Survey methodology: in-person, telephone, and computer-assisted approaches
Research Survey Questions - Answers
Research Survey Question 1: should police officers have discretion when dealing with domestic violence? Answer: YES with qualifications. An in-person survey might work best here because citizens don't all see police as protectors of society; some see them as threats.
Discretion is lately recognized as a "necessary evil" according to the police science faculty at North Carolina Wesleyan College (ncwc.edu). Discretion can be put to effective use in a domestic violence situation when it is "structured properly" but on the other hand there is a potential for the "abuse of discretion" when poor choices are made by the officers involved in the dispute (ncwc.edu). Discretion "as judgment" is the exact opposite of "routine and habitual obedience," according to ncwc.edu; police do not follow exact, precise orders like soldiers are obliged to – they "…must adapt…rules to local circumstances" because every instance of domestic abuse is unique in some meaningful way (ncwc.edu).
Professional Associations and State Government Agencies
Practicing psychology in United States is governed by the various authorities. The eminent authorities providing code of conduct for the psychology professionals are State laws, American Psychological Association, State boards of psychology, Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) and National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology (NRHSPP). Where these bodies have a general purpose of facilitating the psychology professionals and enhancing the standards of their service, there are instances where their respective codes of conducts are at conflict.
Public Perception of Police Misconduct
The public and police have always had an uneasy relationship within the United States, but this is most evident when considering racial minorities. The ‘third degree' interrogation methods in widespread use at the beginning of the 20th century disproportionately victimized the poor, young, and minorities. Close to 135 victims of the Chicago Police Torture ring, which existed between 1972 and 1991, were African Americans. However, the emergence of citizen journalists armed with video-capable cell phones, voice recorders, and cameras, are fighting back. This essay examines the divisions along racial and generational lines concerning police misconduct.