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Psychology and the Police

Psychology and the Police. Who are the clienteles? Types of police deviance Psychology and police selection. Clientele: The Public. Concerns of the public: Prejudice (for example, “DWB” offense) Race-based profiling Police brutality Police corruption What can psychologists do?

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Psychology and the Police

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  1. Psychology and the Police • Who are the clienteles? • Types of police deviance • Psychology and police selection

  2. Clientele: The Public • Concerns of the public: • Prejudice (for example, “DWB” offense) • Race-based profiling • Police brutality • Police corruption • What can psychologists do? • Assist in police selection • Research on causes of corruption

  3. Types of police deviance: High level corruption • Violent crimes • Denying civil rights • Criminal enterprise • Property crimes • Major Bribes

  4. Types of police deviance: Low level corruption • Role malfeasance • Being “above” inconvenient laws • Minor bribes • Playing favorites • Gratuities

  5. Clientele: The police department • How should police recruits be trained? • Are there ways to prevent or reduce police burnout? • How effective are different strategies for combating crime? (foot patrols vs. car patrols, etc.)

  6. Selection of Police • Goals: • Screen out disturbed applicants (most prominent goal for police chiefs) • Select people with a desirable profile for “ideal” officers • Between 30,000 and 50,000 people take the police civil service test in New York City alone every time it is administered!

  7. Typical scrutiny of candidates • Review of academic transcripts, tax returns, military & employment records • Background checks with DMV, FBI, state central fingerprint registries • Interviews with neighbors, friends, employers • Medical exam • Psychological testing

  8. Psychological screening • 4 hours of psychological tests • Early emphasis on IQ • Shift in emphasis to personality inventories • Interview with a clinical psychologist • Assess maturity, stability, interpersonal skills • Information sought through answers to questions, but also body language and emotions displayed • Problems with interview as a selection tool

  9. Psychological Tests used • Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) • California Psychological Inventory (CPI) • Bartol’s immaturity index • Psychopathic deviance scale • Hypomania scale • Lie scale • Inwald Personality Inventory (IPI)

  10. Situational Tests • Dunnette & Motowidlo - simulations and role-playing tasks • Foot Patrol Observation Test • Clues Test

  11. Police Psychologists • Over 150 psychologists work full-time or part-time as police psychologists • Participate in training procedures • Consult on “odd” cases • Counsel officers • Fitness-for-duty evaluations • Do surveys/research on pursuits, shootings, police-involved auto accidents, etc.

  12. Training of police officers • Typically, training for several months • Intervention in family disputes • Bard, 1970 • Arresting the suspected batterer • Intervention in hostage taking incidents • Determining hostage-takers’ motives • Stockholm Syndrome

  13. Psychology on the job • Help officers deal with stress and burnout • Evaluating programs such as “Community policing” • Race relations

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