Chapter 4

Question 1

Van Maanen notes that police officers divide citizens into three distincy groups:

Answer 1

1. suspicious persons who the police believe have committed a serious offense
2. “assholes” who refuse to accept police authority
3. “know nothings” who are peope that are not in the first two catagories, but of little importance

Question 2

Viable communities must have the following: (4)

Answer 2

1. a social fiber
2. a human network
3. an economic foundation
4. political organization

Question 3

There is a need for citizens to view the police positively. This is important because the public perceptions of what the police do and how effective they are affect: (4)

Answer 3

1. public participation in crimie reduction programs
2. political support for the poice
3. police programs
4. crime-related legislation

Question 4

Communities of interest are created by geographical boundaries such as: (3)

Answer 4

1. rivers or major highways
2. by ethnic or racial groups settling together such as “Little Italy” or “Chinatown”
3. by service landmarks or (shopping) centers

Question 5

Perhaps the best way to study and understand citizen support for the police is to study:

Answer 5

The levels of support across demographic and community variables

Question 6

These variables include factors such as gender, race, and personal experience with the police?

Answer 6

Demographic variables

Question 7

These variables include factors such as socioeconomic status, likelihood of victimization, general community attitudes toward the police and crime rates

Answer 7

Community

Question 8

Why do older people tend to have a more favorable view of the police?

Answer 8

They have higher levels of fear. They view the police as their allies.

Question 9

Why do younger people not like the police? (5)

Answer 9

1. Police are more likely to stop them for non-criminal matters (exert peace or parental control)-viewed as being hassled.
2. Since they are less likely to file a complaint and has less economic and political power officers may treat them more aggressively and with less respect
3. They tend to be more involved in dangerous behavior (traffic violations, substance abuse, frequenting nightclubs, and bars). They are more likely to be victimized.
4. They often are distrustful and disrespectful of authority figures
5. Police differentially interact with youth-often having only negative contact

Question 10

For the most part, it appears that this is perhaps the best predictor of citizens attitudes toward the police?

Answer 10

Race

Question 11

Crime statistics show that this group commits the vast majority of crimes and that crime is generally an intra rather than inter-racial event.

Answer 11

Whites

Question 12

Carter found that Latinos believed the police did a poor job. Police were believed to: (4)

Answer 12

1. have a bad attitude
2. needed to do a better job of investigating crimes
3. needed to decrease response times
4. should reduce the level of discrimination against Latinos

Question 13

Reisg and Chandek found that people’s satisfaction with the police is based on:

Answer 13

Their expectations.

Question 14

Brown and Benedict have identified four areas that police administrators should consider as a result of the differences in public opinion about the police:

Answer 14

1. law enforcement tactics and strategies should be tailored to address different needs and individual communities or neighborhoods
2. the police should strive to improve relations with minorities and young people
3. the police should strive to maintain a professional demeanor, especially when dealing with the public
4. it is important for the police to develop good relations with the press to help mediate some of the problems the police have in the community

Question 15

Five departmental behaviors that contribute to police problems in the community:

Answer 15

1. excessive force
2. corruption
3. rudeness
4. authoritarianism
5. politics

Question 16

There are a number of mechanisms that police departments can use to substantially reduce excessive force problems: (4)

Answer 16

1. ensure that officers are properly trained
2. department should have a policy outlining when an officer can use force and the degree of force that can be used
3. supervisors should enforce the use of force policy
4. Finally, wrongful use of force must be addressed by adequate disciplinary action and police officials must make that action known to their communities

Question 17

Research indicates that officers tend to use the greatest levels of force when encountering suspects involved in:

Answer 17

Property crimes

Question 18

This is the most frequently lodged complaint against the police?

Answer 18

Rudeness

Question 19

What are the five sources of rudeness?

Answer 19

1. business like demeanor when interacting with the citizens
2. when vast majority of contacts officers have with citizens are negative
3. can be a symptom of stress
4. abuse of authority
5. Some officers just abuse their authority and police organizations have a poor history of taking this problem seriously.

Question 20

Rudeness seems to surface when officers are:

Answer 20

1. writing citations or making arrests,
2. interviewing suspects and witnesses, and
3. even during on the street encounters when people request assistance or directions

Question 21

The most prominent cases of rudeness are:

Answer 21

Charges of racial profiling

Question 22

Authoritarianism consist of : (3)

Answer 22

1. cynicism
   2. aggression
   3. rigid behavior
   (because police officers tend to become more authoritarian over time, management must attempt to reduce it and its behavioral consequences)

Question 23

This is the first and most important step in building a positive relationship with the community.

Answer 23

Understanding why some people habor negative views about police officers.

Question 24

NIJ recently funded five studies exploring factors influence satisfaction with the police. The research suggests that satisfaction is shaped by:

Answer 24

1. demographic variables
2. neighborhood crime conditions
3. experience with the police-whether first-hand or indirect
   4.
   NOTE: Race was not found to directly determine level of satisfaction.

Question 25

These are two of the most critical tools on a police officer’s belt.

Answer 25

Police consent and support of law enforcement

Question 26

Officers should focus their efforts where they can have the most direct impact, which is:

Answer 26

In each day-to-day interaction with the public

Question 27

The first step in building good relationships with the community is to:

Answer 27

understand and respond to the expectations of people across a range of possible police ecounters.