The Times Australia
The Times World News

.
The Times Real Estate

.

Tyre Nichols' death underscores the troubled history of specialized police units

  • Written by Ian T. Adams, Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of South Carolina
Tyre Nichols' death underscores the troubled history of specialized police units

The officers charged[1] in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols[2] were not your everyday uniformed patrol officers.

Rather, they were part of an elite squad: Memphis Police Department’s SCORPION team[3]. A rather tortured acronym for “Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods,” SCORPION is a crime suppression unit – that is, officers detailed specifically to prevent, detect and interrupt violent crime by proactively using stops, frisks, searches and arrests. Such specialized units are common in forces across the U.S. and tend to rely on aggressive policing[4] tactics.

As academics who[5] study policing[6], and as former officers ourselves, we have long been aware of potential problems with such specialized units. Treating aggressive crime fighting as the highest priority in policing can cultivate a corrosive culture in which bad behavior is often tolerated, even encouraged – to the detriment of community relations[7]. Changing that pattern requires wrestling with complexities of policing in modern society.

From Prohibition to the war on drugs

Crime suppression units, sometimes called “violence reduction units” or “street crimes units,” have a long and often sordid history[8] in the United States.

Such specialized units are usually set up to address specific issues, such as drug trafficking or gang crime. An early precedent to modern crime suppression units can be seen in the squads set up by the federal Bureau of Prohibition and their local counterparts during the 1920s. These squads were charged with enforcing newly passed alcohol laws but often lacked the training or numbers to support their mission[9]. The predictable result was the unlawful killing of civilians and corruption[10]. Indeed, the Wickersham Commission report[11], released in the early 1930s, shows how the power that goes with being part of a specialized unit can be corrosive. It noted that the “unfortunate public expressions [by police] approving killings and promiscuous shootings and lawless raids and seizures” can lead to the alienation of “thoughtful citizens, believers in law and order.”

Black and white photo shows police officers in 1920s uniforms pouring out liquid from a barrel.
Prohibition police units often overstepped the mark. Hugh E. O'Donnell/The Boston Globe via Getty Images[12]

In more recent times, police agencies have used specialized units to respond to violent crime, often because of a surge in public demand for the police to “do something.” Investing in a more robust public safety infrastructure[13] is expensive, politically fraught and, even if successful, could take decades to reap rewards. So instead of addressing social problems, such as poverty and lack of economic opportunity, elected officials turn to police leaders, who often reach for a familiar tool: aggressive enforcement tactics[14]. Such an approach is intended to prevent, detect and interrupt crime, and to identify, apprehend and punish[15] criminal offenders.

When cops ‘own the city’

That was exactly the pattern in Memphis, where violent crime[16] in 2020 and 2021 experienced a significant increase[17], with a per capita murder rate that put it among the most dangerous cities in the nation. These historic rises in homicides were in contrast to dramatically lower rates[18] just a few years before.

In 2021, the city hired Police Chief Cerelyn Davis, who bluntly described her vision[19]: “being tough on tough people.”

As homicides soared, Memphis established the SCORPION team, assigning 40 officers to clean up the most crime-ridden parts[20] of the city. Both Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and Chief Davis celebrated[21] the number of arrests that the SCORPION team’s officers made, along with the guns, cash and vehicles they seized.

Positions in specialized units come with prestige, flexibility and the lure of future promotions. In better times, membership is restricted to officers with more experience and training. But as the Memphis Police Department lost around 23% of its sworn personnel between 2013 and 2018, the department lowered overall minimum standards[22] for officers, and inexperienced officers were appointed to SCORPION[23]including those now charged[24] with murdering Tyre Nichols.

Memphis is far from alone. In 2007, the Baltimore Police Department set up the Gun Trace Task Force[25] to address illegal guns and violent crime. And before that, in the 1990s, the Los Angeles Police Department established the Rampart CRASH, or Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums, unit[26], which focused on gangs and violent crime. In New Orleans, the city’s police department viewed its task force officers, known as “jump out boys,” as “enforcers and agents of crime control[27].”

Scandal connects these units. In each case – and in many more – officers stepped over the line from aggressive enforcement to misconduct, abuse or even outright criminality. Members of the Baltimore Gun Trace Task Force were eventually convicted on charges including robbery, racketeering and extortion[28]. Rampart CRASH unit officers robbed banks, stole narcotics and engaged in extrajudicial beatings of suspects[29]. The New Orleans Police Department was eventually placed under the oversight of a federal consent decree[30] after the jump out boys developed a reputation as “dirty cops, the ones who are going to be brutal,” in the words of one sergeant[31].

Do the ends justify the means?

These result were, for many, entirely foreseeable.

As eminent criminologist Herman Goldstein[32] wrote in 1977, problems arise when “the police […] place a higher priority on maintaining order than on operating legally.” Recent scholars refer to “noble cause corruption[33],” but readers are probably more familiar with a synonymous phrase: “the ends justify the means.”

Even when well-intentioned, prioritizing aggressive police enforcement can be deeply destructive. Research has found[34] that aggressive police units have significantly more use-of-force incidents and public complaints, while also having fewer complaints against them upheld. This suggests a culture in which some violations are tacitly approved so long as the unit is productive – that is, it makes arrests.

To a significant extent, this comes down to agency culture. A permissive culture, as researchers have long recognized[35], can both protect and corrupt the nature of policing. Every police department has a culture, but those best able to balance the missions of addressing violent crime and maintaining community support set about shaping and reinforcing their culture instead of leaving it to grow wild.

When aggressive police culture overwhelms the professional norms of constitutional policing, the public safety mission of policing breaks down. Chiefs are put into a difficult position – they must ensure that officers who use coercive authority in response to public demands for crime control also respect the legal limits of their authority.

The legitimacy of policing, we believe, depends on recognizing that while hyperaggressive tactics by young, often inexperienced officers in crime suppression units may contribute to short-term deterrence of some violent crime, those same tactics are very likely to leave a wake of public disgust and distrust behind. That can seriously undermine public safety efforts, including the investigation of violent crimes that rely heavily on community cooperation.

If the history of crime suppression units teaches us anything, it is that they must prioritize legal and rightful policing[36] above aggressive crime fighting. To do otherwise is to risk becoming just another source of violence in already victimized communities.

References

  1. ^ officers charged (www.cbsnews.com)
  2. ^ fatal beating of Tyre Nichols (www.nytimes.com)
  3. ^ SCORPION team (www.nytimes.com)
  4. ^ rely on aggressive policing (www.washingtonpost.com)
  5. ^ academics who (sc.edu)
  6. ^ study policing (sc.edu)
  7. ^ detriment of community relations (www.rand.org)
  8. ^ long and often sordid history (www.washingtonpost.com)
  9. ^ often lacked the training or numbers to support their mission (prohibition.themobmuseum.org)
  10. ^ killing of civilians and corruption (www.alcoholproblemsandsolutions.org)
  11. ^ Wickersham Commission report (law.jrank.org)
  12. ^ Hugh E. O'Donnell/The Boston Globe via Getty Images (www.gettyimages.com)
  13. ^ a more robust public safety infrastructure (www.theatlantic.com)
  14. ^ aggressive enforcement tactics (www.brennancenter.org)
  15. ^ identify, apprehend and punish (www.hup.harvard.edu)
  16. ^ violent crime (www.nytimes.com)
  17. ^ a significant increase (memphiscrime.org)
  18. ^ dramatically lower rates (memphiscrime.org)
  19. ^ her vision (www.nytimes.com)
  20. ^ assigning 40 officers to clean up the most crime-ridden parts (abcnews.go.com)
  21. ^ celebrated (www.nytimes.com)
  22. ^ the department lowered overall minimum standards (www.actionnews5.com)
  23. ^ inexperienced officers were appointed to SCORPION (www.nbcnews.com)
  24. ^ including those now charged (apnews.com)
  25. ^ set up the Gun Trace Task Force (static1.squarespace.com)
  26. ^ CRASH, or Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums, unit (www.pbs.org)
  27. ^ enforcers and agents of crime control (www.justice.gov)
  28. ^ eventually convicted on charges including robbery, racketeering and extortion (www.newsweek.com)
  29. ^ robbed banks, stole narcotics and engaged in extrajudicial beatings of suspects (www.pbs.org)
  30. ^ placed under the oversight of a federal consent decree (www.nytimes.com)
  31. ^ words of one sergeant (www.justice.gov)
  32. ^ eminent criminologist Herman Goldstein (thecrimereport.org)
  33. ^ noble cause corruption (www.taylorfrancis.com)
  34. ^ Research has found (doi.org)
  35. ^ have long recognized (doi.org)
  36. ^ rightful policing (www.ojp.gov)

Read more https://theconversation.com/tyre-nichols-death-underscores-the-troubled-history-of-specialized-police-units-198851

The Times Features

Best Deals on Home Furniture Online

Key Highlights Discover the best deals on high-quality outdoor furniture online. Transform your outdoor space into a stylish and comfortable oasis. Explore a wide range of d...

Discover the Best Women's Jumpers for Every Season

Key Highlights Explore lightweight jumpers for spring and summer, ensuring breathability and ease. Wrap up warm with cozy wool jumpers for the chilly autumn and winter season...

Uncover the Elegance of Gorgeous Diamond Tennis Necklaces

Key Highlights Diamond tennis necklaces are a timeless piece of jewelry that exudes elegance and sophistication. They feature a continuous line of brilliant-cut diamonds, cre...

Dental Implants vs. Dentures: Which Is Better for You?

When it comes to replacing missing teeth, two of the most common options are dental implants and dentures. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, so choosing between them ...

What Neck Pain Really Means (And Why It’s More Than Just Poor Posture)

Neck pain is often brushed off as something temporary — a tight spot after a long day at the desk or a poor night’s sleep. But when the discomfort keeps returning, it could be a ...

The Work of Gosha Rubchinskiy: Fashion, Culture, and Youth

From Designer to Cultural Architect Gosha Rubchinskiy is not just a fashion designer—he's a cultural force. Born in Moscow in 1984, Rubchinskiy began his career in fashion in t...

Times Magazine

The Essential Guide to Transforming Office Spaces for Maximum Efficiency

Why Office Fitouts MatterA well-designed office can make all the difference in productivity, employee satisfaction, and client impressions. Businesses of all sizes are investing in updated office spaces to create environments that foster collaborat...

The A/B Testing Revolution: How AI Optimized Landing Pages Without Human Input

A/B testing was always integral to the web-based marketing world. Was there a button that converted better? Marketing could pit one against the other and see which option worked better. This was always through human observation, and over time, as d...

Using Countdown Timers in Email: Do They Really Increase Conversions?

In a world that's always on, where marketers are attempting to entice a subscriber and get them to convert on the same screen with one email, the power of urgency is sometimes the essential element needed. One of the most popular ways to create urg...

Types of Software Consultants

In today's technology-driven world, businesses often seek the expertise of software consultants to navigate complex software needs. There are several types of software consultants, including solution architects, project managers, and user experienc...

CWU Assistive Tech Hub is Changing Lives: Win a Free Rollator Walker This Easter!

🌟 Mobility. Independence. Community. All in One. This Easter, the CWU Assistive Tech Hub is pleased to support the Banyule community by giving away a rollator walker. The giveaway will take place during the Macleod Village Easter Egg Hunt & Ma...

"Eternal Nurture" by Cara Barilla: A Timeless Collection of Wisdom and Healing

Renowned Sydney-born author and educator Cara Barilla has released her latest book, Eternal Nurture, a profound collection of inspirational quotes designed to support mindfulness, emotional healing, and personal growth. With a deep commitment to ...

LayBy Shopping