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77 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Patronage System or "Spoils System"
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A form of corruption in which the political party in power hires and promotes police officers, receiving job-related "favors" (bribes) in return.
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Professional Model
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Emphasized centralized police organizations increased use of technology and a limitation of police discretion through regulations and guidelines.
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Sheriff
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The primary law enforcement officer in a county, usually elected to the post by a popular vote.
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Coroner
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The medical examiner of a county, usually elected by popular vote.
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Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
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Designed to coordinate federal efforts to protect the U.S. against international and domestic terrorism.
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U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
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Polices the flow of goods and people across the U.S. international borders.
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
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Investigates and enforces our country's immigration and customs laws.
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Secret Service
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Was primarily responsible for combating currency counterfeiters. Given the added responsibility of protecting the president, the president's family, the vice president, the president-elect, and former presidents.
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Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
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The branch of the Department of Justice responsible for investigating violation of federal law. The bureau also collects national crime stats and provides training and other forms of aid to local law enforcement agencies.
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National Crime Information Center (NCIC)
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Provides lists of stolen vehicles and firearms, missing license plates, vehicles used to commit crimes, and other information to local and state law enforcement officers.
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Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
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Enforces domestic drug laws and regulations and assists other federal and foreign agencies in combating illegal drug manufacture and trade on an international level.
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Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
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Concerned with the illegal sale, possession, and use of firearms and the control of untaxed tobacco and liquor products.
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Department of the Treasury
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Pays all the federal government's bills, borrows money, collects taxes, mints coins, and prints paper currency.
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Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
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Largest bureau of the treasury department. Is concerned with violations of tax laws and regulations.
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Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team
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A specialized squad of police officer who have been trained to handle violent and dangerous situations using advanced weaponry and technology.
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National Guard
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Military reserve units of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force controlled by each state of the U.S. and subject to deployment by both the federal and state executive branches in times of emergency.
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Private Security
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The practice of private corporations or individuals offering services traditionally performed by police officers.
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Mandatory Arrest Policy
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Requires a police officer to detain a person for committing a certain type of crime as long as probable cause that he or she committed the crime exists.
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Probationary Period
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A period of time at the beginning of a police officer's career during which he or she may be fired without cause. Can last from 6-18 months.
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Policy
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A written set of guiding principles that law enforcement officers must adhere to in stated situations.
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Sworn Officers
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A law enforcement agent who has been authorized to make arrests and use force, including deadly force, against civilians.
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Detective
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Primary police investigator of crimes. Detectives spend much of their time investigating common crimes such as burglaries and are more likely to be tracking down stolen property than a murderer.
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Confidential Informant (CI)
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A human source for police who provides information concerning illegal activity in which he or she is involved.
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Clearance Rate
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A comparison of the number of crimes cleared by arrest and prosecution with the number of crimes reported during any given time period.
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Cold Case
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A criminal investigation that has not been solved (or cleared) after a certain amount of time.
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Forensics
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The application of science to establish facts and evidence during the investigation of crimes.
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Trace Evidence
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Evidence such as fingerprint, blood, or hair found in small amounts is collected by the first law enforcement agent to reach the crime scene.
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Ballistics
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The study of firearms, including the firing of the weapon and the flight of the bullet.
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DNA Fingerprinting
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The identification of a person based on a sample of his or her DNA.
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Cold Hit
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When law enforcement finds a suspect "out of nowhere" by comparing DNA evidence from a crime scene against the contents of a database.
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The National Combined DNA Index System (CODIS)
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Gives local and state law enforcement agencies access to the DNA profiles of those who have been convicted of various crimes.
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Incident-Driving Policing
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A reactive approach to policing that emphasizes a speedy response to calls for service.
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Differential Response
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Response time is adapted to the seriousness of the call.
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General Patrol
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Making the rounds of a specific area with the purpose of carrying out the various patrol functions.
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Directed Patrol
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Designed to deal with crimes that commonly occur in certain locations and under circumstances that provide police with the opportunity for preparation.
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Reactive Arrests
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Those arrests made by police officers, usually on general patrol, who observe a criminal act or respond to a call for service.
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Proactive Arrests
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Occur when the police take the initiative to target a particular type of criminal or behavior.
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Broken Windows Theory
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Wilson and Kelling's theory that a neighborhood in disrepair signals that criminal activity is tolerated in the area. Thus, by cracking down on quality-of-life crimes, police can reclaim the neighborhood and encourage law-abiding citizens to live and work there.
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Community Policing
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A policing policy that emphasizes community support for and cooperation with the police in preventing crime.
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Problem-Oriented Policing
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A policing philosophy that requires police to identify potential criminal activity and develop strategies to prevent or respond to that activity.
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Police Subculture
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A broad term used to describe the basic assumptions and values that permeate law enforcement agencies and are taught to new members of a law enforcement agency as the proper way to think, perceive, and act.
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Socialization
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The process through which a police officer is taught the values and expected behavior of the police subculture.
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Blue Curtain (or blue wall of silence, or the code)
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A metaphorical term used to refer to the value placed on secrecy and the general mistrust of the outside world shared by many police officers.
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Police Cynicism
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The suspicion that citizens are weak, corrupt, and dangerous. This outlook is the result of a police officer being constantly exposed to civilians at their worst and can negatively affect the officer's performance.
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Reasonable Force (nondeadly force)
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The degree of force that is appropriate to protect the police officer or other citizens and is not excessive.
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Deadly Force
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Force applied by a police officer that is likely or intended to cause death.
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Police Corruption
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The abuse of authority by a law enforcement officer for personal gain.
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Internal Affairs Unit (IAU)
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A division within the police department that receives and investigates complaints of wrongdoing by police officers.
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Citizen Oversight
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Citizens review complaints brought against individual police officers or police departments. Citizens can recommend that action be taken by police administrators.
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Fourth Amendment
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Contains two critical legal concepts: a prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures and the requirement of probable cause to issue a warrant.
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Searches and Seizures
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Searching for and the confiscating of evidence by law enforcement agents
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Probable Cause
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Reasonable grounds to believe the existence of facts warranting certain actions, such as the search or arrest of a person
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Exclusionary Rule
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Any evidence obtained by an unreasonable search or seizure is inadmissable (may not be used) against a defendant in a criminal trial.
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Fruit of the Poisoned Tree
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Any physical or verbal evidence police are able to acquire by using illegally obtained evidence. (will also be deemed inadmissable)
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"Inevitable Discovery" Exception (to the exclusionary rule)
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Illegally obtained evidence can be admitted in court if police using lawful means would have "inevitably" discovered it.
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"Good Faith" Exception (to the exclusionary rule)
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Evidence acquired by a police officer using a technically invalid warrant is admissable if the officer was unaware of the error.
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"Totality of the circumstances" test
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To determine whether a stop is based on a reasonable suspicion.
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Racial Profiling
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Targeting members of minority groups for police stops based solely on their race or ethnicity.
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Stop
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Takes place when an officer has reasonable suspicion that a criminal activity is about to take place.
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Frisk
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A pat-down or minimal search by police to discover weapons. Conducted for the express purpose of protecting the officer or other citizens
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Arrest
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The taking into custody of a citizen for the purpose of detaining him or her on a criminal charge.
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Arrest Warrant
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A written order, based on probable cause and issued by a judge that the person named on the warrant be arrested by the police.
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Search
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Police examine a person or property to find evidence that will be used to prove guilt in a criminal trial.
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Search Warrant
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A written order, based on probable cause and issued by a judge, commanding that police officers or criminal investigators search a specific person, place, or property to obtain evidence.
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Affidavit
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Prepared before going to judge to get a search warrant. Contains written information on the property that they wish to search and seize.
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Seizure
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The forcible taking of a person or property in response to a violation of the law.
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Anticipatory Search Warrant
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A search warrant based on the premise that specific evidence of a crime will be located at a named place in the future, though the evidence is not necessarily at that place when the warrant is issued.
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Searches incidental to an Arrest
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Searches for weapons and evidence of persons who have just been arrested.
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Consent Searches
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When individuals voluntarily give law enforcement officers permission to search their persons, homes, or belongings.
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Plain View Doctrine
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The legal principle that objects in plain view of an officer who has the right to be in a position to have that view may be seized without a warrant and introduced as evidence
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Electronic Surveillance
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The use of electronic equipment by law enforcement agents to record private conversations or observe conduct that is meant to be private (ie; wiretaps, bugs)
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Closed-circuit Television Cameras (CCTV)
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Relies on strategically placed video cameras to record and transmit all activity in a targeted area.
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Interrogation
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Questioning of a suspect from whom the police want to get information concerning a crime and perhaps a confession.
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Miranda Rights
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The constitutional rights of accused persons taken into custody by the law enforcement officials.
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Custody
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An arrest or situation in which a reasonable person would not feel free to leave.
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Custodial Interrogation
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The questioning of a suspect after that person has been taken into custody. In this situation, the suspect must be read his or her Miranda Rights before interrogation can begin.
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Booking
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The process of entering a suspect's name, offense, and arrival time into the police log following his or her arrest.
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