In Spring 2020, communities across the United States witnessed protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Calls for police reform became prevalent in the media, on yard signs in urban and suburban areas, in commercials and, of course, in political discourse. This assignment is an opportunity for students to draw upon what you have learned about policing models, strategies, unions, legal regulations and liability, and organizational change to address calls for police reform.Assignment Description: In Breaking Rank, Norm Stamper suggests that meaningful criminal justice reform cannot occur “without significant structural transformation” of local police departments. Your paper will develop an argument either in support of or against Stamper’s position. You will be graded based on how persuasively you argue your position. You are expected to draw upon both (i) course materials (i.e., the textbook, Stamper’s book and material posted on Canvas), and (ii) your independent research (including news articles, academic books and peer-reviewed articles). You should cite at least three sources (other than required course material). Your paper should address at least one counterargument to your thesis. An effective introduction and conclusions are also necessary.EXCERPT from Chapter 16 (“Demilitarizing the Police”) of Norm Stamper’s book, Breaking Rank:“Many Americans view their local PD as an occupational force—repressive, distant, arrogant. It’s no wonder: their police department operates within the framework of a paramilitary bureaucracy, a structure that fortifies that image and promotes the behavior. Your local PD takes raw material, the average police recruit from your own community, and molds him or her into a soldier-bureaucrat, starting in the academy.That rigid, top-down, highly centralized, militarily oriented “command and control” system simply does not work for policing – not in America, not in our multicultural, ostensibly, pluralistic, democratic society. The paramilitary bureaucracy, or “PMB”, as I’ve referred to it in my notes over the years, is a slow-footed, buck-passing, blame-laying, bullying, bigotry-fostering institutional arrangement, as constipated by tradition and as resistant to change as Mel Gibson’s version of the Catholic Church. I cannot imagine other essential reforms in policing – improved crime-fighting, safety and morale of the force, the honoring of constitutional guarantees—without significant structural transformation.”TECHNICAL ASPECTS: PAGE LIMIT:5 pages, exclusive of Title page and Works Cited pageTECHNICAL:Double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins1:59 pm via Turninin/Canvas.TURNITIN PLAGIARISM REVIEW: When a paper is submitted, Turnitin generates a similarity report. I will not accept any paper that indicates a greater than 6% similarity match. Students are responsible for monitoring their compliance with this requirement. Components:Your paper must contain the following components:Title Page (5 points): The title page must contain the student’s name, course number and title, Instructor’s name, date and a meaningful title.Introductory Paragraph (10 points): The introduction should provide (i) factual and theoretical context for your paper, (ii) set forth your thesis, and (iii) provide a roadmap of your argument.Well-Crafter Thesis (5 points): Your thesis should clearly present your argument to the reader. You will lose points if the position you are taking is unclear.Two Arguments Supporting Thesis (30 points): Your paper should feature two arguments that clearly and logically support your thesis. Your argument should draw on evidence (e.g., statistics, interviews, research articles, etc.) to persuade the reader of your position.Counterargument (10 points): Your paper should identify and refute a counterargument. Maximum points will be awarded to the articulation and refutation of strong counterarguments based on evidence (as opposed to hypothetical arguments, strawmen or indefensibly extreme views).Quality of Research (20 points): You must draw upon (i) course materials and (ii) your own independent research. At a minimum, you must cite three quality sources in addition to the textbook, Stamper’s book or any material posted on Canvas. Peer-reviewed research articles offer the highest quality because the data is reviewed by specialists in the field. Additional quality sources include academic books, articles from credible news sources (such as major newspapers and news magazines), statistics from governmental sites, and published judicial opinions. Lecture slides and Wikipedia are informal sources.Conclusion (5 points): Your conclusion should synthesize the thoughts raised in the body of your paper and offer your final thoughts on the subject.Correct Grammar, Spelling and MLA Formatting (10 points): Your paper must contain correct spelling and grammar and utilize MLA formatting (MLA Resource ONLINE). Use an academic tone (do not use slang, passive voice or contractions). Minimize first person voice. For each error, one point will be deducted.Works Cited Page (5 points): The works cited page must list every resource that you used to develop your paper. Use MLA formatting.
