What is a Pilot Study?

Police officers in the United States are continually experiencing mistreatment. The current study was conducted to investigate why police officers that took an oath to serve and protect citizens are mistreated in the United States today. A police officer was identified, and a face-to-face interview was conducted to collect quantitative and quantitative data. Both open-ended and closed-ended questions were developed for the interview. Before the interview session began, the participant was assured that personal identifying information would not be collected to guarantee anonymity. The interview questions and responses are attached as Appendix A. It was shocking to note that in most cases, police officers do not intervene when their colleagues engage in misconduct, such as the unfair treatment of minorities. I think the interview went as expected, although I was a bit nervous at the beginning. The challenge encountered was convincing a police officer to agree to participate in the interview. 

Policy Implications 

The research’s findings indicate a need to implement policies that reduce police misconduct and mistreatment, especially against racial minorities. Body-worn cameras are one way of preventing police misconduct. According to Jones (2020), police officers are less likely to engage in misconduct if they know that their behaviors or actions are being monitored. After the U.S. Department of Justice funded the implementation of body-worn cameras, studies conducted found a decrease in the amount of force used by police on civilians (Laming, 2018). In the U.S., police brutality and misconduct cases are investigated by police commissions and the district attorneys. According to Maule (2017), the commissions and district attorneys lack accountability and are biased. They favor police officers, and in most cases, the accused police officers are declared to have acted according to rules and within the scope of their training. As a result, the public has resulted in mistreating police officers. To address this problem, the creation of civilian review boards should be made a requirement for police departments. They should be accorded the necessary mandate/authority and resources to conduct investigations independently without police interference. Besides, ethics training should be implemented in police training to promote ethical conduct among police officers. Also, peer intervention should be included in police training to intervene when their colleagues engage in misconduct to prevent adverse outcomes (IACP, n.d). 

Limitations 

The research used self-reported data. Self-reported data is a potential source of bias because it cannot be verified independently (Bernard, 2000). The researcher collected what the interviewee said in the response given. In self-reported data, a participant can exaggerate, telescope, remember things selectively, and attribute events to one’s agency or outside forces (Bernard, 2000). Besides, the sample size was small. 

Future Research 

Future research should include objective data sources to complement self-reported data. Verifiable data sources such as police records and statistics should be included to provide more objective findings. This would help reduce potential sources of bias hence base findings on more reliable and valid data. Moreover, a larger/representative and diverse sample size should be used so that findings can be generalizable. 

Appendix A 

Interview Questions and Responses 

1. Do you agree that the 600 hours of training in the police academy is enough training for officers to do their jobs the right way? Yes 

2. Do you feel the police target minorities because of where they come from? Yes, to some extent 

3. Do you feel that the harsh treatment that police officers are receiving is necessary? No, it is not necessary 

4. Do you agree that minorities are responsible for the image that police see as the problem in communities? No, I don’t think so 

5. Have you witnessed any police stop people for no valid reason? Yes or No. Yes I have 

6. If yes: How many times have you seen police stopping people within the month? 

2-5 times 

6-10 times 

11-20 

More than 20 times 

7. Were any of these people in any way defensive or complying in any way to make the police feel threatening? Most of them were complying and did not present any threat to a police officer 

8. Do you believe they committed a crime? Why or why not. No, because they appeared to be going about their daily routine such as work, school, and were not armed at all 

9. Do you agree with how the justice system handles police treatment against the people? No, I disagree 

10. Why do you believe police officers do not get the same treatment as civilians when they commit the same crimes? Because they are protected by senior law enforcement officers and the culture in most police departments, seem to tolerate crimes committed by police against minorities 

11. Do you think it’s fair for police officers to keep their pension when they commit a violent crime that results in them losing their job? No 

12. Do you think systemic racism persists in police departments? Yes 

13. Is a police officer most likely to use excessive force on racial minorities than on Whites? Yes 

14. Is ethics training essential for police? Yes 

15. Do you believe that worn body cameras would reduce police misconduct? Yes 

Additional questions 

Why do you think the harsh treatment officers are receiving is not necessary? Not all police officers commit the detested acts, and the treatment will not solve the existing problem. 

Why do you think the police felt threatened despite the people complying? Negative stereotypes about minorities, especially Blacks 

Do you feel ethics training would reduce misconduct by the police? Yes 

Why do you feel that, to some extent, police target minorities because of where they come from? Because in some cases, crimes are actually committed 

Is it common for a police officer to ignore misconduct by his/her colleague? Yes 

Should police officers get the same treatment as civilians when they commit crimes? Yes 

Why do you think police officers are most likely to use excessive force on minorities? Because of racial profiling 

Why do you think body-worn cameras would reduce police misconduct and abuse of authority? They would be aware that they are being observed 

Who do you think is responsible for the image that police have about racial minorities? Institutional racism 

Do you think racial minorities are adequately represented in your police department? No 

References 

Bernard, H. R. (2000).  Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches . SAGE. 

International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). (n.d.).  Peer Bystander Intervention in Law Enforcement Agencies . Shaping the Future of the Policing Profession | International Association of Chiefs of Police.  https://www.theiacp.org/sites/default/files/243806_IACP_CPE_Bystander_Intervention_p2.pdf 

Jones, R. (2020). Theorizing police body-worn cameras.  Police on Camera , 38-47.  https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429439759-3 

Laming, E. (2018). Police use of body worn cameras.  Police Practice and Research ,  20 (2), 201-216.  https://doi.org/10.1080/15614263.2018.1558586 

Maule, B. A. (2017). Police misconduct in Brooklyn, New York.  Police Misconduct in Brooklyn , 13-18.  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66814-7_3