According to Cicourel, what can result from officers' typifications in policing?

Cicourel's research highlights the concept of "typifications," which refers to the stereotypes or generalized characteristics that police officers use when assessing individuals during enforcement actions. These typifications can lead to a class bias in law enforcement. Officers may unconsciously assume that individuals from certain socio-economic backgrounds, particularly those from lower-income areas, are more likely to engage in criminal behavior based on societal stereotypes. As a result, people fitting these profiles may be subjected to increased scrutiny and policing, exacerbating existing inequalities within the criminal justice system.

The class bias that arises from officers' typifications can influence who is more likely to be stopped, questioned, or arrested, ultimately leading to a disproportionate representation of certain classes in crime statistics. This is significant as it suggests that the perceptions and biases of law enforcement can create a feedback loop where members of lower socio-economic classes are more commonly labeled as deviant or criminal based solely on officer biases, rather than actual behavior or intentions. This understanding is crucial in analyzing systemic issues within crime and deviance studies.