Life Course Criminology and Policing: Understanding and Explaining Police Misconduct Through the Law Enforcement Career

• In Event: Police Deviance and Understanding Misconduct

Abstract

Given the current climate surrounding law enforcement, it is important to study the continuity and change of criminal offending within the law enforcement career. What does the ‘age-crime curve’ look like among police officers? When does onset of misconduct occur? What turning points could occur to aid in desistance from acts of misconduct? What theories could help explain why it occurs (e.g., social learning, strain, etc.)? The present paper seeks to aid in laying the foundation of looking at the career of police officers through the lens of life course criminology, with suggestions for future research.

Author

• Kathleen Padilla, Arizona State University