“It Was a Bum Rap”

• Date: 01 September 2014
• Published date: 01 September 2014
• DOI: 10.1177/0734016814536029
• Author: Scott Menard,Wendi Pollock
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article

‘‘It Was a Bum Rap’’:

Self-Reports of Being

Erroneously Arrested

in a National Sample

Wendi Pollock

1

and Scott Menard

2

Abstract

Individual-level predictors of erroneous arrest for illegal behavior are investigated using a national

level, probability sample. The analysis specifically examines whether being a ‘‘usual suspect’’ based

on previous criminal behavior and being male; ‘‘guilt by association’’ based on the illegal behavior

of one’s friends; academic achievement; and sociodemographic variables including ethnicity and

socioeconomic status, impact the likelihood of being erroneously arrested for a crime. Results sug-

gest that officers may be erroneously arresting minorities and individuals who have low academic

achievement. Implications for policy and future research are considered.

Keywords

police processes, law enforcement/security, police culture/accountability, quantitative methods,

other

Arrests that are erroneous for any reason are a serious concern in the United States, for both

individuals and police departments. For individuals, these actions could cause harms in the form

of the possibility of being falsely labeled as a criminal, the loss of family trust, job loss, high finan-

cial costs, incarceration, and so on (Becker, 1966; King, 2009; Lemert, 1951). In addition to the

potential harm levied on the erroneously arrested individual, if it becomes clear that police are mak-

ing erroneous arrests, especially in cases in which the general public perceives the police to be acting

with a bias (e.g.,, erroneous arrests of males or Hispanic individuals), police are likely to face a loss

of trust from the public. This may result in more aggression from citizens who perceive themselves

to be among the targeted (Fagan & Davies, 2000).

It should also be noted that erroneous arrests can result in negative labels for police departments.

This means that just one incident of erroneous arrest, if highly publicized by the media, may color

1

Department of Government, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX, USA

2

College of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, USA

Corresponding Author:

Wendi Pollock, Department of Government, Stephen F. Austin State University, Box 13045 SFA Station, Nacogdoches, TX

75962, USA.

Email: pollockwk@sfasu.edu

Criminal Justice Review

2014, Vol. 39(3) 325-338

ª2014 Georgia State University

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DOI: 10.1177/0734016814536029

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