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Oct 09, 2026
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SOC 280 Police & Society
3 credits
The overarching goal of this course is to expose students to various questions and issues related to policing in democratic society, including both theory and recent research findings. The course explores the role of police in American society and in the American system of criminal justice. We will study theoretical approaches to the function of law enforcement, the history and development of modern police agencies, and the structure and functioning of contemporary U.S. policing. The mechanisms by which social, political, and legal changes impact law enforcement will be studied as well as what effects police have on crime and disorder problems. Students will discuss and critically analyze contemporary issues, controversies, and trends in policing including police discretion, use of force, forms of police misconduct and accountability, new technological capabilities, police-community relations, police culture and subcultures, mental health, and diversity issues. Throughout the course, we will consider the values of a democratic society as they affect the role of law enforcement.
This course is also offered as CRM 280 . Students can not receive credit for both CRM 280 and SOC 280.
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