Understanding 'Depolicing': Symbiosis Theory and Critical Cultural Theory

Abstract

Doctrinal analyses help us understand what law does. Identity theory' helps us understand why law operates in certain ways. Cultural studies 2 can help us understand that where law operates is crucial to both how it operates, and on whom. Nancy Ehrenreich's Subordination and Symbiosis: Mechanisms of Mutual Support Between Subordinating Systems 3 is especially valuable because her symbiosis theory expands identity theory. Ehrenreich turns our attention to the subjectivities 4 of those who are partly subordinated but mostly privileged-those

Depolicing: Rhetoric or Reality?

“…There is some suggestion that depolicing was advocated by the Cincinnati Police Department, specifically in the depolicing of Black neighborhoods (Cooper, 2003; S. Miller, 2001).…”

“…Over the past two decades, there has been a steady but limited discussion of the concept known as depolicing , and most of it has been relegated to political pundits, the news media, and federal investigations into police behavior (Cooper, 2003; Warner, 2005). Across America, however, there have been a growing number of allegations against police departments for engaging in this behavior, ranging from Los Angeles to New York City; Seattle to Pittsburgh, PA; and Oakland, CA, to Cincinnati, OH (Celona, Cohen, & Golding, 2014; Cooper, 2003, 2006, 2009; Mac Donald, 2005; Roberg, Novak, Cordner, & Smith, 2015). Yet, despite the widespread allegations of depolicing, there is relatively little known about this phenomenon (Warner, 2005).…”

“…A more specific definition is elucidated by former police officer Derwin J. Bradley (2007) who describes it as “when patrol and specialized units avoid a specific area or police activity (such as traffic stops), because of politics, lack of administrative support, or excessive citizen complaints against police which results in overly aggressive write-ups or Internal Affairs Investigations” (p. 36). Other definitions have explained depolicing as a response to certain types of situations and allegations such as racial profiling (Cooper, 2003, 2006, 2009), riots (Leo, 2001; Williams, 2001), civil suits (Novak, Smith, & Frank, 2003; Warner, 2005), and consent decrees (Davis, Ortiz, Henderson, Miller, & Massie, 2002; Stone, Foglesong, & Cole, 2009). If indeed the phenomenon does exist and police officers are engaging in depolicing—this matters.…”

“…If depolicing is a reality, there is clearly a need for a response that is not punitive in nature, but one that refocuses the police officer or the entire police culture of a department. And because depolicing is often a response to race-centered issues (Cooper, 2003, 2006, 2009), the potential impact that depolicing may have on racially segregated areas could be profound. If the police disengage from proactive policing in these areas, this may result in a mixed reaction; a positive one from those who believe they have been harassed for too long, but a negative reaction from those who believe the reduced police presence lessens their public safety (Unnever & Gabbidon, 2011; Weitzer, 2010).…”

Negotiating the Nexus: Symbiotic Relationship of Theory and Practice in Conflict Management

“…Outside the biological sciences, the concept of symbiosis is not often used as an explanatory concept. However, symbiosis is occasionally applied as an analytic lens by individuals in a diversity of fields, including the study of political theory (Magnusson, ), entrepreneurship (Meyskens, Carsrud, & Cardozo, ), industrial systems (Yap, Nonita Tumulak, & John Fredrick, ), community psychology (Kloos, ), art and design (Allison, ), psychoanalytic theories of early childhood development (Mahler & Furer, ; Pine, ), and criminal law (Cooper & Frank Rudy, ; Ehrenreich, ).…”