Transforming Citizens into Suspects: Factors that Influence the Formation of Police Suspicion
Document Type
Article
Language
eng
Format of Original
28 p.
Publication Date
2005
Publisher
Sage Publications
Source Publication
Police Quarterly
Source ISSN
1552-745X
Original Item ID
doi: 10.1177/1098611105274539
Abstract
The present study examines the formation of police suspicion and the mental processes and decisions officers make prior to stopping and questioning citizens. Furthermore, the authors include a brief discussion of the outcomes of stops made. The authors use both quantitative and qualitative data drawn from an observational study of police decision making in Savannah, Georgia. The reasons officers gave for becoming suspicious of citizens were coded into four categories: appearance, behavior, time and place, and information. The results do not support the speculation that it is during this prestop stage in the officers’ decision making when major levels of discrimination take place. However, the authors did uncover some stops based on nonbehavioral criteria, which are potentially problematic. The implications of these findings for understanding police decision making during the prestop stage of the decision-making process are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Dunham, Roger G.; Alpert, Geoffrey P.; Stroshine, Meghan S.; and Bennett, Katherine, "Transforming Citizens into Suspects: Factors that Influence the Formation of Police Suspicion" (2005). Social and Cultural Sciences Faculty Research and Publications. 21.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/socs_fac/21
Comments
Police Quarterly, Vol. 8, No. 3 (September 2005): 366-393. DOI.