Law Enforcement and Public Safety of LGBT Elders

Thomas, Randy

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-03623-6_26

Randy Thomas³

70k Accesses

Abstract

This chapter discusses the issues associated with law enforcement and the LBGT community. It describes the structure of law enforcement in the USA, the role that law enforcement plays in the criminal justice system and the current relationship between law enforcement and the LBGT community. This chapter also focuses on the victimization of LBGT elders, the criminal justice response, and the need for better outcomes. Information is presented on the legal structure that impacts law enforcement response and the need to understand the interaction between LBGT elders and the criminal justice system. This chapter will also look at law enforcement training and possible prescriptive actions needed to improve to elder LBGT victimization.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Chapter: USD 29.95; Price excludes VAT (USA)

eBook: USD 89.00; Price excludes VAT (USA)

Softcover Book: USD 119.00; Price excludes VAT (USA)

Hardcover Book: USD 119.99; Price excludes VAT (USA)

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

Alberty, E. (2014, June 6). Utah police officer on leave for refusing gay pride parade assignment. The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://www.sltrib.com.
Amnesty International. (2005). Stonewalled: Police abuse and misconduct against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people in the U.S. Retrieved January 14, 2015, from http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/122/2005.
Atlanta Police Department. (2014). Transgender interaction policy Retrieved February 25, 2015, from http://www.atlantapd.org/pdf/news-releases/175C2728-D143-4E88-BB16-43E1923D1F3A.pdf.
Brandl, B., Dyer, C., Heisler, C., Otto, J., Stiegel, L., & Thomas, R. (2007). Elder abuse detection and intervention: A collaborative approach. New York: Springer.
Google Scholar
Cook-Daniels, L. (1997). Lesbian, gay male, bisexual and transgendered elders: elder abuse and neglect issues. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 9(2), 35–49.
Article Google Scholar
Human Rights Campaign. (2013). State hate crime laws. Retrieved January 15, 2015, from http://www.hrc.org/statelaws.
Lambda Legal. (2012). Protected and served? Retrieved January 15, 2015, from http://www.lambdalegal.org/protected-and-served-police.
Meares, T. L. (2015). Rightful policing. New perspectives in policing bulletin. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, NCJ 248411.
Google Scholar
Meyer, H. (2011). The LGBT senior population’s risk of elder abuse. Retrieved January 16, 2015, from http://www.ecarediary.com/viewblog.aspx?BlogID=530.
National Center on Elder Abuse. (2013). Mistreatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) elders. Retrieved January 14, 2015, from http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/Resources/Publication/docs/NCEA_LGBT_ResearchBrief_2013.pdf.
New York Police Department-Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Liaison Unit. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16, 2015, from http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/community_affairs/lgbt.shtml.
NOLO: Law for All. (2015). Hate crimes act (Mathew Shepard Act). Retrieved February 25, 2015, from http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/content/hate-crime-act.html.
Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police. (2013). Best practices in policing and lgbtq communities in Ontario. Retrieved February 25, 2015, from http://www.oacp.on.ca/Userfiles/Files/NewAndEvents/OACP%20LGBTQ%20final%20Nov2013.pdf.
Police. (2013). Dealing with transgender subjects. Retrieved February 25, 2015, from http://www.policemag.com/blog/training/story/2013/01/dealing-with-transgender-subjects.aspx.
Stiffler, S. (2010). Police LGBT liaison units: how effective are they? Retrieved January 16, 2015, from http://www.edgeboston.com/news/national///102392/police_lgbt_liaison_units:_how_effective_are_they?.
The Crime Report. (2014). How cops can learn how to protect trans gender women. Retrieved February 25, 2015, from http://www.thecrimereport.org/news/inside-criminal-justice/2014-05-can-cops-learn-how-to-protect-trans-women.
The Network for Public Health Law. Domestic violence and same-sex relationships fact sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved January 20, 2015, from https://www.networkforphl.org/_asset/lmb0yo/Master-List-of-SameSex-Domestic-Violence-Protections-Updated-1262012.pdf.
United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. (2011). Census of state and local law enforcement agencies, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2014, from http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=2216.
United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. (2009). State and local law enforcement training academies, 2006, (Revised 4/1/09). Retrieved January 16, 2015, from http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=1207.
Walsh, C., Olson, J., Ploeg, J., Lohfeld, L., & MacMillan, J. (2011). Elder abuse and oppression: Voices of marginalized elders. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 23(1), 17–42.
Article Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Exodus International, Orlando, USA
Randy Thomas

Authors

Randy Thomas
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Randy Thomas .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
Debra A. Harley
University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
Pamela B. Teaster

Appendices

Learning Exercises

Self-check Questions

1.
What types of challenges do law enforcement agencies face when responding to the concerns of LGBT elders?
2.
What makes the victimization of LGBT elders difficult?
3.
What statutory constraints impact responding to the victimization of LGBT elders?
4.
What does research tell us about the concerns of LGBT individuals when dealing with law enforcement?
5.
How does the criminal code make it difficult for law enforcement to adequately protect LGBT elder victims?
6.
How effective are hate crime statutes in providing protection to LGBT individuals?

Experiential Exercises

1.
Identify a law enforcement agency that has a specialized unit addressing LGBT persons and interview the officers assigned to this unit.
2.
Develop a training program for law enforcement that focuses on LGBT issues.
3.
Develop a model policy for law enforcement response to LGBT concerns.
4.
Identify a LGBT victim and conduct an interview that details their experience with law enforcement.

Multiple-choice Questions

1.
The primary function of law enforcement is to provide_____?
1. (a)
  Service
2. (b)
  Protection
3. (c)
  Enforce the laws
4. (d)
  Enforce private actions
2.
Law enforcement owes a duty to_____?
1. (a)
  An individual
2. (b)
  The criminal justice system
3. (c)
  The courts
4. (d)
  The community
3.
One of the major issues confronting any study of law enforcement is_____?
1. (a)
  Fragmentation
2. (b)
  Policy
3. (c)
  Training
4. (d)
  Community studies
4.
Enforcement of criminal statutes is based upon______?
1. (a)
  State statutes
2. (b)
  Federal guidelines
3. (c)
  Individual officer decisions
4. (d)
  Community pressure
5.
There are over _______ local law enforcement agencies?
1. (a)
  14,000
2. (b)
  15,000
3. (c)
  16,000
4. (d)
  17,000
6.
The majority of local law enforcement agencies have less than_____officers?
1. (a)
  9
2. (b)
  10
3. (c)
  11
4. (d)
  20
7.
The standards for the delivery of police services are set by_________?
1. (a)
  The state
2. (b)
  The local government
3. (c)
  The federal government
4. (d)
  Not anyone
8.
Community-Oriented Policing targets what type of activity?
1. (a)
  Quality of life
2. (b)
  Crime
3. (c)
  Service
4. (d)
  Victimization
9.
The creation of specialized units addressing LGBT issues is complicated by what fact?
1. (a)
  Community standards
2. (b)
  Size of the department
3. (c)
  Laws
4. (d)
  Training standards
10.
Law enforcement training standards are set at what level?
1. (a)
  The state
2. (b)
  The federal government
3. (c)
  The local government
4. (d)
  The individual agency

Key

1.
c
2.
d
3.
a
4.
a
5.
d
6.
b
7.
b
8.
a
9.
b
10.
a

Resources

American Civil Liberties Union: www.aclu.org/lgbt-rights
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission: www.iglhrc.org

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Thomas, R. (2016). Law Enforcement and Public Safety of LGBT Elders. In: Harley, D., Teaster, P. (eds) Handbook of LGBT Elders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03623-6_26

Download citation

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03623-6_26
Published: 06 August 2015
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-03622-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-03623-6
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics