Reasons behind the misconduct and corruption that takes place within law enforcement agencies can vary and be explained using different criminological theories. In the recent years, there has been significant media spotlight placed on the police corruption and misconduct that occurs in police departments throughout the nation. Cases that involve racial discrimination and the use of excessive force are some forms of misconduct that receive substantial media coverage and controversy. Cases such as the Biscayne Park Chief’s racist directives and the Alton Sterling case are examples of police misconduct that can occur within a police department. The strain theory, social learning theory, and police culture can explain the Biscayne Park Police Department case. For the case of Alton Sterling, social ecology can be used in the explanation of the fatal police shooting.
Biscayne Park
The Biscayne Park Police Department in Florida fell into the spotlight due to the investigation of the agency’s Chief of Police Raimundo Artesiano and the misconduct that occurred as of result of the instructions he gave all his officers. Artesiano was investigated after reports of him directing his officers to arrest black individuals and pin unsolved crimes on them in order for the case clearance rate within the department to increase (Rabin, Weaver, & Ovalle, 2018). The actions of Artesiano and the officers that followed his order were criminal and discriminatory. While the police department has an amazing burglary arrest rate in 2014-2015, it was done so criminally.
In the same police department, Captain Lawrence Churchman was allegedly repeatedly using racial slurs and suggesting that women, blacks, and gay individuals do not belong in the department (Rabin, et al., 2018). The racial and sexual discrimination of individuals in a police department can lead to police misconduct. Churchman was also alleged to have been involved with acts criminal acts during his time at the police department such as harassing other officers and forcing other officers to pay him cash for fees and incidents (Rabin, et al., 2018). The police department was investigated after the written complaints made by various officers.
Theories That Apply to Biscayne Park
The strain theory, social learning theory, and police culture theory can be used to explain the aspects of deviance that occurred in the Biscayne Park Police Department (BPPD). Ronald Aker’s social learning theory explains how the socialization of individuals within the Biscayne Park PD learned the deviant behavior of arresting black individuals in order to increase arrest rates. The social learning theory can also apply to the behavior of Captain Lawrence Churchman and his discriminatory behaviors. The police chief’s misconduct of ordering his officers to profile and arrest people based on their skin color in order to increase clearance rates can be explained through Robert Agnew’s strain theory.
In the social learning theory, an individual’s criminal behavior is learned through their social interactions, their attitudes towards the behaviors, reinforcement of the behavior, and mimicking of their peer’s actions (Chappell & Piquero, 2004). Within the BPPD, the officers originally engaged in misconduct became models for the other officers to learn and mimic. If knew officers enter in the police department that is being told to illegally stop and arrest all black individuals, the new recruits learn to adapt and engage in the same behavior as their fellow officers. The attitudes, behaviors, values, and ideals of a police department are passed on throughout the police department and generations of officers by the process of learned behaviors, this is part of the police culture (Chappell & Piquero, 2004).
Chief of Police Artesiano’s choice to have all his officers arrest a certain demographic of individuals in order to help the department look better with higher arrest and clearance rates is a deviant behavior that arose from the pressure to have not have many open cases. In the strain theory, it is theorized that individuals have negative coping mechanisms to combat the strains that one faces (Kaufman, 2009). Criminal activity and police misconduct can be a coping mechanism to strains. Individuals that are unable to achieve a goal, loses a person or thing that is highly valued, or there is a negative influence can lead to crime, especially under certain circumstances such as an incentive to commit the crime (Kaufman, 2009). Artesiano’s failed to reach a valued goal of having a high clearance rate thus causing him to turn to delinquency to achieve it.
Alton Sterling
In 2016, the murder of Alton Sterling hit headlines everyone and sparked controversy in regards to details of the police shooting. On July 5, 2016, Alton Sterling was fatally shot by a police officer outside of a convenience store in Baton Rouge, LA (Chavez, 2018). The actions of the police officers were questioned when body cam footage surfaces of the events that transpired leading to Sterling’s death. Police officers responded to call and approach Alton Sterling, who is selling CDs, in a very short period of time the encounter escalates and Sterling is shot after one officer is heard saying the man has a gun (Chavez, 2018).
In body cam footage, there is no presence of a weapon but Officer Lake assures the other officer, Officer Salamoni, that he placed the weapon, later identified as a .38 caliber gun, in the car (Chavez, 2018). When video footage does not show the public if indeed the man was carrying a weapon and intending to use, it can be viewed as police misconduct and excessive use of force. The incident did not appear to involve any form of de-escalation techniques and clearly showed officers escalating the situation. Alton Sterling was not resisting officers, acting violently, he was merely asking the officers to tell him what he had done to warrant the search and questions (Chavez, 2018).
Theories That Apply to The Fatal Police Shooting of Alton Sterling
In cities and communities that are impoverished and predominantly African American individuals, there is a higher chance that the relationship between the community and law enforcement officers is problematic. According to the social ecology theory, metropolitan areas that were impoverished and constant change of neighborhood residents can increase the chances of criminal activity occurring, while also increasing the likelihood of police delinquency (Kane, 2002). Due to the social disorganization of an impoverished neighborhood, it the notion that the lack of supervision and control of children with the community as well as the lack of social involvement among their neighbors creates the chance for delinquency to increase (Kane, 2002).
The police officers that were involved in the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling are white males and Alton Sterling was an African American male. In situations where there is an increase in the population of the racial minorities, officers may perceive to be threaten which can result in the unnecessary need for more officer or an increase of threats/force made by officers (Kane, 2002). The white male officer that shot Sterling used excessive force when Sterling did not even resist him and was merely asking the officer what it was that he was or had done wrong. The escalation of events that occurred following the officers’ arrival shows that they had increased sense of perceived threat. There is a link between the demographics of a community and the likelihood of police using deadly force during a conflict (Kane, 2002).
Conclusion
Each case of police misconduct or delinquency does not have the same factors or motives that caused the criminal act to occur. There are many different theories that can be used to explain crimes and acts of police misconduct. The strain theory is best used to describe criminal acts that were motived by strains that occur from not achieving goals or losing something of value (Kaufman, 2009). This theory explains why the Chief of Police for Biscayne Park PD would engage in misconduct.
Police culture and social learning theory can explain how officers learn their delinquent behaviors from their peers and associates. If the police culture in BPPD did not include delinquent behaviors and the use of racial slurs, the chances of learning such delinquent behaviors would decrease. The community and demographics of Baton Rouge played a large role in the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling. Social ecology of crime theory helps clarify why the excessive and lethal force was used on a man selling CDs at a gas station.