chapter 7

Question 1

accountability system

Answer 1

a system that makes police supervisors responsible for the behavior of the officers in their command

Question 2

blue curtain

Answer 2

the secretive, insulated police culture that isolates officers from the rest of society

Question 3

corruption

Answer 3

exercising legitimate discretion for improper reasons or using illegal means to achieve approved goals

Question 4

cynicism

Answer 4

the belief that most people’s actions are motivated solely by personal needs and selfishness

Question 5

deadly force

Answer 5

the intentional use of a firearm or other instrument, resulting in a high probability of death

Question 6

demeanor

Answer 6

the way a person outwardly manifests his or her personality

Question 7

discretion

Answer 7

the use of personal decision making and choice in carrying out operations in the criminal justice system

Question 8

double marginality

Answer 8

according to nicholas alex, the social burden that african american police officers carry by being both minority group members and law enforcement officers

Question 9

excited delirium

Answer 9

an overdose of adrenaline that can occur in heated confrontations with the police

Question 10

grass eater

Answer 10

a term used to describe a police officer who accepts payoffs when everyday duties place him or her in a position to be solicited by the public

Question 11

impact munition

Answer 11

less-lethal weapons that are used to stun or otherwise incapacitate uncooperative suspects so they can be subdued. examples include rubber bullets and bean bag projectiles

Question 12

knapp commission

Answer 12

a public body that conducted an investigation into police corruption in New York City in the early 1970s and uncovered a widespread network of payoffs and bribes

Question 13

low-visibility decision making

Answer 13

decision making by police officers that is not subject to administrative review- for example, a decision not to arrest someone or not to stop a speeding vehicle

Question 14

meat eater

Answer 14

a term used to describe a police officer who actively solicits bribes and vigorously engages in corrupt practices

Question 15

mollen commission

Answer 15

an investigative unit set up to inquire into police corruption in NYC in the 1990s

Question 16

national law enforcement officers memorial

Answer 16

the nations monument to police officers who have died in the line of duty

Question 17

nondeadly force

Answer 17

force that is unlikely to cause death or significant bodily harm

Question 18

overload hypothesis

Answer 18

the theory that police workload influences discretion so that as workload increases, less time and attention can be devoted to new cases, especially petty crimes

Question 19

police brutality

Answer 19

actions such as using abusive language, making threats, using force or coercion unnecessarily, prodding with nightsticks, and stopping and searching people to harass them

Question 20

police styles

Answer 20

the working personalities adopted by police officers that can range from being a social worker in blue to being a hard-charging crime fighter

Question 21

taser

Answer 21

a nonlethal conducted energy device that administers a shock to an uncooperative suspect by the way of an electrified dart