NCJ Number
183359
Date Published
January 2000
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Both Wilson (1968) and Lundman (1980) suggested that
organizational behavior and characteristics were potentially
related to the citizen complaint rate against the police; the
research reported in this article tested their theories.
Abstract
From Wilson's professionalism control thesis, a number of
testable propositions were developed. The first hypothesis is
that psychological exams taken before admission to a police
academy, the length of academic training, and field-training
officer programs tend to reduce citizen complaints about police
abuse of power. A second hypothesis is that increasing the number
of in-service training programs on the use of force, strengthening
the reporting requirement on the use of force, instituting a
written policy on the use of less-than-lethal force, initiating a
clinic requirement for filing complaints, and close supervision
are negatively related to the citizen complaint rate. From
Lundman's organizational product thesis, two hypotheses were
developed: (1) Establishing civilian review boards reduces the
citizen complaint rate; and (2) The composition of a police
department's personnel is related to the citizen complaint rate.
To test these hypotheses, the data collected by Pate and Fridell
(1993) were reanalyzed. The data were designed to be a
comprehensive national survey of law enforcement agencies'
official records on police abuse of power. This study focused on
citizen complaints against police abuse of power in the areas of
unlawful arrest/detention, illegal search or seizure, harassment
and intimidation, misuse of authority, and improper language. The
analyses apparently provide some support for both Wilson's and
Lundman's theses. Findings show that both organizational behavior
and organizational characteristics were related to the citizens'
complaint rate. 4 notes, 2 tables, and 69 references
Date Published: January 1, 2000