U/CL Pathfinders

POLICE BRUTALITY

 

DEFINITION: “The excessive use of force by those whose duty it is to use force if necessary to maintain law and order.  From the early 1960’s to the 1990’s, the issue of police brutality repeatedly strained relations between the police and racial minorities.” (American Justice)

 

NARROW THE SUBJECT:

·         Is police brutality a serious problem?

·         Is police brutality against minorities, juveniles or the poor a serious problem?

·         How can the extent of police brutality be measured?

·         Is the mission of police officers clearly defined and understood?

·         What are the causes of police brutality?

·         Is racism a factor in police brutality?

·         Does job stress contribute to police brutality?

·         Can police self-defense be mistaken for brutality?

·         How can police brutality be reduced?

·         Should civilian review boards supervise police misconduct?

·         Would community policing reduce police brutality?

·         Would better training of police reduce police brutality?

·         Would a police corps be an effective means of reducing police brutality?

·         Research specific instances of police brutality such as William Lozano or Rodney King.

·         Does job stress contribute to police brutality?

·         Should police have random drug tests for anabolic steroid or other drug use?

·         Should TASER electroshock weapons be used on children?

 

LINCC SUBJECT HEADINGS: Police - Complaints Against; Police misconduct; Police brutality

 

SPECIALIZED SOURCES SHELVED IN THE REFERENCE COLLECTION:

Criminal Justice	REF KF 9214.5 .C75 2006
Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement	REF HV 7921 .E53 2005
Encyclopedia of White-Collar & Corporate Crime	REF HV 6768 .E63 2005
Encyclopedia of Civil Liberties in America	REF JC 599 .U5 E53 2005
Encyclopedia of African American Society	REF E 185 .E546 2006

 

AVAILABLE AT THE REFERENCE DESK:

CQ Researcher    “Policing the Police”           3/17/00

Current Controversies: Police Brutality (also available in the Opposing Viewpoints Database)

Florida Statutes: Chapter 112.532, 533

Issues & Controversies  “False Confessions”  2/14/03;  "Police Use of Electro-Shock Guns" 3/26/2004 p. 121-8

 

STATISTICS: U.S. Department of Justice http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pubalp2.htm

 

ELECTRONIC INDEXES:

Academic Search Premier

Expanded Academic ASAP

OmniFile Full Text Mega

Health and Wellness Resource Center

Social Science Full-Text

 

FULL-TEXT NEWSPAPERS:  America's Newspapers

 

INTERNET SITES:

ACLU: Fighting Police Abuse, a Community Action Manual	http://www.aclu.org//police/gen/14614pub19971201.html
ACLU	http://www.aclu.org/police/abuse/index.html
NCJRS Police Discipline And Misconduct	http://www.ncjrs.gov/app/topics/Topic.aspx?topicid=178
Police Complaint Center	http://www.policeabuse.org/
Human Rights Watch	http://www.hrw.org/about/initiatives/police.htm

 

CITING YOUR SOURCES:

University/College Library Citing Electronic Resources

http://ucl.broward.edu/Cite_Your_Sources.htm

JM Rev 10/06 |dc| ck2

 

Copyright © University/College Library. All rights reserved.
URL: http://ucl.broward.edu/pathtopics.htm

[ Back to Home Page ] [ Other Pathfinders ]