Policing the police: A scoping review of police misconduct programs

• In Event: Sociology of Law Section Roundtables Session
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Sociology of Law Section Roundtables: Table 1 — Policing, Misconduct, and Reform

Abstract

A fundamental aspect of policing is that agencies and personnel always be ethical and professional and under all circumstances. Police have significant, and wide-ranging powers including arrest, detention, search and seizure, and the use of force. Due to ambiguities in criminal law and the discretion accorded to officers, it is possible for law enforcement personnel to use these legal provisions to coerce and control individuals and to engage in misconduct and corruption. The unique and challenging context in in which police operate, creates considerable potential for police officers to be exposed to moral and ethical dilemmas while performing their duties. Among other consequences, police misconduct can erode public trust, reduce confidence in police agencies, and damage police legitimacy. To combat and perhaps prevent these activities, the researchers conducted a structured literature review to map the existing strategies, mechanisms, policies, and processes that have been shown to be effective at preventing and/or mitigating police officer misconduct. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), a structured literature search was completed to identify and analyze peer-reviewed research between 1994-2024. Pertinent information was extracted from 76 studies using a data extraction matrix that included: 1) publication data/location; 2) police officer type; 3) methodology; 4) misconduct typology; 5) program typology; and 6) research outcome. Findings suggest most studies are recent, based out of westernized policing contexts, and are modest at preventing and/or responding to on-duty abuse of authority. Body-worn cameras, governmental monitoring programs, and public feedback programs were commonly used to reduce and prevent police misconduct. Implications of this study suggest that considerable variation in how scholars/police define misconduct. However, the ways in which police services have tried to prevent and/or respond to misconduct is even more varied with some jurisdictions applying multiple programs simultaneously.

Authors

• Adam D Vaughan, University of Regina

• Josh Murphy