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Street Checks and Carding: an Exploration of a Sergeant's Capacity to Achieve Policy Conformance from Frontline Police Offic

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Street Checks and Carding: an Exploration of a Sergeant's Capacity to Achieve Policy Conformance from Frontline Police Offic STREET CHECKS AND CARDING: AN EXPLORATION OF A SERGEANT’S CAPACITY TO ACHIEVE POLICY CONFORMANCE FROM FRONTLINE POLICE OFFICERS by Paul Barry Rinkoff M.A., University of Guelph 2011 H.B.Sc., University of Toronto 2006 A dissertation presented to Ryerson University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Ph.D. Policy Studies in the Program of Policy Studies Ryerson University Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 11, 2018 ©(Paul Barry Rinkoff) 2018 Author’s Declaration AUTHOR'S DECLARATION FOR ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF A DISSERTATION I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this dissertation. This is a true copy of the dissertation, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I authorize Ryerson University to lend this dissertation to other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research. I further authorize Ryerson University to reproduce this dissertation by photocopying or by other means, in total or in part, at the request of other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research. I understand that my dissertation may be made electronically available to the public. ii Street Checks And Carding: An Exploration Of A Sergeant’s Capacity To Achieve Policy Conformance From Frontline Police Officers Doctorate of Philosophy 2018 Paul Barry Rinkoff Policy Studies Ryerson University Abstract This study aims to fill a void in the extant policy implementation literature that has overlooked the contribution of sergeants to the successful adoption of policy decisions at the frontlines. By focusing on the Regulated Interactions Policy of the Toronto Police Service and adopting a sociological institutionalism perspective, 17 sergeants representing each of the 17 divisions of the Toronto Police Service were interviewed. This research does not aim to assess the efficacy of this policy, but rather, examines its implementation. The findings show that there are a number of perceived internal and external factors that operate to facilitate or hinder a sergeant’s capacity to achieve policy conformance in a police organization in general, and to the Regulated Interactions Policy in particular. Further, these perceived factors are contextualized across the police organization. Prevalent external factors include media portrayals of the police, civilian oversight, perceived levels of respect, and relationship between the police and citizens. Dominant internal factors include supervision, internal discipline, policy and procedure, and top- down command. The findings also demonstrate the methods used by sergeants to positively influence the conformance of frontline officers in a police organization in general, and to the Regulated Interactions Policy in particular. Key methods include communication and translation, rewarding, disciplining, and being present. The findings have three broad iii implications. First, police officers employ a ‘logic of legitimacy’ to make conformance choices that are perceived to promote individual and organizational legitimacy by improving police relations or avoiding discipline. Second, sergeants achieve conformance from frontline officers by blending the payoffs of an authoritative approach and a supportive approach. Third, the perspective held by police officers of the state of police-citizen interaction is one that is reactive. iv Acknowledgements I am forever grateful to Tuna Baskoy, Tammy Landau, Sara Thompson, Nicole Neverson, and Laura Huey for lending me their expertise and support. To Chief Mark Saunders, Deputy Chief Rick Stubbings (Ret.), Staff Superintendent Mario Di Tommaso, Superintendent Rob Johnson, Carrol Whynot, and Lina Nykorchuk for the opportunity to conduct interdisciplinary and evidence-based research with the Toronto Police Service. To Joycelyn Amos for her teachings of all things coding-related. And last, but certainly not least, to my family, friends, and colleagues who encouraged me to be my best – especially my Dad who continues to inspire me. v Table of Contents Chapter One – Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction of the Organization: The Toronto Police Service ............................................ 1 1.2 Overview of the Policy Issue ................................................................................................ 2 1.3 The Significance of this Policy Research ............................................................................. 6 1.3.1 Racial Profiling .............................................................................................................. 8 1.3.2 Impacts of Racial Profiling .......................................................................................... 11 1.3.3 Racial Profiling in Toronto .......................................................................................... 14 1.3.4 The Evolution of Street Checks and Carding .............................................................. 16 1.3.5 The Implementation of the Regulated Interactions Policy .......................................... 18 1.4 The Significance of the Public Perception of Police .......................................................... 21 1.4.1 Perspectives that Challenge the Peelian Approach ...................................................... 25 1.4.2 The Racialized Perception of the Police ...................................................................... 31 1.5 Importance of this Research ................................................................................................ 34 1.6 Research Questions ............................................................................................................. 36 1.7 Introduction of the Conceptual Framework: Sociological Institutionalism ........................ 37 1.8 Introduction to Police Culture ............................................................................................. 38 1.9 Operationalization and Methodology ................................................................................. 41 1.10 Summary of Chapter Outlines .......................................................................................... 44 Chapter Two – Literature Review: Policy Implementation and Police Culture ........................... 48 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 48 2.2 Policy Implementation and the Policy Process ................................................................... 48 2.3 Top-Down Policy Implementation in Police Organizations ............................................... 58 2.4 Bottom-Up Policy-making in Police Organizations ........................................................... 63 2.5 Frontline Public Sector Supervision and Policy Implementation ....................................... 66 2.6 The Capacity of Sergeants to Influence Policy Implementation ........................................ 69 2.7 Police Culture and Policy Implementation ......................................................................... 78 2.8 Police Culture and the Capacity of Sergeants to Achieve Policy Conformance ................ 83 Chapter Three – Conceptual Framework and Methodology ......................................................... 90 3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 90 3.2 Institutions and New Institutionalism: Framing the Sociological Perspective ................... 91 3.3 Conceptualizing Police Organizations as Institutions ......................................................... 96 3.4 Sociological Institutionalism: Suitability and Overview .................................................... 99 3.5 Sociological Institutionalism: Institutional Change .......................................................... 105 3.6 Sociological Institutionalism: Modes of Constraint and Power ....................................... 112 3.7 Sociological Institutionalism and the Policy Issue ........................................................... 117 3.8 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 119 3.8.1 Research Questions .................................................................................................... 119 3.8.2 Research Design ......................................................................................................... 120 3.8.3 Research Participants ................................................................................................. 122 3.8.4 Recruitment of Participants ........................................................................................ 124 3.8.5 Study Participants: Sample Descriptives ................................................................... 125 3.8.6 Interviews ................................................................................................................... 127 3.8.7 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................. 128 vi 3.8.8 Reflexivity and Positionality ...................................................................................... 129 3.8.9 Reliability and Validity .............................................................................................. 131 3.8.10 Ethical Considerations ............................................................................................
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