Zero Tolerance Policing in Democracies: The Dilemma of Controlling Crime Without Increasing Police Abuse of Power

According to some politicians, policing experts, and other pundits, the success of zero tolerance policing programs has been established through reductions in the number of recorded o enses. However, there may be adverse side e ects that accompany these crime-‹ghting programs including the possibility of increased o­cer misconduct (e.g., illegal searches). A theoretical framework is outlined and evidence is gathered (utilizing both o­cial data and self reports) to analyze the extent to which aggressive crime control policies inœuence o­cers. Results indicate that zero tolerance initiatives can lead to increased o­cer misconduct. Speci‹c strategies for policymakers to cope with these results are discussed.