AND TRAINING, AND POLICE PROFESSIONALISM.