Police Structure

Question 1

What is the history of policing?

Answer 1

Canadian police can be traced back to early english society. Prior to 11th century, there were no police.

Question 2

What was the frankpledge (peace pledge)?

Answer 2

Ten families who formed a tithing, which was then grouped to form 100. Then coalesced into shires (counties), the top law enforcement officer became known as the shire-reeve (sheriff).

Question 3

What was the constable watch system?

Answer 3

13th century, formalized by the statute of Westminster. Consisted of a parish and an unpaid watchman, lasted until the 18th century.

Question 4

How did modern policing come about?

Answer 4

Did not come about until the mid 1700s. 1748-Henry Fielding created a pro law enforcement organization. Then, Sir Robert Peel passed the London Metropolitan Police Act in 1829, which establised a 3200 person pro police force.

Question 5

Who were the Bobbies, and what were their expectations?

Answer 5

Police force by Robert Peel. Expected to; Reduce tension and conflict, use non-violent means (violence as a last resort), relieve military from controlling crime, judged on basis of absence of crime.

Question 6

What was the pre-modern era of policing?

Answer 6

First Nations people used shaming, ostracism, physical punishment, execution, and compensation for criminals.
1700s-1800s: English established constables and justices to maintain the peace. Some private policing also existed.

Question 7

What was the political era of policing?

Answer 7

Local politicians established police forces and frequently interfered in policing. Peel model implemented, NWMP was implemented-became RCMP in 1920. Followed a paramilitary structure.

Question 8

What was the professional era of policing?

Answer 8

AKA traditional model. Focuses on objectivity, science, and freedom from political influence. Uniforms and vehicles eventually provided for officers. Professional associations implemented, 2015 RCMP SCC decision.

Question 9

What was the community era of policing?

Answer 9

Focuses on getting the public to help with regulation. Citizen involvement, problem solving, decentralization.

Question 10

What was early municipal policing interested in?

Answer 10

Maintaining public order, preventing and controlling crime, providing community services. Initially, used police runners to communicate.

Question 11

What were police runners later replaced with (and the years)?

Answer 11

1870s-Call boxes
1870s/80s-Call boxes with Bell system
1880s-Telephones
1920-Patrol vehicles
1911-Fingerprinting
Post 1920s-Criminal record system and toxicology analyses.

Question 12

Why was the separation of police from the community significant?

Answer 12

Crime fighting was emphasized, police became more specialized, spent less time on foot, crime rates, service calls, and response times determined police operations, officers recruited on basis of psychological factors and civil service testing.

Question 13

How many police were working in Canada in 2015?

Answer 13

68 777

Question 14

How were the police distributed in Canada in 2015?

Answer 14

42 668 (68%) worked for municipal forces, 9692 worked for provincial forces, ad 4249 were in the RCMP.

Question 15

How many RCMP workers are there?

Answer 15

26 000 employees, 18 000 officers, and over 75 000 volunteers.

Question 16

What are the 2 ways to detemine how to distribute a police force?

Answer 16

1) Population-officer ratio

2) Compare # of criminal code incidents with the number of police in any given force

Question 17

How are police forces organized?

Answer 17

They are bureaucracies. Professional model (emerged 30s, remained till 70s) included: Hierarchical differentiation, functional differentiation, routinization, centralization of command.

Question 18

What is the issue with Tasers?

Answer 18

Argument is that they have saved 4000 lives and have not killed anyone (Taser International, Kershaw). But, they have rarely been tested by impartial parties.

Question 19

What is the social contract perspective?

Answer 19

Emphasizes the important of neutrality in policing society. Keys are to protect society and enforce the law

Question 20

What is the radical perspective?

Answer 20

Perceives police as acting as part of the ruling class. Considered a repressive instrument in society.

Question 21

When does racial profiling take place?

Answer 21

When police move from their standard practice of “case probability” to “class probability.” Supporters of this favour the crime control model.

Question 22

What is discretion?

Answer 22

Involves police using their independent judgement when dealing with crime. Necessary, because it is impossible for them to create rules and policies for every scenario they may face.

Question 23

What did the SCC rule about discretion in 1988?

Answer 23

That it was a necessary part of an officers job and cannot be applied arbitrarily.

Question 24

What are the 3 influential factors for when an officer decides to intervene in an event?

Answer 24

The seriousness/type of crime involved, the attitude of the citizen, departmental policies that specify how discretion is to be applied.

Question 25

What are some situational variables that affect an officers decision to arrest?

Answer 25

1) Seriousness of crime 2) Strength of evidence 3) Preference of the victim 4) Relationship between the victim at the suspect 5) Demeanour of the suspect.

Question 26

What are some community variables that affect an officers decision to arrest?

Answer 26

Minority and working class communities, officers perception of danger, citizens attitudes towards police, community legal culture.

Question 27

What are some extralegal factors that affect an officers decision to arrest?

Answer 27

Race, class, and gender of suspect. Indigenous people are more likely to be arrested for all offences except drug and traffic violations. Mandatory arrest.

Question 28

What are some positive and negative factors of police subculture?

Answer 28

Positive-sense of collectiveness, control inappropriate actions, provide an informal teaching tool to learn the “craft”
Negative-Resistance to change, support for rights violations, misuse of authority, resistance to accountability.

Question 29

What are the six values of policing?

Answer 29

1) Police are the only real crime fighters
2) No one else understands the real nature of the police
3) Loyalty to colleagues is paramount
4) Rules need to be bent
5) The public is unreasonable/unsupportive
6) Detective work is better than patrol work.

Question 30

How do police officers deal with their supervisors and members of the community?

Answer 30

Be suspicious, “maintain the edge,” (read people accurately), and “lay low,” (not catching the attention of supervisors).

Question 31

What is the police personality?

Answer 31

Are said to possess a unique personality marked by cynicism, hostility, dogmatism and conservatism.

Question 32

What are the main concerns with the police personality?

Answer 32

Attributes lead to poor relationships with the community, police deviance, and a greater use of deadly force.

Question 33

Is police personality a predisposition?

Answer 33

No. It happens due to socialization. Niederhoffer argued that new officers were the least cynical, and became cynical after a few months on the job, and less cynical closer to retirement.

Question 34

How does education affect police personality?

Answer 34

Less educated officers were more likely to be authoritarian, conservative, and rigid.
Having a degree results in professionalism, initiative, and fewer complaints.

Question 35

What is deadly force and how is it regulated?

Answer 35

Defined as “force used with intent to cause bodily harm or death”. Until 1995, police were permitted to shoot a fleeing felon. Does not state exactly how much force should be used, places police in a difficult situation.

Question 36

What is the reasonableness standard?

Answer 36

One way that the police control the use of deadly force-difficult to attain convictions..

Question 37

What is another way that police control the use of deadly force?

Answer 37

Legislation to force cooperation in cases of death, injury, or other force.

Question 38

Which places have the highest rates of deadly force used?

Answer 38

Highest-NWT

Most incidents reported-Ontario and Quebec

Question 39

What causes the use of deadly force?

Answer 39

Lack of community cohesion, organizational values of force, and training.