Metropolitan Police Service

About: Metropolitan Police Service is a government organization based out in London, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Metropolitan police & Poison control. The organization has 121 authors who have published 132 publications receiving 7394 citations.

Contact and confidence: revisiting the impact of public encounters with the police

Abstract: Public confidence in policing has become an important issue in the UK. The police rely on legitimacy and public support, and initiatives to improve levels of confidence are currently underway. The point of contact between citizens and officers is vital in any such endeavour. But how are encounters judged and how important for public confidence are assessments of the quality of contacts? We draw upon data from the 2005/2006 Metropolitan Police Public Attitudes Survey to answer these questions. We test Skogan's (2006) finding that personal contact has a largely negative impact on confidence; we demonstrate that unsatisfactory contacts are indeed associated with less favourable opinions about police effectiveness, fairness and engagement with the community. Yet consistent with the procedural justice model we also show that positively received contacts can improve perceptions of fairness and community engagement. Moreover, seeing regular police patrols and feeling informed about police activities are associat...

‘The Appliance of Science?’The Theory and Practice of Crime Intelligence Analysis

Abstract: Intelligence analysis has emerged as an important component of contemporary policing strategies. Drawing upon qualitative data and a perspective informed by some of the concepts associated with the sociology of scientific knowledge, this paper provides an epistemologically oriented critique of some of the key techniques associated with crime analysis. Data presented suggest that crime analysis: is used in line with traditional modes of policing; is a way of claiming ‘scientific objectivity’ for police actions; and is largely shaped by police perspectives on data. It is argued that the sense of enhanced objectivity often attributed to the products of ‘intelligence work’ is frequently overstated. The products of crime analysis are better understood as an artefact of the data and methods used in their construction, rather than providing an accurate representation of any crime problems.

Cell free DNA as a component of forensic evidence recovered from touched surfaces

Abstract: In the course of a criminal investigation, DNA is often recovered from items that have been handled by an individual Whilst there have been studies investigating the propensity of different individuals to deposit DNA, little is known about the factors involved in the transference of DNA through touch This investigation seeks to clarify some of the underlying processes involved in DNA transfer, as to better understand the significance of so-called "touch DNA" evidence (tDNA) It was shown that an average yield of 115 ng of DNA could be recovered from 1 mL cell-free sweat samples leading to the hypothesis that cell-free nucleic acids (CNAs) of a suitable length for standard DNA profiling are transferred during handling/touching items A method of standardization of tDNA deposition was developed to overcome the significant sample to sample variability in DNA levels characteristic of tDNA samples The glass bead method allowed the creation of identical tDNA sample sets, thus permitting direct comparisons to be made in the efficiency of various extraction methods Extraction methods designed to optimize CNA recovery from touched articles resulted in comparable yields in a general population study, however the methods resulted in a twofold increase in DNA yields from touched items touched by individuals with sweaty hands These results suggest that the CNA component of touched surfaces should be included to maximize profiling success of tDNA

Comparing system and estimator variables using data from real line‐ups

Abstract: For many years psychologists have conducted carefully balanced and controlled experiments in order to understand the processes involved with line-up identifications. While the results are useful, several researchers have questioned whether these experiments are applicable to real line-ups. In this study we compare the results from two specialist line-up suites with the results from ordinary police stations. Witnesses at the suites chose foils more often than witnesses at the police stations. However, characteristics of the crimes, witnesses and suspects at the suites differed from those conducted at the stations. Many of these characteristics are also associated with increased proportions of foils being chosen. For example, the specialist suites tended to accommodate more non-white suspects, more crimes of violence and, at the time of this research, their line-ups occurred longer after the event. Several of the methodological difficulties of using data from real line-ups are discussed and appropriate statistical techniques are introduced.