An informative look at a very difficult topic! The discretion, authority, and power granted the police to accomplish their mission offer multiple opportunities for deviance. This revised edition effectively organizes a large amount of material in order to provide students with a timely and comprehensive review of this disturbing dimension of police organizations. The authors’ analysis of deviance as the product of the organization of the occupation, the expectations of society, and the perceptions and interpretations of the role of the police are compellingly presented. A fascinating portrait of the social and organizational factors of the police working environment emerges, providing students with a broad framework for assessing the police culture and the many forms of police deviance.

What makes behavior deviant, and who gets to decide what deviance is? Deviant Behavior seeks to answer these questions and more. This compelling new text covers the social forces that shape deviance, the motivations and consequences of deviant behaviors, and how our definition of deviance changes over time. Authors John A. Humphrey and Frank Schmalleger discuss a wide range of deviant behaviors—from criminal acts to extreme forms of everyday behavior—and provide students the necessary foundation to understand the impact of globalization on traditional and emerging forms of deviance. Readers will explore deviance in the modern world using a systematic application of social and criminological theories to a range of deviant behaviors to help them better understand themselves, others, and society. Included with this title: The password-protected Instructor Resource Site (formally known as SAGE Edge) offers access to all text-specific resources, including a test bank and editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides.

Developments and problems associated with police power are at the very front of current public debate. This volume addresses contemporary issues of policing with a focus on the characteristics of police power as a coercive force in society and its continued need for legitimacy in a democratic social order.

This Brief proposes a criminological typology for understanding and addressing police misconduct. Through examination of each major type of police misconduct, the author proposes future research directions to deter and prevent misconduct. According to an examination of 50 years of police misconduct cases within the New York Police Department (NYPD) and Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the author proposes 5 major typologies: police corruption, police criminality, excessive use of force, abuse of authority, and police misconduct. Through a systematic examination of each of these five types, the author aims to break down the nebulous topic of police misbehavior into manageable categories, with their own set of causes, and recommendations for detection and prevention. This work will be of interest for researchers in criminology and criminal justice, particularly with an interest in police studies, and related fields such as public policy and sociology. It will also be of interest for policymakers.