Ferguson Effect

Ferguson Effect

In 2014 a young African American man was killed in Ferguson, Missouri after an altercation
with a local police officer. Ensuing violent protests, media scrutiny and activism by the fledgling
Black Lives Matter group and others generated an opposition to police tactics that continues
today. When crime rates in some areas rose, St. Louis Police Chief Dotson postulated that a
“Ferguson Effect” whereby police officers may be reluctant to enforce the law in some situations
may be a result of the scrutiny. The potential for such an effect has enormous implications for
police leaders, policy and practice in law enforcement. This assignment requires you to compare
two articles, read them, and discuss how they are related to the overall topic of law enforcement
leadership and civil liberties. One article is part of the Learn section and each student will find
another article on the same subject, using the Liberty University library resources. Please ensure
your finished product reflects how the articles relate to the discipline of law enforcement. In
addition to an introduction and conclusion, make sure to cover the following pertinent questions
as you prepare your Critical Review: Ferguson Effect Assignment.
INSTRUCTIONS
Article reviews enable you to practice thinking critically and to synthesize information.
 Do not quote from the article. Instead, summarize and paraphrase. For purposes of
promoting originality, citations should be limited to about 1-2 per paragraph in most
instances.
 Paragraphs should ideally consist of between 5-7 sentences each.
 Your review must be written in your words and include Biblical integration and at least
three scholarly citations, one of which can be your textbook, in APA format.
 Acceptable sources are those scholarly articles that can be obtained using the Liberty
University Library resources. These articles should be published within the past five
years unless they are classic or seminal works.
 In addition to 5 pages of content, make sure to include a title and reference page. You
do not need to produce an abstract for this assignment.
 Your paper should address the following questions: What is the article’s title and
purpose? What are the authors’ theoretical assumptions? What are the major similarities
and differences in the authors’ views? Do the articles advance the work in the field of law
enforcement? Does your research indicate the need for improved leadership training in
law enforcement? Do not simply answer the questions but incorporate your answers into
the flow of the assignment.