POLICE VIGILANTES (FROM READINGS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE 77/78 - ANNUAL EDITIONS, 1977, BY D E J MACNAMARA - SEE NCJ-38446)

• NCJ Number: 38448
• Author(s): K C KOTECHA; J L WALKER
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: Dushkin/McGraw Hill Publishing Group, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AN EXAMINATION OF THE UNDERLYING CAUSES OF POLICE VIGILANTISM, THE EXTENT TO WHICH THIS PHENOMENON IS MANIFESTED IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY, AND THE REFORM EFFORTS WHICH COULD AFFECT POLICE VIGILANTISM.

Abstract

NOTING THAT POLICE MISBEHAVIOR CAN BE FOR GOOD REASONS AS WELL AS BAD, THE AUTHOR DEFINES POLICE VIGILANTISM AS ACTS OR THREATS BY POLICE WHICH ARE INTENDED TO PROTECT THE ESTABLISHED SOCIOPOLITICAL ORDER FROM SUBVERSION BUT WHICH VIOLATE SOME GENERALLY PERCEIVED NORMS FOR POLICE BEHAVIOR. THIS VIGILANTISM CAN ARISE FROM A VARIETY OF FACTORS RELATED TO THE POLICE JOB: FRUSTRATIONS ARISING FROM ROLE CONFLICT, THE POLICE'S MONOLOLY OF LEGITIMATE DOMESTIC FORCE, AND PERCEPTIONS OF A THREAT TO THE ESTABLISHED ORDER. THE AUTHOR EXAMINES THE LITERATURE ON POLICE VIGILANTISM, AND FINDS THAT WHILE LITTLE MENTION OF VIGILANTISM HAS BEEN MADE IN OFFICIAL REPORTS, CURRENT FICTION DOES GIVE CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION TO THIS PROBLEM. THE POLITICAL CAUSES OF VIGILANTISM IN POLICE ARE BRIEFLY EXAMINED. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT REFORMS SUCH AS INCREASED POLICE EDUCATION AND LATERAL ENTRY MAY REDUCE VIGILANTISM WHILE INCREASED COMMUNITY TIES FOR POLICE WOULD TEND TO INCREASE VIGILANTISM.