NCJ Number
56764
Journal
Human Organization Volume: 37 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING 1978) Pages: 89-94
Date Published
1978
Length
6 pages
Annotation
A PAPER BY A POLICE OFFICER WHO IS ALSO A GRADUATE STUDENT IN ANTHROPOLOGY SUGGESTS SOME POTENTIAL AREAS OF COMMON INTEREST FOR ANTHROPOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
Abstract
SOME OF THE EFFECTS OF MAINTAINING ROLES AS BOTH A POLICE OFFICER AND AN ANTHROPOLOGIST CAN BE NEGATIVE. A POLICE LABEL CAN BLOCK THE USE OF INFORMANTS FOR ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESEACH PROJECTS. IN ADDITION, THE ANTHROPOLOGIST MAY TRANSGRESS SOME OF THE 'SACRED MYSTERIES' OF POLICE SUBCULTURE AND THEREFORE BE VIEWED AS UNDESIRABLE FOR POLICE EMPLOYMENT OR, IF ALREADY A POLICEMAN, SEEN AS A THREAT. THE SAME PROCESS CAN WORK IN REVERSE. THE POLICEMAN/ANTHROPOLOGIST MAY VIOLATE THE 'SACRED MYSTERIES' OF THE ANTHROPOLOGIST'S SUBCULTURE AND APPEAR A MAVERICK TO OTHER ANTHROPOLOGISTS. IT IS STATED THAT THE BLUE VEIL PRINCIPLE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM POSES BARRIERS TO SOCIAL SCIENTISTS WISHING TO GAIN ACCESS TO POLICE DEPARTMENT RESOURCES SUCH AS THEIR DATA BASE. THE ARTICLE SUGGESTS THAT THE MOST FRUITFUL AREAS FOR APPLICATION OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL METHODS AND THEORY WITHIN THE POLICE STRUCTURE ARE STUDIES OF THE PERCEPTION OF CRIME AND CRIMINALITY BY OFFENDERS OF VARYING ETHNICITY AND AGE AND STUDIES OF PATTERNS OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS. SUCH STUDIES WOULD BE JUSTIFIED AS THEY PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THE FORMULATION OF CRIME PREVENTION STRATEGIES. EXAMPLES OF SEVERAL SUCH STUDIES ARE OUTLINED, INCLUDING AN ARCHITECTURAL AND SPACIAL SURVEY OF AN AREA OF TUCSON, ARIZ., TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO THE CONSUMPTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF STOLEN GOODS FROM RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES. IT IS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT ANTHROPOLOGISTS COULD BE UTILIZED WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF POLICE PLANNING AND OPERATIONS AND POLICE TRAINING. NOTES AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (MJW))