Offenders with Uniforms: Revisiting Routine Activity Theory

• In Event: Exploring Theoretical Explanations of Crime

Abstract

Routine activity theory (RAT) focuses on the convergence of motivated offenders, suitable targets, and the lack of capable guardians in explaining victimization patterns. Similarly, lifestyle theory is concerned with the same elements, but posit that certain lifestyles expose people to more risk than other. RAT critics often point to the lack of attention paid to the offender and condemn policy initiatives as victim blaming. The current study extends prior research grounded in these approaches by re-conceptualizing the central elements in order to explain the disproportionate killings of racial and ethnic minorities by police officers. The study provides a qualitative analysis of police-involved shootings and use of force in Kern county, California, home of the two deadliest police departments in the US. Distinctive aspects of policing, and racial bias literature highlight the high degree of discretion and low degree of visibility that allow police officers to disguise malice as fear in police involved shootings. Furthermore, flawed institutional practices show that capable guardianship to prevent police involved shootings is lacking. The study will offer fruitful research avenues for future studies looking at use of force through a RAT approach.

Author

• Ruben A Ortiz, University of Tennessee