NCJ Number
34971
Date Published
1976
Length
27 pages
Annotation
ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF A NUMBER OF CIRCUMSTANCES ON THE PROBABILITY OF ARREST AND THEN OFFERS A SET OF DESCRIPTIVE MATERIALS ON THE SOCIAL CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH POLICE MAKE ARRESTS IN ROUTINE ENCOUNTERS.
Abstract
THE FACTORS CONSIDERED ARE THE SUSPECT'S RACE, THE LEGAL SERIOUSNESS OF THE ALLEGED CRIME, THE EVIDENCE AVAILABLE IN THE FIELD SETTING, THE COMPLAINANT'S PREFERENCE FOR POLICE ACTION, THE SOCIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COMPLAINANT AND SUSPECT, THE SUSPECT'S DEGREE OF DEFERENCE TOWARD THE POLICE, AND THE MANNER IN WHICH THE POLICE COME TO HANDLE AN INCIDENT. STUDY DATA WAS COLLECTED DURING THE SUMMER OF 1966 BY SYSTEMATIC OBSERVATION OF POLICE-CITIZEN TRANSACTIONS IN BOSTON, CHICAGO, AND WASHINGTON, D.C. THIRTY-SIX TRAINED OBSERVERS ACCOMPANIED PATROLMEN ON ALL WORK SHIFTS ON ALL DAYS OF THE WEEK FOR SEVEN WEEKS IN EACH CITY. THIS ARTICLE FIRST PRESENTS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ROUTINE POLICE WORK AND THEN PRESENTS THE STUDY FINDINGS ON ARREST, FIRST FOR ENCOUNTERS INVOLVING BOTH A CITIZEN COMPLAINANT AND A SUSPECT, AND SECOND FOR POLICE ENCOUNTERS WITH LONE SUSPECTS. THE MAJOR FINDINGS WERE AS FOLLOWS: MOST ARREST SITUATIONS ARISE THROUGH CITIZEN. RATHER THAN POLICE INITIATIVE; ARREST PRACTICES REFLECT THE PREFERENCES OF CITIZEN COMPLAINANTS; THE POLICE USE THEIR ARREST POWER LESS OFTEN THAN THE LAW WOULD ALLOW; THE STRONGER THE FIELD EVIDENCE, THE MORE LIKELY THE ARREST; THE PROBABILITY OF ARREST IS HIGHER IN LEGALLY SERIOUS CRIME SITUATIONS THAN IN THOSE OF A RELATIVELY MINOR NATURE; THE GREATER THE RELATIONAL DISTANCE BETWEEN A COMPLAINANT AND A SUSPECT, THE GREATER THE LIKELIHOOD OF ARREST; THE PROBABILITY OF ARREST INCREASES WHEN A SUSPECT IS DISRESPECTFUL TOWARD THE POLICE; AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT POLICE DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF RACE.