Factors Influencing Arrest Decisions: Police Discretion & Offender Variables, Quizzes of Criminal Justice

Download Factors Influencing Arrest Decisions: Police Discretion & Offender Variables and more Quizzes Criminal Justice in PDF only on Docsity! TERM 1 Discretion DEFINITION 1 when the effective limits on a public official's power leave him or her free to make a choice among a number of possible courses of actions TERM 2 offender variables DEFINITION 2 age, race, socioeconomic status, demeanor, gender TERM 3 age DEFINITION 3 an arrest is more likely if the victim is older and the offender is younger. Younger suspects are more likely to be arrested. Elderly offenders are more likely to be treated with leniency. Adults are precieved to be more credible or that they are in a better position to cause problems for the officer when incorrect enforcement decisions are made. TERM 4 Race DEFINITION 4 people of color are more likely to be treated more harshly by police than whites. TERM 5 Socioeconomic Status DEFINITION 5 has been shown to effect the manner in which police respond to requests for service and the probability of being arrested. Those in the middle- or upper-class brackets generally receive more attention from the police when they file a complaint and are less likely to be arrested. Those in lower class are more likely to receive harsher treatment when encountering officers TERM 6 Demeanor DEFINITION 6 citizens and offenders who show deference to the police by cooperating are more likely to be treated fairly. When citizens are antagonistic toward officers, their complaints are not taken as seriously and the officer is less likely to initiate formal actions. Most research finds that suspects who are uncooperative are more likely to be arrested than those who are respectful while others claim that demeanor is not a significant factor in the decision to arrest. TERM 7 Gender DEFINITION 7 females are less likely to be arrested than their male counterparts especially when they commit crimes typically seen as "male" offenses TERM 8 Gatekeeper DEFINITION 8 Power of discretion makes police the "gatekeepers" of the criminal justice system. Officers have wide latitude to decide whether to act when they observe someone who appears to be violating the law. They may ignore the situation altogether or decide to investigate further. TERM 9 control mechanisms DEFINITION 9 control by the citizens, legislative control, control by the courts TERM 10 control by citizens DEFINITION 10 civilian review boards were created to 1) maintain effective discipline of the police 2) provide satisfactory resolution of citizen complaints against officers 3) maintain citizen confidence in the police 4) influence police administrators by providing feedback from citizens. In terms of functioning, they can assume several roles: oversight, rule making, investigate, and judicial TERM 21 Deadly force used DEFINITION 21 deadly force is when an officer discharges his or hr firearm at a suspect. The vast majority of police departments have policies prohibiting warning; thus, when a weapon is discharged it is to shoot the suspect. Deadly force can only be used in instances where the officer believes there is a threat of "great bodily harm" to the officer or to another person TERM 22 3 perspectives that shape police personality DEFINITION 22 Psychological perspective, sociological perspective, anthropological perspective TERM 23 Psychological perspective DEFINITION 23 personality is fixed and does not change significantly by occupational choice or personal experience. This perspective of personality holds that each person has a core personality that remains static throughout life. TERM 24 Sociological Perspective DEFINITION 24 behavior is based on group socialization and professionalization. Exposure to a police-training academy, regular in-service training , and field experience all shape the social characteristics of police officers as a groups. Officers learn how to behave and what to think from their shared experiences as police officers TERM 25 Anthropological perspective DEFINITION 25 officers are influenced and shaped by their culture. Beliefs and values are transmitted from one generation of officers to the next in a learning process by which a cultural group teaches what behaviors are acceptable and unacceptable. TERM 26 Sources of stress DEFINITION 26 Life-threatening, social isolation, organizational, functional, personal, physiolgical, psychological TERM 27 Life-threatening stressors DEFINITION 27 constant potential of injury or death. TERM 28 Social isolation stressors DEFINITION 28 isolation and alienation from the community. differential socioeconomic status between the police and their constituency; authoritarianism; cynicism; and cultural distinction, prejudice, and discrimination. TERM 29 organizational stressors DEFINITION 29 Simply being a member of an organization and trying to succeed can provide significant amount of stress for an officer. peer pressure, role models, performance measures for evaluation, upward mobility, policies and procedures (or the lack thereof leading to inconsistent and/or unacceptable behavior), job satisfaction, training, morale, inadequate supervision and administration control, inadequate training, internal jealousy, management philosophy, TERM 30 functional stressors DEFINITION 30 these variables are specifically related to the performance assigned to policing duties. role conflict; use of discretion, knowledge of law and legal mandates. If an officer does not have a good understanding of his/her responsibilities and is ill-prepared to handle them, stress will increase. TERM 31 Personal stressors DEFINITION 31 these are stressors that have their primary origin in the officer's off-duty life. This can influence the officer's on-duty personality affecting both behavior and attitude. TERM 32 Physiological stressors DEFINITION 32 a change in one's physiology and general health may also affect one's tolerance of other's behavior. Fatigue from working off-duty jobs, physiological impact of shift work, illness or medical conditions. TERM 33 Psychological Stressors DEFINITION 33 police work such as homicides, child abuse, fatal traffic accidents can have traumatic effect on oneself, particularly in their cumulative state. Such stressors may also develop into a psychological condition, such as depression or paranoia, which may in turn, have a significant impact on the abuse of authority TERM 34 Ethics DEFINITION 34 can be thought of as a means to evaluate behavior. Knowing the difference from right and wrong; good and evil. TERM 35 Sources of ethics DEFINITION 35 Justice, Law, Agency policy, code of ethics, social norms, personal values