Police Misconduct and Minority Citizens: Exploring Key Issues (From Police Misconduct: A Reader for the 21st Century, P 58-71, 2001, Michael J. Palmiotto, ed. -- See NCJ-193774)

• NCJ Number: 193778
• Author(s): Kim M. Lersch
• Date Published: 2001
• Length: 14 pages
• Sale Source: Prentice Hall Publishing
• Publication Format: Book (Softbound)
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper explores key issues in police misconduct that harm minority citizens, with attention to the types of police behavior that are defined as "misconduct," the level of police misconduct, and whether minority citizens are targeted by police for harassment and abuse.

Abstract

A discussion of the nature of police misconduct focuses on the issue of force, including legal definitions of excessive force by police officers; departmental rules and regulations regarding the use of force; differing citizen perceptions and definitions of police misconduct according to a citizen's race; and nonviolent acts of misconduct by police. An overview of estimates of the prevalence of police misconduct encompasses the findings of observational studies, citizen complaints, and citizen surveys. In attempting to determine whether minority citizens are targeted for police harassment and abuse, the paper focuses on the results of observational studies, analyses of citizen complaints, and the results of citizen surveys. With respect to defining police misconduct, the author concludes that it is an impossible task, since definitions are either so general as to be useless or so specific as to exclude some citizens' perceptions of police conduct they deem to be unacceptable. In examining whether minority citizens are targeted for harassment and abuse, one clear fact emerges: minority citizens perceive that they are treated abusively and selectively by police; and when given the opportunity to voice their displeasure, minority citizens tend to have unfavorable views of police. Research on police-minority interactions has yielded mixed findings when attempting to determine whether police treatment of minorities is different from their treatment of majority citizens. It may be that the manner in which police interactions are socially constructed depends on an individual's frame of reference, which may include personal experience, observations of the experiences of others, and anecdotes that have been passed down from one generation to the next. 44 references