Structured Rationales for non-Arrest: Police Stereotypes of the Domestic Disturbance

Abstract

The study of stereotypes held by municipal police officers has taken an overly narrow tack. The tendency has been to examine the preconceptions police hold about citizens on the basis of particular citizen traits (e.g., age and ethnicity) and to inquire how these preconceptions might prejudice the officer's decision to arrest. This study examines qualitative data derivedfrom the participant observation of a municipalpolice department. The officer's beliefs about the domestic disturbance are examined. Officers were found to harborfairly complex patterns ofpreconceptions, i.e., stereotypes, about the domestic disturbance. Officers were found to categorize citizens not in terms of their abstract traits but rather in terms of the practical implications of the citizen's perceived character. Officers categorized the citizens in the domestic disturbance in terms of the stability of the citizen as a grievant and the reliability of the citizen as a complainant. Part of the police stereotype of this assignment is that arrest is neither likely nor preferred. It is suggested that the police rationalefor nonarrest may often be comprised of an assignment stereotype or "normal call." The implications of task stereotypes are examined.

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