1. Police and Society A Question of Attitude
Studies show people’s attitudes towards the police shaped by their contact with police
Positive contacts = positive attitudes
Negative contacts = negative attitudes
Large divide based on race in attitudes towards police
85 % of whites surveyed have a favorable attitude toward police, while 58% of blacks surveyed have unfavorable attitude
Largely due to perception that police harass minorities
Misperceptions from a young age
Young children think police give orders and punish people, don’t think about the police helping people or enforcing laws
Research also says young people focus on the power of the police

2. Police and Society II. The Police Today
More than 40,000 independent law-enforcement agencies at the local, state, and federal levels of government
Range in size from one-person departments in rural areas to almost 40,000 officers on New York City’s force, the largest in the nation
More than ¾ of all law enforcement officers work for local police departments

3. Police and Society II. The Police Today (continued)
B. Responsibilities
Fight crime
Settle disputes
Handle many forms of social work
Monitor public protests
Control traffic
Respond to medical emergencies
C. Problems/Dangers
Increase in availability of dangerous weapons
More critical news media
More critical general public
Budgetary problems, including a lack of funds to hire enough officers

4. Police and Society III. Local Police
Most large departments divided into different units
Operations Unit
Patrols street
Investigates crime
Services Unit
Supports operations unit
Trains officers, keeps records, maintains equipment, runs crime labs
Administration Unit
Manages payroll, personnel, and finances
Internal Affairs Unit
Polices the police
Investigates any reports of wrongdoing by police officers
Community Outreach unit
Works on improving police-community relations

5. Police and Society III. Local Police (continued) B. Special Divisions
Patrol
Uniformed officers; patrol streets, keep peace in assigned area, respond when a crime or emergency is reported
Main responsibilities
Law enforcement
Maintain order
Service

6. Police and Society III. Local Police (continued) 2. Detectives
Don’t necessarily outrank patrol officers, but have more prestige, get paid more, have more flexible hours, and work in plainclothes
Strictly involved in law enforcement
If suspect is arrested, detectives help prepare the case for prosecution
3. Traffic
a. Enforce traffic law investigate accidents, keep traffic moving
4. Juvenile
Officers in this unit undergo special training in dealing with juveniles and laws relating to them

7. Police and Society III. Local Police (continued) Requirements
All departments require a high school education, many require college
Usually a minimum age of 21
Good physical condition
No criminal record
Pass an entrance exam, drug test, mental fitness tests, and physical strength/agility tests
Typically a fairly low-paying job
Average starting salary is $23,000, top salary around $50,000
But usually overtime opportunities and good pensions.

8. Police and Society IV. Community Policing
In 1950s, police came to rely heavily on technology (squad cars, radios, etc.); primary responsibility was responding to emergency calls
Fewer police officers was cheaper
Some though beat cops had too much opportunity to become corrupt
System called PROACTIVE POLICING
Relied on radio to direct cruising police cars to calls
Most officers had little contact with community

9. Police and Society IV. Community Policing (continued)
B By 1980s many people criticized proactive policing, wanted new system that would keep officers continually visible in area, not just responding to calls
C New system = COMMUNITY-ORIENTED POLICING
In strong neighborhoods, people care about what happens
Citizens do much of the “patrolling”

10. Police and Society IV. Community Policing (continued)
2. “Broken Windows” theory
Says police should find out what bothers the community and fix these problems
Often seemingly unimportant things (graffiti, panhandlers, drunks on the corner, etc.)
Explained with example of car left on a street with a broken window
If car left in this condition, other windows will be broken
Soon car will be torn apart
Similarly, violent behavior, if ignored, leads to more and more violent behavior
People view neighborhood as out of control, and stop going out – neighborhood taken over by drug dealers, prostitutes, etc.

11. Police and Society IV. Community Policing (continued)
Problem-oriented policing
Stress problem solving
Don’t just respond to incidents
D. Criticisms of community-oriented policing
Communities have to make choice: can have police respond rapidly to a crime, or can have community policing, but can’t have both (too expensive)
Some feel community policing is too much like social work, and takes away from what they view as the real job of police – making arrests and solving crimes