Police "Warrior" Mentality & Bias-Based Policing

The following is an excerpt from one of my research assignments. I felt compelled to share the information since there seems to be much public interest in police officer discretion and racial profiling.

Paramilitary Law Enforcement: 

Not only does the “elite warrior” self-image of officers conflict with the Community-Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (COPPS) philosophy, the two are diametrically opposed. Peak (2010) noted that quasi-military structure may conjure an “us-versus-them” mentality among officers (p.67). Indeed, it is widely accepted that law enforcement professionals often develop a worldview wherein those who are not among them, such as criminals and civilians, are regarded with contempt. As affirmed by Zimbardo (2007), the manifestation of this perspective is evident in C. S. Lewis’ “Inner Ring” explanation of social forces. Essentially, the “Inner Ring” is any special group or privileged association which confers instant status and/or enhanced identity. Authorities within a paramilitary law enforcement agency can command total obedience from officers by invoking the lure of acceptance as well as the threat of rejection. Accordingly, the fear of being regarded as one of the “out” crowd compels officers to maintain the status quo and live up to departmental expectations; thus quelling personal autonomy and creativity (p.258-259). Peak (2010) further argued that the strict discipline and rigid class system, i.e. rank structure, evident in quasi-military police organizations hinders the exercise of creativity and personal reasoning skills which are pillars of the COPPS philosophy (p.67).

Bias-Based Policing:

There are many factors to consider when analyzing whether or not officer discretion is affected by bias policing (ie. racial profiling) tactics in a given municipality. One must consider the percentage of the minority citizens in a given city, whether or not the minority population is evenly spread throughout the area, as well as the volume of police activity in specific beats compared to the location of minority populations. Barnum and Perfetti (2010) conducted a balanced six-month research study of traffic stops in an undisclosed city which had an adjusted minority (non-White or Asian) population of 10% spread relatively evenly throughout the city. Fully 12.85% of all drivers stopped by the department were minorities, which conveys a minimally disproportionate ratio. At less than a 3% difference, these numbers do not denote prejudice at the organization level (pp.189). However, they do not take into account individual officer’s actions which may be diluted when factored into the overall equation.

While the data did not signify that race is a major factor in the initiation of a traffic stop, Barnum and Perfetti (2010) affirmed that minority status affected post-stop outcomes. Minority drivers were 1.32 times more likely to receive a ticket, nearly four times more likely to be searched, and more than twice as likely to be arrested. However, it is important to note here that minority drivers in this study were 189% more likely to possess contraband, 35% more likely to be driving vehicles with observable equipment violations, and were much more likely to have out of state driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations (pp.190-192). Accordingly, it is obvious that minority status has a significant impact on the likelihood of citation, search, and arrest. Nonetheless, it would be irresponsible to ignore that in this study minorities were also far more likely to be caught with contraband and other items which would likely increase the officer’s suspicion of the individual, prompting further investigation and legal ramifications. Considering that minority status was not a factor in the initiation of traffic stops, it occurs to me that these officers were not singling out motorists based on race. Simply put, the minorities whom they encountered were more likely to be lawbreakers.

• Barnum, C. & Perfetti, R. L. (2010, June). Race-sensitive choices by police officers in traffic stop encounters. Police Quarterly, 13(2), 180-208. doi: 10.1177/1098611110365690
• Peak, K. J. (2010). Justice administration: Police, courts, and corrections management (6^th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
• Zimbardo, P. (2007). The Lucifer effect: Understanding how good people turn evil. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.

 Milgram's Experiment affirmed that people will commit even the ugliest of attrocities if provided protection under the guise of authority.

 The Lucifer Effect doesn't neccessarily correlate to bias-based policing. However, it explains the development of "us-versus-them" worldviews and the Inner Ring.

For the record: Bill O'Reilly is an idiot.