Category: CRJ301 Police Mgt

Police Benchmark Cities Survey

BENCHMARK CITIES

The Boulder Police Department is one of 30 law enforcement agencies who participate in the Benchmark Cities group.  It was originally designed in 1997 by a core group of chief’s from around the country who had department size, population and demographics (college community) in common. Extensive surveys are completed each year and reviewed at an annual conference which allows agencies to compare themselves over a wide variety of criteria and ensures they are providing the best service possible to their respective communities.  The latest surveys are posted in the right-hand column and will be updated as soon as they are available.

— Read on bouldercolorado.gov/police/benchmark-cities

The Invisible Rules That Govern Use of Force by Ion Meyn :: SSRN

This is an interesting article about the rules that govern police use of force.

Abstract
Police departments reject the idea that use of force can be governed by hard and fast rules. Under this rule-resistant view, using rules to regulate use of force would be dangerous and in practice impossible, as officers must retain broad discretion to respond to ever-changing conditions in the field. Despite the prevalence of this view, the Article finds that, behind closed doors, departments are constructing hard and fast rules that limit officer discretion.
— Read on papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm

Review of “We Own This City” by Justin Fenton | City Journal

A new book on police corruption shows how bureaucratic bloat is as much of a problem as bent cops.
— Read on www.city-journal.org/baltimore-police-corruption-bureaucratic-bloat

I hope to do a review of this book shortly. I’m on the last few chapters. If you like policing it is an awesome book. It captures a snapshot of police misconduct in Baltimore around 2015.

The scary part is it could easily exist in any police department. I’m not saying it does. I’m saying that if you are a police officer reflect as you read the book and see if there are circumstances that might exist in your PD where certain behaviors might be seen as hardworking as opposed to misconduct.