NCJ Number
146921
Date Published
1993
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This paper examines factors in the organizational structure and subculture of the South African Police (SAP) that contribute to police deviance and make possible death squad operations; ways of countering these factors are recommended.
Abstract
"Cop culture," defined as a set of norms and practices that inform police conduct, is a useful construct in the analysis of police organizational deviance, particularly death squads. To carry its full explanatory power, however, "cop culture" must encompass the dominant political discourse that motivates and directs action. It should also encompass a means of managing the contradiction that arises when those who are charged to uphold the law violate the law. The "cop culture" that fosters police deviance must also have a "user friendly" legal framework that allows police conduct that is untenable for others and within which the effective control of police conduct is blocked. These are the elements of a cop culture in South Africa that may have produced conditions for the existence of death squads who seek out and murder opponents of the dominant political regime. Efforts to counter police deviance must change the norms and values that govern policing. This should include changes in the dominant political discourse, operational methodology, and law. The author recommends specific changes in these areas in South Africa. 76 footnotes