Police Coercion: Application of the Force Continuum (Criminal Justice: Recent Scholarship) (Criminal Justice Series: Recent Scholarhsip)

Using observational data from two cities, Terrill studies police use of force to better understand how and why officers resort to force. He examines the extent of force within individual police-citizen encounters and tests numerous theoretical perspectives (sociological, psychological, and organizational) concerning why officers resort to force. Further he offers the Resistance Force Comparative Scale as a means for examining how officers move about the force continuum. Results show that officers use higher levels of force on male, nonwhite, poor, young, and intoxicated citizens, offering primary support within a sociological theoretical framework. Surprisingly, however, officers are not more forceful toward disrespectful citizens. Analyses also reveal that officers differentially escalate and de-escalate force according to the presence and nature of citizen resistance. Interestingly, officers do not jump at the opportunity to use force on resistant suspects, offering instead a second chance to comply before applying increased levels of force. This book discusses how and why police resort to non-lethal force. Chapter 1 is an introduction that focuses on areas of concern regarding police force. Chapter 2 deals with how often officers resort to force; an examination of the various types of force used by the police; how force is applied within given encounters is discussed; and the chapter examines what factors influence police decisions to apply various types of force. The sociological, psychological, and organizational perspectives are analyzed regarding why officers use force. The study detailed in this book provides for the creation of a sequencing pattern that measures the nature and extent of citizen resistance and corresponding officer use of force. It also provides an opportunity to learn more about what prompts officers to use less rather than more force. A literature review on police use of force is also provided. The operating perspective, theoretical framework, research questions, and hypotheses of this study are presented in chapter 3. Chapter 4 focuses on the design and method of the study. Chapter 5 examines the first three research questions and considers the extent, nature, and application of force, as well as citizen resistance, within individual police-citizen encounters. Chapter 6 investigates the causes of police force in relation to the highest level of force used. Chapter 7 examines the application of the force continuum regarding citizen resistance. The conclusions and implications of this study are presented in the final chapter Police coercion has long been a central focus among those who have studied the police.