Deck 7: Police Corruption and Misconduct

Question 1

An important distinction between a gift and a gratuity is that a gift is:

A)clearly given with expectations of reciprocity.
B)clearly given with no strings attached.
C)something that can only be given to an off-duty police officer.
D)something that is received from someone recently arrested.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The term " grass eaters " refers to police officers in:

A)New York City officers who accepted bribes, gratuities, and protection money.
B)Boston officers who sold their services to the highest bidders.
C)Los Angeles officers who "shopped" at burglary scenes.
D)Chicago officers who used marijuana on a regular basis.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Fyfe and Kane's list of types of police misconduct includes all of the following except:

A)police crime.
B)on-duty abuse.
C)obstruction of justice.
D)false disability claims.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

" B aksheesh, " which is an expected procedure in many developing countries, is another term for:

A)​n epotism.
B)physical abuse.
C)graft.
D)rewards

Question 5

Barker and Carter proposed that police abuse of authority comes in all of the following areas except:

A)physical abuse.
B)psychological abuse.
C)legal abuse.
D)sexual abuse.

Question 6

Ethical formalism would reject a policy of allowing gratuities if they:

A)are expressly against the law.
B)occur frequently.
C)are offered for the purpose of receiving a later favor.
D)are not offered to all officers.

Question 7

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)is:

A)a tool used to evaluate the work performance of police officers.
B)a tool used to screen potential informants.
C)a method for debriefing undercover officers after their operation has concluded.
D)a pre-employment screening tool used by law enforcement.

Question 8

Some new officers experience cynicism when they encounter citizen disrespect, bureaucratic barriers, and the realities of the justice system. This can lead them to distrust the department's administration and the citizens of the community, leaving them more prone to corruption. This process is known as the

A)spiral of cynicism.
B)disillusionment process.
C)chain of corruption.
D)continuum of compromise.

Question 9

Murphy and Caplan argue that each of the following societal factors lead to police corruption, except:

A)lack of support from prosecutors and the courts.
B)unfair reporting in the news media.
C)lax community standards over certain behaviors.
D)mixed messages regarding certain crimes such as prostitution.

Question 10

According to Fyfe and Kane, on-duty abuse is:

A)the use of excessive force, psychological abuse, or discrimination.
B)all offenses except those that are drug-related with the goal of profit.
C)simple failure to meet expectations.
D)violating one or more departmental rules.

Question 11

Which of the following is not considered graft?

A)bribes
B)protection money
C)taking merchandize from a crime scene
D)payments for referring certain bail bondsmen

Question 12

The practice of declining to issue a ticket to an off-duty officer who is stopped for speeding or for other driving violations is called:

A)blue gratuity.
B)professional gift.
C)professional courtesy.
D)blue graft.

Question 13

Which of the following is not one of the "Big Five" personality traits?

A)punctuality
B)extroversion
C)openness
D)conscientiousness

Question 14

Items of value received by an individual because of his or her role or position rather than because of a personal relationship with the giver are called:

A)pay offs
B)gratuities.
C)bribes
D)rewards

Question 15

Kania believes that gratuities should be allowed because:

A)officers don't make much money.
B)they cement social bonds.
C)they are payment for special services.
D)they are without cost.

Question 16

According to Barker and Carter, harassment and ridicule are examples of which of the following types of abuse?

A)physical abuse
B)psychological abuse
C)legal abuse
D)sexual abuse

Question 17

The Knapp Commission coined the term "grass eaters" to refer to officers who did all of the following except:

A)taking offered bribes.
B)taking offered gratuities.
C)taking valuable items from crime scenes.
D)accepting unsolicited protection money.

Question 18

According to Barker and Carter, unlawful searchers or seizures are examples of which of the following types of abuse?

A)physical abuse
B)psychological abuse
C)legal abuse
D)sexual abuse

Question 19

According to Fyfe and Kane, " conduct-related probationary failures " is:

A)the use of excessive force, psychological abuse, or discrimination.
B)all offenses except those that are drug-related with the goal of profit.
C)simple failure to meet job expectations.
D)violating one or more departmental rules.

Question 20

A study of police ethics around the world revealed that in the United States, the offense considered most serious by the officers surveyed was:

A)accepting bribes.
B)accepting kickbacks.
C)stealing from a crime scene. ​
D)lying under oath.

Question 21

You are an Internal Affairs officer investigating corruption in the city police department. You have been assigned to ride along as a partner to Officer Jones, who has a reputation for being corrupt. Officer Jones has been told that you are a patrol officer who has been transferred from another district within the department.
While on patrol, Officer Jones stops a car for speeding and running a red light. You observe the interaction between Officer Jones and the driver. Jones allows the driver to leave without penalty. When you ask why he gave the driver a break, Jones tells you that the driver turned out to be a fellow police officer. By letting him go without a citation, Jones has demonstrated which type of corruption?

A)graft
B)gratuity
C)abuse of power
D)professional courtesy

Question 22

The Buddy Boys operated in which city?

A)New York
B)Los Angeles
C)Boston
D)Detroit

Question 23

You are an Internal Affairs officer investigating corruption in the city police department. You have been assigned to ride along as a partner to Officer Jones, who has a reputation for being corrupt. Officer Jones has been told that you are a patrol officer who has been transferred from another district within the department.
At break time, you and Officer Jones stop for coffee and a snack at a local diner. When it is time to return to patrol, you are surprised to see Officer Jones get up and leave without paying. He explains that the owner of the diner doesn't charge police officers, which is why he chose that particular diner. This is an illustration of:

A)graft
B)gratuity
C)abuse of power
D)professional courtesy

Question 24

If any of the above scenarios were arranged specifically to observe Officer Jones to see how he would react to an opportunity for misconduct, the activity would be an example of a:

A)graft check.
B)corruption review.
C)random integrity test.
D)targeted integrity test.

Question 25

A consent decree is an agreement between a local police department and:

A)local government.
B)a victim of police brutality.
C)local gang leadership.
D)the U.S. Department of Justice.

Question 26

After completing your observations of Officer Jones, you are asked to summarize your observations for a study being conducted by an ethicist studying police behavior.
Let's assume that the driver turned out to be an undercover police officer who was engaged in surveillance. Jones intended at first to write a citation. However, when he found out the driver was an officer, he decided to let him go, so that the undercover officer would not have attention drawn to him while Jones wrote the citation. Jones decided that letting the officer go would best serve the greater good. This would be consistent with:

A)universality
B)professional courtesy
C)utilitarianism
D)deontology

Question 27

You have been hired to consult with the new chief of a police department that has been fraught with complaints of officer misconduct.
After reviewing the reports of officer misconduct, you determine that they seem to be individual acts for the most part. You recommend an improved screening process, random integrity tests, and a process of reviewing use-of- force reports in order to detect possible warning signs. This approach is known as a ______________ response.

A)rotten-apple
B)rotten barrel
C)consent decree
D)"Big Five"

Question 28

While on patrol, Officer Jones notices a car that is parked illegally. He uses his cell phone to call a towing company, identifying himself as a "friend" on the phone. When the tow truck arrives, the driver thanks Officer Jones for calling in the job, and discreetly hands him a twenty-dollar bill. This is an example of:

A)graft.
B)gratuity.
C)abuse of power.
D)professional courtesy.

Question 29

Lack of background checks, poor internal discipline procedures, and poor supervision are all examples of what type of explanations for police deviance?

A)societal
B)organizational
C)individual
D)philosophical

Question 30

According to Carter, the elements of police work that can lead to drug use include all of the following except:

A)exposure to a criminal element.
B)time spent in traffic patrol duties. ​
C)relative freedom from supervision.
D)uncontrolled availability of contraband.

Question 31

A comparison of the rates of sexual harassment in policing finds: 

A)women in policing experience harassment at a higher rate than women in the general workforce.
B)women in policing experience harassment at a lower rate than women in the general workforce.
C)women in policing experi ence harassment at about the same rate as women in the general workforce.
D)there is no reliable data available to accurately compare women in policing with those in the general workforce.

Question 32

In Barker and Carter's study, they found that up to what percent of police may have used drugs on duty?

A)20
B)2
C)60
D)40

Question 33

The "rotten bushel" explanation is which type of explanation for police deviance?

A)societal
B)organizational
C)individual
D)philosophical

Question 34

You have been hired to consult with the new chief of a police department that has been fraught with complaints of officer misconduct.
You draft recommendations to improve the hiring process. You advise the chief that one particular category of recruits was more likely to be terminated during probation. Which group is this?

A)Hispanic recruits
B)recruits with only a high school diploma
C)recruits with military experience
D)recruits under the age of 22

Question 35

Research on abuse and corruption complains finds that:

A)these are widespread problems.
B)these activities are disproportionally engaged in by a small number of officers.
C)these problems are more prevalent now than ever in the past.
D)these issues are particularly a problem in the northeast.

Question 36

According to the text, explanations of corruption include all of the following except:

A)individual explanations.
B)institutional explanations.
C)subcultural explanations.
D)systemic explanations.

Question 37

You have been hired to consult with the new chief of a police department that has been fraught with complaints of officer misconduct.
The chief explains that the department has its own section dedicated to monitoring the department's officers and  investigating  complaints.  This  is k nown  as:

A)the self-policing model.
B)the internal affairs model.
C)a consent decree.
D)the "rotten barrel" scenario.

Question 38

After completing your observations of Officer Jones, you are asked to summarize your observations for a study being conducted by an ethicist studying police behavior.
Assume that the waitress at the diner was new and did not know about Officer Jones' arrangement with the owner. She brought a check for the food and coffee, and Officer Jones grudgingly paid. Because the choice of the diner was motivated by Officer Jones' desire for a free meal, ______________  would  consider  his  actions  immoral  even  though  he  paid. 

A)universality
B)ethical formalism
C)utilitarianism
D)teleological ethics

Question 39

After completing your observations of Officer Jones, you are asked to summarize your observations for a study being conducted by an ethicist studying police behavior.
In the above example regarding the driver who ran the red light, we could say that Jones' actions were unethical because he had a duty to enforce the law. This viewpoint would be consistent with a(n)___________  ethical system.

A)deontological
B)teleological
C)ethics of care
D)ethics of virtue

Question 40

" Graft " is defined in the text as the exploitation of one's role by:

A)utilizing excessive force while arresting someone.
B)utilizing excessive force to obtain a confession.
C)accepting free coffee from convenience stores.
D)accepting bribes, kickbacks, or protection money.

Question 41

Because gratuities are seen as a gateway to more serious corruption, all American police departments have strict "no gratuities" policies.

Question 42

The phrase ________________  was used by the Knapp Commission to describe deviant NYC police officers who engaged in shakedowns, shopped at burglary scenes, and engaged in more serious practices.

Question 43

Transparency International finds that the country with the highest integrity scores for their law enforcement agencies include the United States.

Question 44

Research shows that there is no relation between an officer's level of education and the number of citizen  complaints received.

Question 45

There is no evidence to indicate that police behavior is influenced by the possibility of civil lawsuits .

Question 46

________________ are items of value received by an individual because of his or her role or position rather than because of a personal relationship with the giver.

Question 47

Kania believes that every officer goes through a slippery slope where small lapses lead to larger acts of corruption.

Question 48

An operation in which a police officer is placed in a position where he or she might be tempted to break a rule or  a law and is monitored to see what he or she will do is known as a "graft check."

Question 49

According to a 2006 study of police in New York City, the most common reason for termination was a failed drug test.

Question 50

Studies indicate that gratuities do not influence the way that officers patrol.

Question 51

Greene's study showed that the area an officer patrols is associated with the likelihood of receiving discipline,  complaints, or becoming involved in police shootings.

Question 52

In Macintyre and Prenzler's study of whether police officers would issue a ticket to a business owner who gave  them gratuities, less than half said they would issue the ticket.

Question 53

Noble-cause corruption is a type of organizational level explanation for police deviance.

Question 54

Police officers with criminal records for sexual offenses are prevented from obtaining law enforcement positions in other jurisdictions.

Question 55

According to Gilmartin and Harris, an officer's "continuum of compromise" begins when he or she perceives a sense of victimization on the job.

Question 56

The phrase ________________  was used by the Knapp Commission to describe NYC police officers who were taking bribes, gratuities, and unsolicited protection money and who were fairly passive in their deviant practices.

Question 57

When one acts upon opportunities created by one's authority for the purpose of personal gain at the expense of  the public, it is called ________________.

Question 58

Experiences such as witnessing the death of a fellow officer or accidentally killing a bystander can cause  ________________ , which produces symptoms such as flashbacks and anger control issues.

Question 59

In the international study of police integrity, officers in the United States rated theft from crime scenes as the most serious form of misconduct.

Question 60

A gift is different from a gratuity.

Question 61

Compare and contrast " grass eaters " and " meat eaters. "

Question 62

Because people tend not to believe them, homeless women and _____________ are especially vulnerable to sexual extortion by police officers.

Question 63

In the 1980s, a group of police officers nicknamed the "River Rats" committed a series of armed robberies in ______________. 

Question 64

Discuss the difference between on-duty and off-duty misbehavior by police, and distinguish between police corruption and police crime.

Question 65

The ________________  argument states that the officer alone was deviant and that it was simply a mistake to hire him or her.

Question 66

Explain the "continuum of compromise" as it relates to police misconduct, including how it might help supervisors  recognize warning signs.

Question 67

An agreement requiring a police department to adopt reforms mandated by the Department of Justice is known as a(n)____________________.

Question 68

Regardless of formal ethical codes, police are influenced by the standards of behavior they observe in their ________________.

Question 69

Summarize the available research concerning the on-duty use of drugs by police officers and discuss the implications.

Question 70

Discuss the pros and cons of requiring police officers to wear body cameras, in an effort to reduce on-duty misbehavior.

Question 71

List and describe Barker and Carter's types of abuse.

Question 72

Conflict-of-interest laws recognize the reality that accepting items of value from stakeholders compromises a public official's ________________.

Question 73

Civilian review boards have been in existence since the mid-1960s, yet _____________ continue to strongly oppose them.

Question 74

___________ refers to any exploitation of one's role, such as accepting bribes, protection money, or kickbacks.

Question 75

Discuss the research concerning on-duty use of force. What factors seem to lead to use of excessive force?

Question 76

The computerized crime-counting program known as _______________  was designed to hold police officials accountable for their department's effectiveness, which led some to make improper arrests to bolster their numbers.

Question 77

Explain how "perverse incentives" such as COMPSTAT can lead to organizational corruption .

Question 78

Describe the arguments supporting and opposing a policy that allows officers to accept gratuities .

Question 79

List and discuss examples of law enforcement corruption in other countries.

Question 80

To be ________________ is to lose one's license to serve as a police officer.