The Limits of Police Authority! Chapter 9

Types of Police corruption Racial Profiling Police Corruption Use of Force What are the types of police corruption? When is force acceptable to use? What is racial profiling?

Racial Profiling A bank is robbed and the suspect is described as an Asian women driving a red sports car. Police start looking for such a suspect. Is this racial profiling?

Corruption can be defined as misusing one’s official powers for gain. Police Corruption Corruption can be defined as misusing one’s official powers for gain. For Personal Benefit Meat Eaters: police officers who actively seek bribes or other favors. They may extort money from people in exchange for letting them go and even commit crimes such as dealing drugs, burglary, robbery, or murder for hire. Grass Eaters: they do not actively seek bribes or other favors, but if something is offered to them, they will accept it. Represents a large majority of corrupt officers.

For Departmental Benefit Police Corruption For Departmental Benefit This may be done in a misguided attempt to make sure justice is served or the department or unit will look good. An officer may testify, that he saw a gun lying in plain view in the defendant’s apartment when, in fact, he found the gun in the defendant’s desk drawer.

Use of Force Police are authorized to use force to enforce the law and make arrests. Questions arise when an officer uses a gun, a baton, or even restraining holds in particular situations. Did the officer need to use force? Was the force excessive? Did the force amount to brutality?

Use of Force As a general rule, police may use whatever level of force is reasonable and necessary to make an arrest. Police are trained to begin with the lowest level of force necessary & should escalate the level of force if the situation required it.

Deadly Force is commonly defined as “force that poses a high risk of death or serious injury to its human target, whether or not death or serious injury actually result.

Use of Force Factors in determining whether deadly force is justified in a particular situation: The officer is making an arrest for a felony violation. The officer has made the reason for the arrest known to the suspect The officer believes that deadly force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily injury to the officer or another person The officer believes that the deadly force does not create a substantial risk to innocent persons. The criminal used deadly force or probably will use it if arrest is delayed.

If you were a police officer in a dangerous situation, how do you think you should respond to the following cases? Split Second Decision Case #1: Eulia, a 39 year old black woman, had a dispute with a gas company serviceman. The serviceman appeared at Eulia’s home to turn off the gas because of an unpaid bill. She attacked the serviceman and struck him several times with a shovel. The serviceman left and called the police. When two police officers arrived at Eulia’s home to arrest here for the aggravated assault, Eulia screamed at them and threw some dishes on the floor. The noise attracted several curious neighbors to her front porch to see what was going on. While officers talked to Eulia from a corner of the kitchen, she suddenly picked up an 11 inch knife from the counter and prepared to throw it at them. Case #2: Tony, a tall, thin, 17 year old boy, was speeding and swerving his car back and forth between the lane on the highway late one night. Two police officers stopped him and asked to see his driver’s license. Tony, who had obviously been drinking, became enraged and verbally abusive. One of the officers, a 20-year veteran of the police force, attempted to handcuff him, but Tony pushed him away, grabbed a crowbar from his back seat, and waved it at the other officer. “I’ll kill you if you come near me again!” he screamed!

Dan Jamie Morgan Ian Julia Ulises Brenden Corey Ally Stephen Anthony Meaghan Brian Claire David I Matt Emma Rachel Ernie Oliva Zach Alieen Kyle Shane David J Will

In your groups, look through your assigned newspapers to find an article that relates to what we have discussed in class. We will talk about these articles at the end of the period!