NCJ Number
128052
Date Published
1991
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Data collected in a police department in a southern city of over 25,000 population formed the basis of an analysis of five types of police deviance: police perjury, police brutality, sexual relations on duty, sleeping on duty, and drinking alcohol on duty.
Abstract
Information came from questionnaires completed by 43 of the 45 police officers on duty during the study period. The officers were asked what percentage of the police engage in each of the five types of deviance, either currently or in the past. They also gave their opinions regarding the "wrongness" of each form of deviance and how often an officer would report another officer for engaging in the behavior. The respondents believed that almost 40 percent had been involved in police brutality, almost 40 percent in sleeping on duty, almost 32 percent in sex on duty, almost 23 percent in perjury, and more than 8 percent in drinking on duty. In addition, the perceived extent of each type of deviance varied inversely with the group's perception of the "wrongness" of the behavior. Tables, notes, and 5 study questions