Police work is popularly seen as risky and stressful. This is especially so when it comes to investigation and arresting of criminals and those who break the law. A number of recent attempts to establish police problems have identified several of them. One of them is communication as explained by Rubinstein in his book City Police. According to the book, the major police problem is information. This review will discuss the book in relation to sociology theories.
Rubinstein spent a whole year being an armed observer in the police patrol of uniformed officers. He also spent another year carrying out observations during special occasions among the police. This book gives an insight of the everyday experiences of a police officer while at work. The author is detailed in the book about the way police officers regard their work and handle law breakers, criminals and suspects every day (Rubinstein et. al, 1974). In addition, it gives an in depth insight in the way police deal with their seniors, colleagues and the public while at work.
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The author of the book gives a firsthand experience on his idea of his policing area, his understanding of territory, and understanding of the people he was policing, methods of surveillance in his territory and the application of the tools of policing to manage people. He also describes his association and interaction with his colleagues and the superiors who dominate the work of a police officer (Rubinstein et. al, 1974). The book also extensively addresses the external problems in police work. These problems include corruption and acts of brutality by police officers. The book is written with great amount of insight about police work. In addition, the book is written much insight and with no pro or anti police bias. In addition, the book offers illustrative scenarios and is also the best method for police work research in the future.
Looking at Rubinstein’s work from a conflict theory point of view, police officers are used to prevent crime and maintain order in line with homogeneous choices in the society. Violence by police officers is not viewed as a social control consequence influenced by the interests of some dominating sections. Rather, it is perceived as the proportional reaction of police officers to increased violence by the general population. Conflict theory suggests that certain sections of the society gain in a way that is not proportionate from the implemented economic and social patterns (Galtung, 2008). This makes them use the state’s coercive force such as police officers in order to preserve the inequality.
Although previously the idea of power was just an economic perspective, other issues such as race and ethnicity have come into play and a part of the theory’s hypothesis. However, from a conflict theory point of view, society is an aggregation of individuals who compete and are stratified. In this case, each of the groups makes use of all the available resources in order to promote and preserve its socioeconomic status. Therefore, Rubenstein’s description of the way superiors control the junior police officers can be seen as a result of the influence and pressure by some elite groups in the society in an attempt to maintain their socio economic status. Therefore, the actions of violence implemented by police officers as can be seen not as a response to violence from civilians but as a social control consequence that is influenced by the preferences of some dominant groups in the society.
From this perspective, the problems in the police force as they are explained by Rubenstein are as a result of control and influence by some elite groups in the society to regulate and suppress any groups that are considered a threat to them in one way or the other. Although the perspective pays attention on the external influences on police behavior, conduct and policies, the conflict theory proposes a number of social dynamics that exploit the police force and class motives that are reduced by agreement views.
According to Rubenstein, a police officer’s main tool is hi/her body. The pressures exerted on police officers such as handling crime in the streets, arrest and managing through work late at night are strongly presented while at the same time their professional code of ethics is asserted over any infringement of human rights. This is meant to ensure that the society is held together. However, although there is much emphasis on conflict existing between unequal groups in the society, conflict theorists do not assert that only by coercion is the society held together.
A conflict theory perspective proposes that observable consensus and moral patterns alone cannot sufficiently produce order in the society (Galtung, 2008). The observation by Rubenstein whereby police officers kill people for small crimes that would cost them a small jail sentence and no one sees the situation as requiring a solution cannot be explained by moral patterns and observable consensus alone. In addition, taking of bribes and involvement in drug trafficking by police officer is not just merely a moral values issue. It is beyond that. The influence of some social elite groups and their interest come into play in this case.
If coercion by the state is the only method by which different groups in the society are glued together, more and extreme violence by police officers would be evident beyond the existing levels today (Gultang, 2008). Instead, police homicides are not very common. However, this does not mean that the police force should use homicides to represent an indicator of the results of social control. This is because frequency does not prove the efficiency of the police violence by police officers in protecting the interests of some elite and privileged groups in the society. The notion that some types of domination are allowed and okay or too strong and powerful to be questioned and challenged is a source of power for the elite, privileged and dominant groups in the society. This is because it decreases resistance by the general, population. A death threat is in itself oppressive even in cases where it is not actually implemented. Therefore, the behavior of police officers shown by Rubenstein in his book looked from a conflict theory perspective is influenced by some dominant groups in the society that seek to have their interests protected by all means using the state coercive power.
Looking at police behavior and perceptions from a labeling theory point of view, the actions, behaviors and perceptions of police officers explained by Rubenstein in his book can be seen as an outcome of the labeling on certain minority groups by some specific dominant groups. The theory propose that criminal behavior is perceived as a consequence of labeling by the dominant and elite groups in the society on the minority groups who are seen as carrying out activities that are not in line with the social norms (Spencer, 2018).
The theory states that society is give a negative perception to a person and this controls the individual’s behavior. When an individual is labeled as deviant by the society, the individual assimilates the label and with time adopt the behavior of a deviant individual in order to conform to the expectations of the general population (Spencer, 2018). This is the same case with police officers. Although their primary duty is to maintain law and order in the society, they are labeled as violent. The society’s perception of police officers is that they are violent due to the nature of their work which involves among other dealing with criminals who are perceived as dangerous people in the society.
Due to the nature of their work, the society are expects them to be rough, violent etc. As a result of this perspective, police officers conform to the expectations of the society by behaving in the way that the society expects them to. Therefore, the conduct and behavior of police officers explained by Rubenstein can be perceived as an outcome of societal labeling on police officers. When the society labels police officers as violent, the individuals in the police force assimilate and internalize the label. With time, they adopt the behavior and nature of a violent individual in order to meet the expectations of the society. Every individual is aware of how individuals judge them based on past encounters and associations with people in the society (Spencer, 2018). This self from a labeling theory point of view can be said to be formed in line with the society’s perception. When the views and perceptions of an individual by the society are change, the person is most likely to evaluate his/her self-depending on the society’s judgment and perceptions.
In conclusion, this critical review has discussed the book City Police by Rubenstein in relation to sociology theories. Rubenstein gives a good insight and understanding about police men and the nature of their work that is crucial in understanding police problems. This is done without a judging evaluation of the municipal law enforcement in view of a social institution. The book presents an understanding of how police officers conceive the outside and inside in their minds and it is a very resourceful material in understanding police work and dealing with the problems in the police force.
References
Shover, N., Rubinstein, J., & Cain, M. E. (1974). City Police. Social Forces, 53 (2), 348. Doi: 10.2307/2576041
Galtung, J. (2008). Conflict Theory. Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace, & Conflict, 391-400. doi:10.1016/b978-012373985-8.00034-9
Spencer, D. C. (2018). Labeling theory. The Routledge Companion to Criminological Theory and Concepts, 181-184. Doi: 10.4324/9781315744902-40
