Sociology of Law Enforcement

Police & Society CCJ 4934 – 1C35 M W F 3 (9:35 – 10:25) Weimer Hall, Room 1094 INSTRUCTOR: Daniel Acton, M.A. Office: Turlington Hall 3363 Office Hours: T–9:30-10:30 and 12:45-1:45 & R–9:30-10:30; or by appointment. E-mail: [email protected]

COURSE OBJECTIVE: In this course, law enforcement in the United States will be analyzed from a criminological perspective. We will study the structure, role, and processes of law enforcement in modern society. Law enforcement is viewed as a formal, institutional structure of social control that is a product of historical development as well as cultural, social, and political influences. Thus, we will examine how and why policing developed as a mechanism of social control, the social and cultural forces that influence the way in which the police perform their role, and the ways in which the public interact with and view the police.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course, students will:  Understand the history of Law Enforcement in the United States and explain why it developed as a formal means of social control.  Identify the strategies and tactics that are used by the police to maintain and manage their role(s) in society.  Recognize the internal issues that influence the attitudes and opinions of the police.  Analyze the issues that the police face in the day-to-day interactions that they have with the public and how these are changing in contemporary society.

The class sessions for the semester cover the following major topics: 1. History of Policing and Contemporary Practices 2. Functions of the Police 3. The Structure and Management of Police 4. The Police in Society 5. Contemporary Issues and the Future of Policing

REQUIRED TEXT: Kappeler, Victor E. ed. 2006. The Police and Society: Touchstone Readings. 3rd ed. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press.

RECOMMENDED TEXT: Cox, Steven M., Susan Marchionna, and Brian D. Fitch. 2016. Introduction to Policing 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

1 SUPPLEMENTAL TEXT: Additional reading of research articles may be assigned throughout the course. These are required and available through UF Libraries.

COURSE GUIDELINES AND POLICIES:  This course adheres to all University Policies. See http://www.dso.ufl.edu/ for useful information at the Dean of Students Office webpage.  Academic Honesty. See http://www.dso.ufl.edu/sccr/honorcodes/conductcode.php for details.  Students with disabilities. Requests for classroom accommodation must follow registration with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation. See http://www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/ for details.  Exams. Exams, and all other in-class assignments, must be completed at the place and time that they are scheduled. Exceptions will be made only when necessary and within the bounds of University of Florida policy.  Announcements/Changes. The instructor, if necessary, may change the dates and assignment on this syllabus. Students are responsible for all announcements made in class. COURSE REQUIREMENTS:  Assigned Reading: Students should complete the assigned readings before coming to class. This will allow for greater understanding of, and enhanced ability to engage with, the material presented in class.  Article Review: Each student is required to review a unique research article (must be from a peer-reviewed journal and published after 1990) related to the police in some way. The article must be approved by the instructor no later than September 12th. Article reviews are designed to allow students to examine research in the area of policing in order to understand where the information provided in this class generated. A type-written (12-point font, WORD) document will be submitted, via e-mail, no later than 12:00 P.M on October 19th. A rubric for article reviews will be provided.  Exams: There are five, noncumulative exams. The exams cover specific chapters from the text, assigned readings, lectures and discussions. They will be composed of twenty-five multiple choice questions, four short answer questions, and two essay questions. Written responses require full sentences and essay questions will require full paragraph responses. Spelling, grammar, and writing style will be considered in scoring the essay responses. GRADES: Your grade will be based upon the total number of points earned throughout the semester. There are 550 total possible points; 50 points from the article review, and 500 points from the exams. Grades will be calculated on a percentage basis, dividing the number of points earned by the total number of points possible. Final grades are computed by dividing the total points scored by the total points available throughout the term. Grades will be assigned according to the following cut-off:

2 Letter Grade Percentage A 90-100% B 80-89% C 70-79% D 60-69% F <60%

FINAL NOTE: Your success is important. Do not hesitate to use all of the resources at your disposal in order to increase your chances of success in this course. Come to office hours to discuss course materials, grading, or other topics related to the police & society. The instructor will check and respond to emails pertaining to the course during office hours. CLASS MEETING AND EXAM SCHEDULE: WEEK MONDAY WEDNESDAY FRIDAY 1 Aug 22nd: Aug 24th: Aug 26th: No Class – ASA Conference Introduction Introduction 2 Aug 29th: Aug 31st: Sep 2nd: Contemporary History of Policing History of Policing Strategies in Policing 3 Sep 5th: Sep 7th: Contemporary Sep 9th: No Class – Labor Day Strategies in Policing Discussion and Review 4 Sep 12th: Sep 14th: Sep 16th: Exam #1 Patrol Patrol 5 Sep 19th: Sep 21st: Sep 23rd: Peace and Order Peace and Order Police and Crime 6 Sep 26th: Sep 28th: Sep 30th: Police and Crime Discussion and Review Exam #2 7 Oct 3rd: Oct 5th: Oct 7th: Police Organization Police Management Police Work 8 Oct 10th: Oct 12th: Oct 14th: Police Work Police on the Job No Class – Homecoming 9 Oct 17th: Oct 19th: Oct 21st: Occupational Issues Discussion and Review Exam #3 10 Oct 24th: Oct 26th: Oct 28th: Law and the Court Police Discretion Police Misconduct 11 Oct 31st: Nov 2nd: Nov 4th: Police Misconduct Police and Community Police and Community 12 Nov 7th: Nov 9th: Nov 11th: Discussion and Review Exam #4 No Class – Veteran’s Day 13 Nov 14th: Nov 16th: Nov 18th: Terrorism Homeland Security No Class – ASC Conference 14 Nov 21st: Nov 23rd: Nov 25th: (Subject to Change) No Class – Thanksgiving No Class – Thanksgiving 15 Nov 28th: Nov 30th: Dec 2nd: Private Policing Future of Policing Future of Policing 16 Dec 5th: Dec 7th: Dec 9th: Discussion and Review (Subject to Change) No Class – Reading Day 3 Finals Dec 12th: Dec 14th: Dec 16th: TBA TBA TBA

READING LIST

Section 1: The History of Policing and Contemporary Practices

(8/22-9/12)

Kappeler: Preface and Chapters 1-5 (pp. 1–90). Cox et al.: Preface and Chapters 1, 2, and 7 (pp. 1–34 and 152–173).

Hoover, Larry T. 2005. From Police Administration to Police Science: The Development of a Police Academic Establishment in the United States. Police Quarterly 8(1): 8–22.

Section 2: Functions of the Police

(9/12-9/30)

Kappeler: Chapters 6-11 (pp. 93–185). Cox et al.: Chapters 6 and 7 (pp. 126–173).

Section 3: The Structure and Management of Police

(9/30-10/21)

Kappeler: Chapters 12-17 (pp. 189–299). Cox et al.: Chapters 3, 6, and 8 (pp. 36–60, 126–150, and 176–202).

Section 4: The Police in Society

(10/21-11/09)

Kappeler: Chapters 18-24 (pp. 303–436). 4 Cox et al.: Chapters 9-12 (pp. 204–309).

Section 5: Contemporary Issues and the Future of Policing

(11/09-12/07)

Kappeler: Chapters 25-30 (pp. 443–564). Cox et al.: Chapters 13-16 (pp. 312–393). Note: Read 14 and 15 before 13 and 16.