2. What are the differences between polygraph examination and the background investigation? Why are polygraph examinations given to recruits?

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1 Soc 3344 Discussion/Essay Study Guide Sp 07 Chapter 3 1. What criteria do police departments use to determine whether an applicant should be hired? Which ones do you think are the most important? Why? 2. What are the differences between polygraph examination and the background investigation? Why are polygraph examinations given to recruits? 3. What is the difference between basic training and in-service training? What makes a good police training program? 4. How would you create a field training program? How would your field training program operate? 5. What is career development? What are the common methods of implementing career development in policing? Why is it important? 6. What is affirmative action? Should it be utilized in police recruitment, selection, and promotion? 7. Are there differences between male and female police officers? Do women make good police officers? Should their role be limited or expanded? Why? 8. Should there be an education requirement for police recruitment? 9. Is it possible for a police department to have a zero-tolerance policy toward prior drug use by police recruits? Why or why not? 10. What techniques should be utilized for the training of future police officers during their basic training? 1. Define and contrast the processes of screening in and screening out. 2. What is Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act? What were the ramifications of this Act for police departments? 3. Other than eliminating discrimination, what are the three benefits of integration of police agencies? 4. The text outlines the arguments made by opponents and advocates of a residency requirement. Choose a side and make the argument as it is presented in the text. 5. The selection process for police recruits includes seven steps that are outlined in your text. Briefly describe at least four of these steps. 6. What are the three primary objectives of field officer training programs? 7. What are the three sequential phases of police training? 8. Describe the common arguments against women in policing. Explain why they are not justified. 9. Choose three of the discrimination cases discussed in the text and describe their significance. 10. Define and contrast lateral and vertical expansion. Chapter 4 1. Why is it important for police administrators to know organizational theory? 2. There are several theories of organization outlined in the text. Which do you feel is most appropriate for a police department? Why? 3. Why is communication important in a police department?

2 4. Why is it important for superiors in a police department to acknowledge input from subordinates toward problem solving? Explain. 5. Describe the contract negotiation process. What types of issues are normally discussed during this process? 1. Luther Gulick postulated that administration consisted of seven activities. These activities formed the acronym POSDCORB. Tell what the letters stand for and provide a brief description of each. 2. Max Weber outlined the principles of organization. He delineated six principles that have become the foundation of classical organizational theory. What are they? 3. What were the results of the Hawthorne studies? 4. Within the context of McGregor s Theory X and Theory Y, describe the X employee and the Y employee. 5. Describe participative management and explain how it works. 6. Define and contrast problem-solving groups and quality circles. 7. Describe Maslow s Hierarchy of Needs. How does a person reach self-actualization? 8. Define management by objectives and describe how it would be implemented in a police department. 9. Total quality management encompasses three primary areas. What are these three areas? Provide a description of each. 10. What is COMPSTAT? Where was it developed? How is it used in law enforcement? Chapter 5 1. How many patrol techniques can you list? What are their benefits? What are the problems associated with them? 2. What is the police traffic function? Why is it important? 3. What role does the patrol officer play in the preliminary investigation? Why are their efforts crucial to the eventual solving of a crime? 4. How does rapid response to calls for service affect the apprehension rate? Why do police agencies still attempt to respond rapidly to calls? 5. What has been the impact of DNA testing and automated fingerprint identification on investigating crimes? 6. What is the detective s role in a police agency? Why is there so much prestige associated with being a detective? Is it warranted? 7. Are paramilitary units a necessary part of a police department? Are there any problems associated with their use? 1. The traffic unit is responsible for reducing the frequency and severity of accidents and facilitating the orderly flow of traffic. Describe the three ways in which these two objectives are accomplished. 2. Alpert and Dunham summarize the activities that are accomplished by patrol. Discuss five of the eleven that are outlined in your text. 3. What are the factors used to determine patrol beats? 4. Discuss the reasons for the increasing re-implementation of foot patrol in departments across the country. 5. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses associated with bicycle patrol. 6. Discuss the results of the Kansas City Routine Preventive Patrol study.

3 7. Discuss the contemporary research results relating to rapid police response. 8. What is a D-run? What type of patrol technique is it? 9. There is some variation in the way Repeat Offender Projects (ROPs) are implemented. They generally fall into one of three categories. Discuss the three categories. 10. Discuss the three historical periods of the police detective as they are presented in your text. 11. The traffic control function is carried out through three activities; discuss each of these. 12. Discuss the issues surrounding the enforcement of DUI and seat belt laws. Chapter 6 1. What is discretion? Is it good or bad? What makes it good or bad? Can it be both? 2. In which types of situations do police officers exercise the most discretion? At which level do officers have the most discretion? 3. Why do we refer to the police as the gatekeepers of the criminal justice system? 4. What are vice crimes? Why are they difficult to enforce? 5. Can police discretion be controlled? How? 6. What is administrative discretion? What is operational discretion? Which is thought to be the least problematic? Why? 7. What is prejudice? What is discrimination? What is their relationship to discretion? 8. If you were a police chief, how would you control abuse of discretion? 9. What factors influence an officer s decision to arrest? Which do you believe is the most significant factor? 1. Define discretion. Discuss the problems associated with police discretion. Include in your discussion an explanation of who has the most discretion in a police agency and why this is problematic. 2. Distinguish between administrative and operational or enforcement discretion. Which is thought to be the least problematic? Why? 3. Police officers make decisions about whether the criminal justice process will be initiated. Discuss the issues that play a role in making this decision. 4. Describe the traditional response by police to domestic violence situations. What led to the changes in response procedure? 5. What does research reveal about the effectiveness of arrest as a deterrent to domestic violence? 6. What difficulties are encountered in the enforcement of vice laws? Why are undercover operations subject to criticism? 7. Describe the three standards the Supreme Court outlined to aid communities in establishing obscenity regulations. 8. What special challenges do officers face when responding to the problems of disenfranchised citizens? 9. Describe the types of control mechanisms that have been utilized to limit police discretion.

4 Chapter 7 1. The chapter describes a deadly force situation in Cincinnati, Ohio. Based on the information given, what do you believe the officer should have done in that situation? Was the shooting justified? 2. What steps can police departments take to curb the use of excessive force? 3. Is excessive force easily identifiable or is it subjective? 4. What is the Garner decision? How did it impact the use of deadly force? 5. Should use of force be responded to differently based on whether or not the office was on or off-duty? Should off-duty officers be armed? 6. What is suicide-by-cop? Can you think of any characteristics of these scenarios that may aid police in identifying them? If officers identify a suicide situation, should they respond/behave differently? 7. What should departments offer to families of officers killed in the line of duty? 1. Describe the Supreme Court s ruling in Tennessee v. Garner. Include a discussion of the situation that lead to the case and the ruling s impact on police use of deadly force. 2. Briefly outline the use of force continuum as it is described in the text. Include a brief description of each category. 3. Briefly describe the problems surrounding use of force by off-duty police officers. Include the four primary differences between on and off-duty situations. 4. The decision relating to arming off-duty police officers rests with each department. Choose a side and make the argument to arm or not to arm off-duty officers. Include problems associated with your choice. 5. Describe the four criteria contained in an early warning system designed to identify problem officers. 6. Define and discuss the issue of net-widening as it relates to less-than-lethal weapons. 7. Using the information in the text, describe the explanations for the decrease in the number of police officers killed in the line of duty. 8. Describe the problems faced by the families of officers killed in the line of duty. What do you believe departments should do in response to these situations? What ethical responsibilities do departments hold? Chapter 8 1. Are police officers different from the general population? How? Why? 2. What are the different perspectives of police behavior and personality? Which perspective do you feel is most accurate? 3. What is a subculture? Do you believe that a police subculture exists? 4. How does the us-them police worldview affect the activities of a police officer? A department? How does it affect police-community relations? 5. What is stress? What are the causes of police stress? What are the effects of police stress? How can it be reduced in police organizations? 6. How should departments respond to officers abuse of drugs or alcohol? 1. Compare and contrast the three perspectives of police behavior as they are outlined in your text. 2. Discuss the types of police officers as outlined by Coates typology.

5 3. Discuss the police worldview and how this affects police-community relations. 4. Define and discuss police ethos. Include the three general observations outlined in your text. 5. Discuss the differences between police themes and ethos. 6. Discuss Swanton s publicly initiated determinants of isolation. 7. List at least five of the nine postulates indicative of the we-they worldview. 8. Describe the nine possible factors that may contribute to police suicide. 9. Discuss the ways in which police officer stress can be reduced. 10. List at least four of the seven general sources of police stress, as identified by Carter. Describe at least two stressors for each source.