Please note I reserve the right to make changes to the schedule as necessary. In the event that in-person classes get cancelled (e.g., inclement weather, power outages), you will be notified of the instructional continuity plan for this class by email through Canvas.
Semester Overview
Week 1/Aug 26: Introduction; Origins and Evolution of American Policing
- Introductions and Review of Syllabus
- A brief overview of US policing today
- W&S Chapter 1
Week 2/Sep 2: Policing in the American Context
- W&S Chapter 2
- Kids’ perceptions of police fall as they age – for Black children the decline starts earlier and is constant
Week 3/Sep 9: Police Organizations
- W&S Chapter 3
Week 4/Sep 16: Becoming a Cop
- W&S Chapter 4
Week 5/Sep 23: First Exam
- Exam 1 on Sep 23rd
- No class on Sep 25th
Week 6/Sep 30: Police subculture
- W&S Chapter 5
- Danger and “Officer Safety” Shape Police Socialization, Practice and Policy
- Criminal Injustice Podcast, Ep. 138 - Rosa Brooks
Week 7/Oct 7: Police Discretion and Behavior
- W&S Chapter 6
- Probable Causation Podcast, Ep. 44 - Arianna Ornaghi
Week 8/Oct 14: Community and Problem-Oriented Policing
Week 9/Oct 21: Policing in the Modern Era
- No class on Oct 21st
- W&S Chapter 9
- Necessary but Not Sufficient: The Police Role in Reducing Violence
- When cities add cops, Black residents could have the most to gain – and the most to lose
Week 10/Oct 28: Second Exam
- Exam 2 on Oct 30th
Week 11/Nov 4: Policing and the Law
- W&S Chapter 10
- Kansas v. Glover, 589 U.S. ___ (2020)
Week 12/Nov 11: ASC Conference
- No class this week
Week 13/Nov 18: Civil Liability and Accountability
- W&S Chapter 11
- How to Actually Fix America’s Police
- The concrete effects of body-worn cameras on police accountability
Week 14/Nov 25: Deviance, Ethics, and Professionalism
- W&S Chapter 12
- No class on Nov 27 - Thanksgiving Holiday
Week 15/Dec 2: Police Use of Force
- W&S Chapter 13
- Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1 (1985)
- Graham v. Connor et al., 490 U.S. 386 (1989) - Oral Argument
- Kisela v. Hughes, 584 U.S. ___ (2018)
Week 16/Dec 9: Review for Final Exam
- Exam 3 on Dec 18th
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