The Ferguson
Effect One concern regarding police professional behavior is the “Ferguson Effect.” The Ferguson Effect is named after the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO. The Ferguson Effect posits that following the Ferguson shooting and other police shootings and deaths, that police officers are fearful of repercussions, which may follow as they perform their duties due to excessive public scrutiny and “back off” of performing what they see as “high risk” activities such as arrests and situations that may call for use of force. The Ferguson Effect posits that offenders know of the police officer’s reluctance to patrol aggressively and, therefore, feel emboldened to commit criminal activities. Many point to the Ferguson Effect to explain why violent crime rates are rising in certain large cities. However, a number of police administrators and former President Obama dismiss the possibility of any truth in the Ferguson Effect. Do you think police officers are influenced by the Ferguson Effect in patrolling and making arrests?
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