ACR102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Racial Profiling, Rodney King, Siege Mentality
Force or Service?
Police have permission to use reasonable, proportionate levels of force but also
provide a wide range of services.
Where does the balance lie?
Non-militarisation of police
NSW Police Force/Service/Force
Recent changes to occupational culture
Police Culture
‘Police culture’: Informal occupational norms and values, accepted practices, rules and
principles of behaviour e.g.
Sense of “mission”
Action-orientation
Siege mentality
Isolated social life
Solidarity
Linked to racism; brutality; poor treatment of young people, women and minorities;
corruption
Key theme: Accountability
Culture of policing and the code of solidarity:
Demands for loyalty
Minimal criticism of other police
Limited scrutiny of police actions and lack of policing the police (although
changing with rise of portable technology)
Ostracism of those who breach code (e.g. whistle-blowers)
Police members more frequently exposed to criminal opportunities:
Drug dealing
Misuse of information
Abuse of force
RESPONSES/CONTROLS
internal taskforces and reviews
Professional Standards Command
lower tolerance for misbehaviour – education/deterrence
Some external and independent accountability through Royal Commissions & in
Victoria the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC)
Coronial oversight
Key theme: Discretion
Discretion: ‘freedom to chose amongst alternatives.’ Decisions to investigate or
not, to arrest or not, to give a charge or warning, to use force or not.
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Police have permission to use reasonable, proportionate levels of force but also provide a wide range of services. Police culture": informal occupational norms and values, accepted practices, rules and principles of behaviour e. g. sense of mission . Linked to racism; brutality; poor treatment of young people, women and minorities; corruption. Culture of policing and the code of solidarity: Limited scrutiny of police actions and lack of policing the police (although changing with rise of portable technology) Ostracism of those who breach code (e. g. whistle-blowers) Police members more frequently exposed to criminal opportunities: Professional standards command lower tolerance for misbehaviour education/deterrence. Some external and independent accountability through royal commissions & in. Discretion: freedom to chose amongst alternatives. " decisions to investigate or not, to arrest or not, to give a charge or warning, to use force or not. Racial profiling: africans in flemington/north melbourne area 2. 5 times more likely to be stopped by police despite lower crime rate.
