The Function of the Police Force: A Behavior-Analytic Review of the History of How Policing in America Came to Be.

Abstract

The racial differentiation of policing in America has been widely researched and documented (Walker & Katz, 2008; Wilson & Kelling, 1982).Although these discrepancies are largely documented, there have been few changes within the policies, procedures and laws governing police officers. Theresults of this are two-fold. First, it has led to the continuation of individual acts of racism of police officers across the country. Second, it has upheld thesystemic racism that results in the discrepancies in outcomes between Black people and white people, making it more likely that Black individuals willinteract with police officers and have more negative outcomes as a result of these interactions. The reasons for this include lack of data regarding the race ofthe police officers involved in fatal officer-involved shootings, reliance on self-report of officers regarding instances of excessive force, and lack ofaccountability of individuals and departments alike. These issues are symptoms of the larger problems of individual and institutionalized racism that notonly increases racism within those within the police force, but also increases the likeliness that any police officer will engage in violence against a person ofcolor. To develop effective interventions that will change policing behaviors and the racism observed within the police force, one must first understand thehistorical development and function of policing and its intersection with both individual and institutional racism. This paper will provide a clear definition ofracism followed by a function-based behavior analytic examination of the historical development of policing in America.