De-policing

De-policing is a term for police disengaging from active police work, generally as a reaction to external scrutiny or negative publicity.[1] De-policing represents a de facto police strike, in which the police withdraw an aspect of their crime prevention services. It is a practical police protest at perceived political interference in their day-to-day task of policing.[2]

Author Heather Mac Donald has offered another interpretation for the term "de-policing". In her book The War on Cops,[3] she uses the term as the antithesis for pro-active policing in general. In the light of the 2014 killing of Eric Garner in Staten Island, New York and criticism of "broken windows" policing,[4] MacDonald used the term de-policing to describe the NYPD's policy of backing away from actively pursuing stop-and-frisk procedures as a primary method of crime prevention.

A 2017 FBI study suggested that law enforcement felt a "chill wind" after several high-profile police killings in recent years—especially the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.[5] The study noted the stance of politicians, the media, and the broader social movement making people feel that it was acceptable "to challenge and discredit law enforcement actions"; and proposed that these circumstances have demoralized police officers and led them to do less on the job.[5][6] In a 2017 survey by Pew Research Center, 86% of police officers said they believed that police killings of African Americans had made policing more difficult.[5]

Recent court decisions like Ligon[7] and Floyd[8] have also contributed to the atmosphere of de-policing in many American cities, but particularly New York City.[9] Cities like Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore, Maryland have been similarly affected due to what is perceived as unfair and aggressive policing in minority communities.

See also

References
  1. Rushin, Stephen; Edwards, Griffin (March 2017). "De-Policing". Cornell Law Review. 102.
  2. Kaste, Martin (8 January 2015). "When Morale Dips, Some Cops Walk The Beat — But Do The Minimum". NPR. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  3. MacDonald, Heather (2016). The War on Cops. New York, NY: Encounter Books. pp. 31–35. ISBN 9781594038761.
  4. Kelling, George. "Broken Windows". The Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly Group. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
  5. "Analyzing the State of U.S. Policing". FBI: Law Enforcement Bulletin. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
  6. "The Assailant Study - Mindsets and Behaviors" (PDF). Federal Bureau of Investigation, Office of Partner Engagement. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
  7. Court of Appeals, US (2014-02-21). "Ligon vs. New York City". FindLaw. Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
  8. Court of Appeals, US (2014-10-31). "Floyd vs. New York City". Findlaw. Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
  9. Fagan, Jeffery; Richman, Daniel (2017). "Understanding Recent Spikes and Longer Trends in American Murders". Columbia Law School, Faculty Scholarship.
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