THE ENFORCEMENT FUNCTION - CRJU 315 - Spring 2012

Wed. 7-9:45 PM, LH 403-B, #20753

Jay Wachtel

Click here for a neatly formatted Word version

Course description and learning goals

This course examines the evolution of police practices and the influence of social trends, crime, technology, interest groups and politics in shaping what police do, and how they go about doing it.  Students will discuss the nature of police work in various settings, examine legal and practical constraints such as discretion, ambiguity, risk and uncertainty, review characteristics such as isolation, peer pressure and secrecy, and analyze the influence of workplace and subcultural factors on officer behavior.

If there's a single sentence that best describes the goal of this course, it's to help present and future criminal justice practitioners make smart and ethically sound decisions and help them from succumbing to peer pressure.

Required readings

1. "Critical Issues in Policing," 6th. Ed., Waveland Press, by Roger Dunham and Geoffrey Alpert.

2. Noted sections of Police Issues and other materials on the schedule.

Exams

There are three exams - two midterms and a final, all multiple-choice and non-cumulative.  Half the questions on each exam will be from the book, and half from classroom discussion, slides and assigned readings from Police Issues.  Makeup exams may only be given for one midterm and only for a documented emergency.  If you cannot take the midterm on the scheduled date, e-mail.  Makeup exams must be taken during the next scheduled class session. (Students will leave their items in class and set up in the hallway.)

Each exam is a required component of the course. Unexcused failure to take an exam, failure to take a makeup on schedule, or any instance of academic dishonesty will result in a course term grade of "F".

Panel Presentation

Click here for Spring 2012 panel topics.

Each student will participate in a panel.  Each panelist will make a presentation of up to five minutes in length. Presentations are individually graded. There are additional requirements. For details please click on the above link.

Participating in a panel and making a presentation on the date scheduled are required components of the course.  Failure to do so will result in failure of the course and a term grade of "F".

Cell phones, pagers and laptops

Please set cell phones and pagers to silent mode.

Absolutely NO use of laptops or other electronic devices in class.  No recording.  Laptops and other devices are distracting to users, other students and the instructor. Students with special needs are excepted (please bring your form on the first day of class.) Please take notes the old-fashioned way and plan your online activities accordingly.

Why the rule?  For an illustrated reason, click here.

Grading

100 points can be earned: 20 for each exam, 30 for the presentation and 10 for attendance, to be taken 5 times during the semester at the end of class.  Normally the A = 90, B = 80, etc. scheme is followed, except that scores will if necessary be adjusted ("curved") at the end of the term to reflect class performance. Missed attendance points cannot be made up regardless of reason.  There are no extra credit assignments.

I do not use the +/- grading system.

Weekly schedule

Note: slide shows subject to update until one hour before class

01 - 01/25 -- Development of American policing -- Slide show

Text chapters: 1 & 2

02 - 02/01 -- Cont'd -- Organize panels, begin research

03 - 02/08 -- Police role and subculture --  Slide show

Text chapters: 5, 6, 16
Police Issues posts:  Who Deserves a Break? Oakland   Kicking a Suspect   When Hard Heads Collide
Other: COPS "Narcotics Activity" and "Fast and Stupid"

04 - 02/15 -- Selection and training -- Slide show 1 -- Slide show 2

Text chapter: 4
Police Issues posts:  Police Academy   What Should it Take to be Hired?
Other:  LASD Academy OIR Report; LASD Hiring Standards OIR Report; "The Academy" Season Two, "Black Monday"

05 - 02/22 - Cont'd -- Deadline for coordinators to obtain instructor approval about how panels intend to approach their topic, including the aspect(s) that each student will cover

06 - 02/29 -- EXAM 1 (Weeks 1-5)

Second half:  Police organizations -- Slide show
Text chapters: 12 & 13
Police Issues posts:  Liars Figure   Carona Five, Feds One   Not All Cops Are Blue

07 - 03/07 -- Cont'd

08 - 03/14 -- ALL PANELS PREVIEW PRESENTATIONS -- bring draft PowerPoints on a flash drive.  Panels 1-6 meet with instructor during the first half of class, 7-12 during the second half.

09 - 03/21 -- Policing paradigms -- Slide show

Text chapters:  22, 23, 24, 25
Police Issues posts:  RIP Community Policing?   What Can Cops Really Do?   Too Much
Slapping Lipstick I   Slapping Lipstick II   Hot-spot policing   First, Do no Harm   Having Your Cake
Other:  Chicago PD COPS evaluation

10 - 03/28 -- SPRING BREAK

11 - 04/04 -- Cont'd from week 9 -- Panels 1 & 2 present

12 - 04/11 -- Special problems -- Slide show -- Panels 3 & 4 present

Text chapter:  15
Police Issues posts: Doing Nothing   Flying Under the Radar   Rope-a-Dope  Making Terrorists
Dopes Not Roped   The Men Who Talked   Mukasey   The Face of Evil   Is this What the Makers
A Tragedy Yes, But Murder?   It's Now L.A.'s Problem   The Gangs of L.A.
Other:  ADL Extremism in America; COINTELPRO Extract   Report   Statements and testimony

13 - 04/18 -- EXAM 2 (Weeks 6-12)

Second half: Ethics, accountability & misconduct -- Slide show -- Panel 5 presents
Text chapter: 18
Police Issues posts: The Usual Suspects   You Can't Manage   Before Jet Blue   Liars Figure
Other: The Craft of Policing
Rampart:  Frontline report     Frontline - outcome of Rampart     New Yorker article     BOI report   Independent Review Panel Consent Decree

14 - 04/25 -- Cont'd -- Panels 6 & 7 present

15 - 05/02 -- Use of force -- Slide show -- Panels 8 & 9 present

Text chapters: 26, 27, 28, 29
Police Issues posts:  Making Time   Dancing With Hooligans   Good Cop/Bad Cop
Kicking a Suspect   Every Cop Needs a Taser   Sometimes a Drunk   Is it When to Chase?
Other:  LAPD Use of force policy   Pursuit policy

16 - 05/09 -- Cont'd -- Panels 10 & 11 present

17 - 05/16 -- 7:30 pm -- FINAL EXAM (Weeks 13-16)

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