NCJ Number
46940
Date Published
1978
Length
35 pages
Annotation
A SAMPLE OF CITIZEN COMPLAINTS MADE TO THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS ANALYZED TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY COULD BE USED AS A DATA SOURCE TO DRAW A PROFILE OF POLICE CORRUPTIONS.
Abstract
TO COLLECT COMPLAINT DATA, THE OFFICIAL CASE FILES OPENED WHEN A COMPLAINT WAS MADE TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ALLEGING POLICE CORRUPTION OR SERIOUS MISCONDUCT FROM MAY 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 1972 WERE USED AS A SAMPLING FRAME. THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION LOGGED 2,903 COMPLAINTS, OF WHICH 1,126 (54 PERCENT) WERE USED FOR THE SAMPLE. THE CONTENTS OF THE FILES WERE ANALYZED WITH A CODING FORM DEVELOPED BY THE AUTHOR ON WHICH ALLEGED BEHAVIOR; THE SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EVENT IF KNOWN; AND INFORMATION REGARDING COMPLAINANTS, WITNESSES, AND POLICE PERSONNEL WERE RECORDED. THE USE OF CENTRALLY FILED CASE FOLDERS GREATLY SIMPLIFIED DATA COLLECTION. THE CONTENTS OF COMPLAINTS VARIED WIDELY -- FROM WORTHLESS ANONYMOUS COMMUNICATIONS TO DETAILED AND DOCUMENTED NARRATIVES. IN THE COMPLAINTS, THE MOST FREQUENTLY MENTIONED CORRUPTION INVOLVED 'PROTECTION SCHEMES' IN WHICH THE POLICE OVERLOOKED SOME LAW VIOLATION, SUCH AS PARKING, LICENSING, GAMBLING, PROSTITUTION, DRUGS, ETC. A TREND MOVING AWAY FROM POLICE INVOLVEMENT IN GAMBLING TOWARD DRUG-RELATED ACTIVITIES WAS FOUND. THERE WERE A RELATIVELY LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING LARCENY DURING ARRESTS, AT THE STATION HOUSE, OR FROM IMPOUNDED, TOWED MOTOR VEHICLES, A TABLE (IN PERCENTAGES) ON BEHAVIOR ALLEGED TO BE CONTINUOUS IS PRESENTED. PATTERNS IN COMPLAINT DATA WERE RANKED FOR LOCATION OF OCCURRENCE, CITY AREA OR PRECINCT, AND DAY AND TIME OF ALLEGED OCCURRENCE. COMPLAINTS FOR EACH PRECINCT WERE CORRELATED WITH SUCH VARIABLES AS CENSUS, CRIME, RACE, AND SOCIOECONOMIC DATA, AS WELL AS HOMICIDE AND ROBBERY RATES. THE VARIABLE HAVING THE STRONGEST ASSOCIATION WITH THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS WAS THE PRECINCT'S REPORTED BURGLARY RATE; THAT IS, 78 PERCENT OF THE PRECINCTS WITH HIGH BURGLARY RATES ALSO HAD ABOVE MEDIAN CORRUPTION COMPLAINTS. LOW BURGLARY PRECINCTS WITH FEW YOUNG PEOPLE HAD PROPORTIONALLY LARGER VOLUMES OF COMPLAINTS. LOW ANALYSIS SUGGEST THAT THE PROPORTION OF REPORTED CORRUPTION MAY VARY DUE TO SOCIAL FORCES THAT AFFECT PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF POLICE MISBEHAVIOR AS WELL AS POLITICAL AND MEDIA EMPHASIS ON LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY. BIBLIOGRAPHIC MATERIAL IS PROVIDED.