Showing papers in "Police Quarterly in 2012"
TL;DR: The literature on police officers' job satisfaction to date has focused primarily on individual officers' demographic characteristics, while a few recent studies have demonstrated that officers' satisfaction with their work was positively correlated with their demographic characteristics.
Abstract: The literature on police officers’ job satisfaction to date has focused primarily on individual officers’ demographic characteristics, while a few recent studies have demonstrated that officers’ jo...
142 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors build upon previous reviews of the police effectiveness literature to categorize strategies and tactics based on what police should and should not be doing and provide relevant information on what agencies should be doing to implement effective strategies.
Abstract: We build upon previous reviews of the police effectiveness literature to categorize strategies and tactics based on what police should and should not be doing. We also provide relevant information on what police agencies should be doing to implement effective strategies. We argue police should be focusing on hot spots policing, problem-oriented policing (POP), focused deterrence approaches, directed patrol to reduce gun crime, and using DNA in property cases. Police should also recognize the importance of efforts to enhance legitimacy. In contrast, police should be avoiding standard policing tactics such as random preventive patrol, second responder programs, and Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.). We discuss how well current policing practices match up with effective approaches, describe general implications for policing, and conclude by noting policing strategies which we know too little about to make informed recommendations.
135 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors tested an integrated contextual model of confidence in local police and found significant net effects of both procedural justice and incivilities on the outcome, strongest corrosive impacts of incivility in rural counties; lowest confidence in rural cities; and connections between confidence in the local police, and confidence in broader criminal justice system.
Abstract: Current work tests an integrated contextual model of confidence in local police. The model addresses four questions. (a) Do incivilities, procedural justice, and local social climate each affect confidence? (b) Do incivilities more powerfully corrode confidence at some points along the urban versus rural continuum? (c) Where on the continuum is confidence weakest? (d) Does confidence in local police bolster confidence in the broader justice system? Surveys from households across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania were supplemented with municipality-level census and reported crime data, and county-level urban versus rural continuum codes. Findings showed significant net effects of both procedural justice and incivilities on the outcome; strongest corrosive impacts of incivilities in rural counties; lowest confidence in rural counties; and connections between confidence in local police and confidence in the broader criminal justice system. Results underscore the broad importance of police simultaneously maintaining order and treating citizens fairly. Language: en
53 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored variation in the perception of sexual assault victims among male and female police officers in a Midwestern police agency and found that sexual assault victim perception varied significantly between genders.
Abstract: This study explores variation in the perception of sexual assault victims among male and female police officers in a Midwestern police agency. Surveys that include both qualitative and quantitative...
52 citations
TL;DR: The most common reason for not participating in these relationships was a lack of funding resources as mentioned in this paper, which is a common reason cited by the majority of the agencies in the survey of law enforcement agencies.
Abstract: Consistent with the current models of governance in public sector organizations, there have been an increasing number of advocates within the law enforcement community calling for agencies to participate in partnerships with researchers. Despite this support, little is known about the prevalence of police practitioner–researcher partnerships, nor has there been any examination into which agencies participate in partnerships with researchers or the reasons why agencies do not participate. The present study addresses these gaps in knowledge by reporting on findings from a national survey of law enforcement agencies on research partnership participation. The results reveal nearly one third of responding agencies reported they had participated in a research partnership within the last 5 years. The most common reason provided for not participating in these relationships was a lack of funding resources. Discussion on the future expansion of police practitioner–researcher partnerships in light of these findings ...
49 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the extent to which injuries to police officers have changed from 1996-1998 to 2006-2008 was examined from injury reports filed by sworn officers of the Milwaukee (Wiscon...
Abstract: This study examines the extent to which injuries to police officers have changed from 1996-1998 to 2006-2008. Data were obtained from injury reports filed by sworn officers of the Milwaukee (Wiscon...
46 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe and explain the limits to in-country migration policing in the Netherlands based on extensive urban field research in the country's two largest cities, as well as national police apprehension data.
Abstract: Governments are increasingly developing policies to apprehend and deport unauthorized migrants. Compared to the United States, the legal and administrative framework in Western European countries generally allows for a stricter interior policing of unauthorized migrants. This article describes and explains the limits to in-country migration policing in the Netherlands. On the basis of extensive urban field research in the country's two largest cities, as well as national police apprehension data, it is shown that even in a restrictive policy context immigration rules are not categorically enforced; assumed "deviant" unauthorized migrants run much higher apprehension risks than "nondeviant" unauthorized migrants. However, unauthorized migrants run much higher interior apprehension risks than in the United States. It is argued that the selective interior enforcement of immigration rules can be understood by taking into consideration the interests and values of three local agents that structure in-country migration policing: regular police, neighborhood residents, and city governments.
44 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used data collected as part of a national multi-agency use of force project to assess the independent effect of CEDs on officer injuries, based on a series of multivariate models.
Abstract: The widespread adoption of conducted energy devices (CEDs) across American police departments over the last decade has been mired in public controversy. It is generally accepted, from a police perspective, that CEDs are safer for officers who can use the weapon at a greater distance, avoiding much of the harm associated with close physical struggles with citizens. Research has generally supported the notion that aggregate levels of officer injuries are reduced following the implementation of CEDs. Unfortunately, multivariate examinations that, in varying degrees, have attempted to compare CED applications to other forms of force (while controlling for rival causal factors) have yet to produce the same consistent results as the pre- and post-CED adoption studies. The current research adds to recent multivariate inquiries by using data collected as part of a national multiagency use of force project to assess the independent effect of CEDs on officer injuries. Based on a series of multivariate models, our r...
44 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, consensus and conflict approaches to explain police stop and search rates in 94 neighborhoods were examined and the results supported both police deployment and race out-of-place arguments.
Abstract: This study examines consensus and conflict approaches to explaining police stop and search rates in 94 neighborhoods. Police deployment, racial threat, race-out-of-place, and social conditioning perspectives were analyzed. Models were based on 206,083 stops and 38,493 searches controlling for racial/ethnic makeup, citizen calls for service, disadvantage, prior violent crime suspect rates, time of day, and spatial autocorrelation. The results supported both police deployment and race out of place arguments. Policy implications focus on the need for police and community to fully understand and mutually agree on the relevance of both consensus and conflict perspectives.
34 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of response time on apprehension probability has been examined, and little attention has been given to the impact of response times on the apprehension probability of a suspect.
Abstract: The need for rapid response has been a perennial issue in policing. Although several studies have examined the effect of response time on apprehension probability, little attention has been given t...
30 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the concept of a rational sentencing structure for imposing internal police discipline that helps practitioners make more reasoned and consistent decisions when dispensing disciplined discharges.
Abstract: This article explores the concept of a rational sentencing structure for imposing internal police discipline that helps practitioners make more reasoned and consistent decisions when dispensing dis...
TL;DR: The "veil-of-darkness" method is an innovative and low-cost approach that circumvents many of the benchmarking issues that arise in testing for racial profiling.
Abstract: The “veil-of-darkness” method is an innovative and low-cost approach that circumvents many of the benchmarking issues that arise in testing for racial profiling. Changes in natural lighting are use...
TL;DR: Most emergency response plans are based on military strategies that operate inde... as mentioned in this paper, which are stressful events in which citizens and law enforcement frequently interact with each other, such as evacuations and riots.
Abstract: Disaster evacuations are stressful events in which citizens and law enforcement frequently interact with each other. Most emergency response plans are based on military strategies that operate inde...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine the extent to which, and circumstances under which, police exceptionally clear cases are investigated in intimate partner violen-tation cases, and examine a largely unexamined issue.
Abstract: The authors examine a largely unexamined issue: the extent to which, and circumstances under which, police exceptionally clear cases. This is a particularly salient issue in intimate partner violen...
TL;DR: The authors examined the interpersonal relationships between lead commanders and senior investigating officers in high-profile critical incidents and focused on the influence trust and mistrust have on investigative decision-making of senior officers.
Abstract: This article examines the interpersonal relationships between lead commanders and senior investigating officers in high-profile critical incidents and focuses on the influence trust and mistrust have on investigative decision making of senior officers Semistructured interviews were conducted with officers who have recent experience within lead command groups as senior officer, lead commander, and head of criminal investigation department or advisor in a number of high-profile critical incidents across the United Kingdom Thematic analysis identified trust as the key emergent theme Factors that either facilitate and/or inhibit the development of trust, such as previous experiences, perceptions of skills competence, ability, and theoretical contributions relative to trust building in organizational settings are reflected upon Broadly speaking, the article indicates that previous knowledge and experience do influence the development of trust in organizational relationships Trust development within critic
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compared attitudes about order maintenance policing across rank in an urban police department and found that patrol officers expressed significantly less support for public order maintenance relative to personnel of higher ranks; however, educational attainment and attachment to supervisors emerged as meaningful influences on attitude.
Abstract: Police organizations are inherently top down in their managerial style, and order maintenance policing—being a strategy adopted by top management and implemented by lower ranking personnel—may hit a roadblock that is typical in top-down organizations: Lower ranking personnel may not embrace the mission of order maintenance to the same extent that their superiors do. The present study compares attitudes about order maintenance policing across rank in an urban police department. The results indicate that patrol officers express significantly less support for public order maintenance relative to personnel of higher ranks; however, educational attainment and attachment to supervisors emerged as meaningful influences on attitude as well, which suggests that police managers and supervisors can improve lower ranking officers’ endorsement of top-down strategies like order maintenance through their supervisory and hiring practices.
TL;DR: This paper focused on the size of police agencies, giving little attention to the composition of the workforce itself, while literature in fields such as the military, healthcare, and organizational p p...
Abstract: Research has long focused on the size of police agencies, giving little attention to the composition of the workforce itself. Literature in fields such as the military, healthcare, organizational p...
TL;DR: Policing research has generally focused on easily measured outcome factors such as response time, force usage, and arrest as discussed by the authors, and has not focused on outcomes important to public legitimacy.
Abstract: Policing research has generally focused on easily measured outcome factors such as response time, force usage, and arrest. Empirical studies examining outcomes important to public legitimacy, such ...
TL;DR: Analysis of foot-pursuit injuries using data provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department indicates that in the vast majority of pursuits, deputies and suspects were uninjured or sustained only minor injuries, and foot pursuits do not appear to be any more hazardous than resistive encounters generally.
Abstract: Police foot pursuits have come under increased scrutiny in recent years because of concerns of officer-involved shootings and fatalities associated with this tactical response. Consequently, there ...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the characteristics associated with a decision to confess and found that, depending on the type of sex offender, the likelihood of confessing depended on the severity of the crime.
Abstract: The study aimed to examine sex offender characteristics associated with a decision to confess. Based on the analysis of 624 sex offenders, our findings showed that, depending on the type of sex off...