Deck 8: Police Ethics and Police Deviance

Question 1

How extensive is police corruption?

Answer 1

Police officers face ethical dilemmas every day. Every situation is different, and the circumstances surrounding each call determine whether an arrest will be made. A police officer is considered corrupt when he or she acts under his or her official capacity and receives a benefit or something of value for doing something or for refraining from doing something. Almost every department in the country has experienced some form of police corruption over time. Newscast lead stories often deal with law enforcement issues. Many police officers, however, complain that the media overdoes coverage of corrupt or brutal police officers. Are the police any more unethical than other city employees, teachers, or preachers?

Question 2

What are the leading explanations for police corruption?

Answer 2

Numerous theories have attempted to explain corruption in law enforcement agencies. The "rotten apple" explanation is very popular, and contends that there are certain people who are just bad.
This includes police officers. The social structure explanation submits that we as a society tend to corrupt our own officers. We give them discounts on many products and services, and they start to expect this. Police acceptance of gratuities is a great discussion topic.
Noble cause corruption refers to situations where a police officer bends the rules to attain the "right" result.

Question 3

What are the various forms of police misconduct other than corruption?

Answer 3

Police corruption and police brutality are the most serious forms of police deviance. Other forms of police deviance include drug-related corruption, sleeping on duty, police deception, sex-related corruption, and domestic violence. Drug-related corruption can occur easily because all departments have officers who handle drug evidence, drug users and dealers are less likely to report being victimized, and there is an opportunity to make a lot of money. Every police department must create policies on handling drug evidence, closely supervise the handling of such evidence, and make certain that officers are properly trained in this area.
Sleeping on duty is a result of fatigue in officers from working rotating shifts, night shifts, a second job, or overtime, and having sleep interrupted during the day by court appearances, meetings, and family responsibilities. Most departments have policies in place to minimize this issue, which may include restrictions on when and how much an officer can work, and attempts to streamline court procedures. Police deception includes perjury while testifying in court, attempts to circumvent rules regarding search and seizures of evidence, and falsifying police reports. Deception is a serious issue; in the hiring process, it will disqualify applicants, and in police departments, it will result in termination.
Sex-related corruption incorporates many behaviors and is a very serious offense against the public trust. Police administrators must be vigilant in looking for warning signs of such behavior. Domestic violence, according to some studies, may be more prevalent in police families than in the general population; this issue is only beginning to be addressed.

Question 4

What effect, if any, have civil liabilities had on police departments?

Question 5

Examples of police corruption include everything from sleeping on the job to inappropriate sex-related behaviors in the course of duty. Officers may also engage in deception as part of their efforts to fight crime. This includes falsifying police reports; circumventing rules meant to protect citizens, like that of search and seizure; and committing perjury during court testimony. Noble cause corruption refers to situations where officers bend the rules to attain the "right" result. Frequently, the rights violation would be justified in the officer's mind by the ultimate good of putting the bad guy in jail where he or she "belongs."
The first step in responding to an accusation of corruption in a police department is to conduct an investigation. The results of the investigation determine any necessary follow-up.
This scenario focuses on the ethical decisions police officers face every day.
At the small-town precinct of Bear Lake, Michigan, 12-year veteran officer Tony Smith has just brought in the primary suspect in a series of area burglaries that occurred over the previous month. The suspect, local petty criminal Jonah Horne, is well known to all members of the department, having been arrested by four separate officers over the last decade. Smith has arrested Horne twice before, though neither case resolution meant more than six months of jail time to the career burglar. You're the chief of police and walk by, noticing that Horne's lip is cut and swollen, and there's a cut over his eye that recently stopped bleeding. His shirt is torn in several places, and his jeans appear as though he'd rolled around in the dirt. He is screaming to anyone within earshot that Smith beat him up "for no good reason" and he wants to file a police brutality report.
Smith responds by saying, "You confessed and now you want to recant? Get over it, sleazebag, you're busted!"

-What is the first step in responding to an accusation of corruption?

A) an investigation
B) criminal charges
C) civil charges
D) termination

Question 6

Examples of police corruption include everything from sleeping on the job to inappropriate sex-related behaviors in the course of duty. Officers may also engage in deception as part of their efforts to fight crime. This includes falsifying police reports; circumventing rules meant to protect citizens, like that of search and seizure; and committing perjury during court testimony. Noble cause corruption refers to situations where officers bend the rules to attain the "right" result. Frequently, the rights violation would be justified in the officer's mind by the ultimate good of putting the bad guy in jail where he or she "belongs."
The first step in responding to an accusation of corruption in a police department is to conduct an investigation. The results of the investigation determine any necessary follow-up.
This scenario focuses on the ethical decisions police officers face every day.
At the small-town precinct of Bear Lake, Michigan, 12-year veteran officer Tony Smith has just brought in the primary suspect in a series of area burglaries that occurred over the previous month. The suspect, local petty criminal Jonah Horne, is well known to all members of the department, having been arrested by four separate officers over the last decade. Smith has arrested Horne twice before, though neither case resolution meant more than six months of jail time to the career burglar. You're the chief of police and walk by, noticing that Horne's lip is cut and swollen, and there's a cut over his eye that recently stopped bleeding. His shirt is torn in several places, and his jeans appear as though he'd rolled around in the dirt. He is screaming to anyone within earshot that Smith beat him up "for no good reason" and he wants to file a police brutality report.
Smith responds by saying, "You confessed and now you want to recant? Get over it, sleazebag, you're busted!"

-Which of the following is the extreme level of police officer misuse of force?

A) police brutality
B) excessive force
C) unwarranted force
D) unreasonable force

Question 7

What Would You Do?
You are Bear Lake's chief of police. You witnessed the scene when Smith brought Horne in; you also noticed Horne's condition and couldn't help but notice his loud rantings against his arresting officer. You are faced with a dilemma. On one hand, you know that Horne is a career criminal and are 95 percent sure he's the one responsible for the eight home burglaries being investigated. You also know that his cousin is a local lawyer who has defended him for years and managed to keep his jail time down to a minimum. You understand that a confession is the only thing that will put Horne in jail for what you'd consider a "just amount of time." Lastly, you consider that Horne has filed a police brutality complaint against Smith once before, and believe this might be the suspect's most recent tactic toward undermining the strength of the case against him.
On the other hand, you have worked with Smith for the last five years and recognize that he often skirts the letter of the law to maintain "what's just and right" in his own mind. He has been known to be careless with details on police reports, having been caught embellishing the facts on three known occasions and purposefully omitting facts two other times. Twice in the last two years, he's been caught sleeping in his patrol car when he was on duty, and six years ago he was accused of offering to "make charges go away" in exchange for sex with a local businesswoman who was arrested, though nothing ever came of those accusations. In the back of your mind, you realize that Smith probably roughed up Horne so that the charges would stick this time and that he was only doing what he thought was right.
-You are faced with the option of ignoring Horne's complaint or filing a police brutality complaint against Smith on his behalf. What do you do?

Question 8

Smith finishes processing Horne into the system and deposits him in a holding cell. Smith is working on his case paperwork when Horne's lawyer arrives. After speaking with his client for two minutes, the lawyer asks to speak to you, the chief of police, and the arresting officer.

-If Smith did engage in unreasonable force against Horne, which of the following explains why?

A) noble cause corruption
B) implicit bias
C) police deception
D) gratuities

Question 9

Smith finishes processing Horne into the system and deposits him in a holding cell. Smith is working on his case paperwork when Horne's lawyer arrives. After speaking with his client for two minutes, the lawyer asks to speak to you, the chief of police, and the arresting officer.

-Which of the following is a method that internal affairs divisions use to investigate corruption?

A) integrity test
B) citizen oversight
C) civil liability
D) judicial review

Question 10

What Would You Do?
You are Bear Lake's chief of police. In your office, Horne's lawyer asks Smith if he was the arresting officer and the one responsible for the battery on his client. Smith instantly turns red and begins arguing over the lawyer's choice of wording. He states that the suspect was "in that condition" when he arrived on the scene, and asserts that he is in no way responsible for injuring his suspect. The lawyer looks to you as the commanding officer to continue the conversation.
-Do you support your initial decision and continue to support Smith's actions, or in reassessing the situation and all probable outcomes, do you agree that this time Smith should not be allowed to get away with his unethical behavior?

Question 11

Summary A
On each shift, police officers face a variety of situations requiring sound judgment and the ethical use of discretion. If an officer fails to consider the right factors, those decisions may lead the officer down a slippery slope of deviation toward corruption. Experts believe that for police officers, there are no "minor" unethical behaviors. Smith is clearly in need of direction regarding the ethics of his behavior. Supporting Smith in front of the attorney is a good decision to protect the department. However, Smith has clearly been engaging in some unethical behavior and needs to be told that this is no longer going to be tolerated. It is important that you understand that, if there are no consequences for Smith, other officers may take this as a sign that such behavior is acceptable in your agency.
To learn more about the ethics of police officers and their potential for corruption, see "The Dilemma of Law Versus Order."
Summary B
On each shift, police officers face a variety of situations requiring sound judgment and the ethical use of discretion. If an officer fails to consider the right factors, those decisions may lead the officer down a slippery slope of deviation toward corruption. Experts believe that for police officers, there are no "minor" unethical behaviors. Smith is clearly in need of direction regarding the ethics of his behavior. Telling Horne's attorney you will be filing a brutality complaint against Smith is a good decision to hold Smith accountable and to send a message throughout the department that this behavior will not be tolerated. However, it might have been better to wait to share this information at a later date in order to discuss the situation with the police department's legal counsel. Smith may not be the only one who will face consequences for his behavior. The department will feel repercussions as well.
To learn more about the ethics of police officers and their potential for corruption, see "The Dilemma of Law Versus Order."
You allow Smith to continue processing Jonah Horne into the system and close yourself into your office to begin the paperwork regarding the brutality complaint. You have it completed before Horne's lawyer arrives and requests a conversation about the condition of his client with you and the arresting officer.

-If Smith did engage in unreasonable force against Horne, which of the following explains why?

A) noble cause corruption
B) implicit bias
C) police deception
D) gratuities

Question 12

Summary A
On each shift, police officers face a variety of situations requiring sound judgment and the ethical use of discretion. If an officer fails to consider the right factors, those decisions may lead the officer down a slippery slope of deviation toward corruption. Experts believe that for police officers, there are no "minor" unethical behaviors. Smith is clearly in need of direction regarding the ethics of his behavior. Supporting Smith in front of the attorney is a good decision to protect the department. However, Smith has clearly been engaging in some unethical behavior and needs to be told that this is no longer going to be tolerated. It is important that you understand that, if there are no consequences for Smith, other officers may take this as a sign that such behavior is acceptable in your agency.
To learn more about the ethics of police officers and their potential for corruption, see "The Dilemma of Law Versus Order."
Summary B
On each shift, police officers face a variety of situations requiring sound judgment and the ethical use of discretion. If an officer fails to consider the right factors, those decisions may lead the officer down a slippery slope of deviation toward corruption. Experts believe that for police officers, there are no "minor" unethical behaviors. Smith is clearly in need of direction regarding the ethics of his behavior. Telling Horne's attorney you will be filing a brutality complaint against Smith is a good decision to hold Smith accountable and to send a message throughout the department that this behavior will not be tolerated. However, it might have been better to wait to share this information at a later date in order to discuss the situation with the police department's legal counsel. Smith may not be the only one who will face consequences for his behavior. The department will feel repercussions as well.
To learn more about the ethics of police officers and their potential for corruption, see "The Dilemma of Law Versus Order."
You allow Smith to continue processing Jonah Horne into the system and close yourself into your office to begin the paperwork regarding the brutality complaint. You have it completed before Horne's lawyer arrives and requests a conversation about the condition of his client with you and the arresting officer.

-Which of the following is a method that internal affairs divisions use to investigate corruption?

A) integrity test
B) citizen oversight
C) civil liability
D) judicial review

Question 13

What Would You Do?
You are Bear Lake's chief of police. In your office, Horne's lawyer asks Smith if he was the arresting officer and the one responsible for the battery on his client. Smith instantly turns red and begins arguing over the lawyer's choice of wording. He states that the suspect was "in that condition" when he arrived on the scene, and asserts that he is in no way responsible for injuring his suspect. You can tell by his mannerisms that he's trying to hide the truth of what really happened, confirming your suspicions of his guilt. The lawyer looks to you as the commanding officer to continue the conversation.
-Do you support your initial decision to file the brutality complaint against Officer Smith, or do you determine that Smith should be supported in his decision because it was in the highest good of the Bear Lake community as a whole?

Question 14

How is the term "applied ethics" defined?

A) Applied ethics is the study of what constitutes good or bad conduct.
B) Applied ethics is concerned with the study of what constitutes right and wrong behavior in certain situations.
C) Applied ethics are the rather broad moral principles that govern all conduct.
D) Applied ethics include courage, self-control, generosity, high-mindedness, gentleness, truthfulness, and modesty.

Question 15

What is a standard used to identify police ethics?

A) the blue curtain
B) an oath of office
C) in-service training
D) promotion

Question 16

The basic ethical dilemmas of policing stem from an inherent conflict between ___________.

A) white officers and minority criminals
B) male officers and female criminals
C) crime fighting and maintaining order
D) maintaining order and obeying the law

Question 17

What is the process by which police actions are considered at various levels of the court system to be sure they are constitutional?

A) constitutional review
B) Knapp commissioning
C) judicial review
D) jurisdictional accreditation

Question 18

The term for accepting money or goods to do (or not do) something while acting in one's capacity as a police officer is __________.

A) meat-eater
B) corruption
C) misconduct
D) grass-eater

Question 19

LAPD cadet scandal In February 2000, more than 70 Los Angeles Police Department officers were investigated in what came to be known as the __________.

A) Miami Scandal
B) Rampart Scandal
C) Serpico Scandal
D) Rodney King Scandal

Question 20

Officer Bloom accepted a $100 gift card from a grateful neighbor for not ticketing his car. Officer Ramirez visits an elderly parolee every day and buys him coffee. Officer Anderson misplaced a large package of cocaine that was supposed to go in the evidence locker and now he has a new car. Captain Brown received tickets for a cruise in exchange for backing a political candidate. Whose actions meet the definition of corruption?

A) Officer Bloom, Officer Anderson, Officer Ramirez, and Captain Brown
B) Officer Bloom, Officer Anderson, and Captain Brown, but not Officer Ramirez
C) Captain Brown, Officer Ramirez, and Officer Anderson, but not Officer Bloom
D) Officer Ramirez and Officer Bloom, but not Officer Anderson or Captain Brown

Question 21

Perjury is a type of what that involves giving false testimony in court?

A) judicial review
B) biased-based policing
C) integrity test
D) police deception

Question 22

The most typical kind of drug-related police misconduct involves _________.

A) stealing drugs from criminals or from the evidence room for personal use or to share with friends or loved ones
B) making money by stealing drugs or money, selling drugs, lying about illegal searches, and protecting people who engage in these activities
C) forging prescriptions for controlled substances and selling them on the street
D) officer addiction, particularly to opioids and/or methamphetamine

Question 23

Captain Washington has noticed that Officer Fields pulls over female drivers three times as often as he pulls over male drivers. The captain documents the activity in the officer's file to help determine whether there is a pattern after recognizing this as one of the warning signs of ____________.

A) bias-based policing
B) sexual misconduct
C) gender bias
D) corruption

Question 24

According to the Department of Justice, ___________ are more than three times as likely to be searched during a traffic stop as __________.

A) African Americans; Hispanics
B) whites; Hispanics
C) Hispanics; Asian Americans
D) African Americans; whites

Question 25

Which of the following statements is most accurate?

A) Most people believe that police engage in racial profiling.
B) Most police chiefs believe their personnel engage in racial profiling.
C) Most police officers admit to engaging in racial profiling.
D) Most police officers say they have been instructed to engage in racial profiling.

Question 26

Malcolm is a young, African American man who works in the entertainment industry, makes a good living, and drives a new red sports car. Although he is a careful driver, in the last month he has been pulled over by the police 15 times on his way to work, although each time, the officers have been vague about the reason. Malcolm writes an angry rant on his blog, saying he is being racial profiled and stopped for _________.

A) DUI
B) DWB
C) OSHA
D) DWI

Question 27

What is the difference between "excessive force" and "police brutality"?

A) Excessive force is more severe than police brutality; it represents a significant disparity between the level of compliance by the citizen and the level of police force used.
B) Police brutality is more severe than excessive force; it represents a significant disparity between the level of compliance by the citizen and the level of police force used.
C) Excessive force is the term used when officers use more force than necessary to open a locked door or gain entrance to a building; police brutality is using that same amount of force against a civilian.
D) Police brutality is a legal term used in civil suits against a police department, and excessive force is the common term for the same thing.

Question 28

In a 2015 study of 990 incidents of police using deadly force, what was found to be the critical factor in a police officer misinterpreting the behavior of a civilian as threatening?

A) poor night vision
B) excessive force
C) implicit bias
D) confirmation bias

Question 29

Officers who use excessive force on suspects in order to "teach them a lesson" are exhibiting __________.

A) means-oriented corruption
B) judicial corruption
C) meat-eating corruption
D) noble cause corruption

Question 30

Detective Smithson investigates allegations of wrongdoing within the police force as a member of the __________.

A) misconduct department
B) investigative department
C) corruption department
D) internal affairs department

Question 31

If a corrupt police officer is fired, the police force can ensure that officer is not hired by another community who does not know about his or her past wrongdoing by beginning which procedures with the state police standards organization?

A) scarlet-letter
B) decertification
C) disciplinary
D) termination

Question 32

Civilian review is designed to _________.

A) allow for independent citizen review of complaints filed against the police
B) provide a buffer between police departments and community activists
C) consider probation requests from incarcerated felons
D) review the validity of news laws at the state level

Question 33

What technology has been increasingly used recently to help officers remember to make good decisions during police-citizen interactions?

A) firearms
B) rule manuals
C) police cars
D) body cameras

Question 34

An unarmed suspect died while being transported to jail by two police officers. If they are found guilty of murdering the suspect, the officers will be held __________.

A) civilly liable
B) criminally liable
C) administratively liable
D) federally liable

Question 35

Officer Franks has violated one of the police department's internal rules and is facing a demotion. This is an example of __________.

A) civil liability
B) criminal liability
C) administrative liability
D) workplace liability

Question 36

What is a positive side of civil litigation against police departments?

A) It allows for proper redress of police wrongdoing.
B) It promotes morale problems and alienation from the public.
C) Cases can be settled quickly, regardless of whether the officer was right or wrong.
D) It has a psychological impact on the officers involved and their families.