Emerald | Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management

Police accreditation and clearance rates

William M. Doerner, William G. Doerner — 2012-03-02 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine whether accredited police agencies display higher clearance rates than their non-accredited counterparts. Design/methodology/approach – The study group consists of all municipal police departments operating continuously in the State of Florida from 1997 through 2006. Independent variables capture organizational characteristics for nearly 260 agencies to determine whether becoming accredited improves clearance rates. Findings – Random-effects Tobit analysis suggests that accreditation status does not affect violent and property crime clearance rates. Clearance rates are more influenced by the number of sworn personnel and law enforcement expenditures per capita. Research limitations/implications – Much of what is currently known about the impact of accreditation stems from anecdotal and testimonial evidence. Still, the industry manages to expand and flourish. A glaring need for sound empirical research is evident. Practical implications – Instead of advancing the protection of local communities and bringing about meaningful organizational reform, accreditation appears to be a useful tool for bureaucrats who wish to further their own careers. Originality/value – Advocates link accreditation status to a number of benefits, including better investigatory practices that culminate in more solved cases. Recent academic work suggests that accreditation has dubious benefits, despite claims to the contrary. This study adds to that literature by showing that accreditation also fails to elevate clearance rates.

The efficiency of police stations in the city of Ankara: an application of data envelopment analysis

Huseyin Akdogan — 2012-03-02 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – Police organizations' main goal is providing the security of the neighborhoods for citizens. This paper aims to investigate how efficiently the police stations in the city of Ankara work. It also seeks to determine how the efficiency of police organizations can be measured by using data envelopment analysis (DEA). Design/methodology/approach – The study uses DEA to measure the efficiency of police stations in the city of Ankara in Turkey. DEA measures the relative efficiency of decision-making units (DMUs) based on their inputs and outputs. Findings – The results showed that ten of 19 police stations in Ankara were efficient. In other words, 52.6 percent of police stations were found to be efficient. Research limitations/implications – All police stations in Ankara could not be included in the study. Since DEA analysis the relative efficiency of DMUs, including all police stations in Ankara, may have given a broader perspective for police managers. Practical implications – Inefficient police stations in this study should either reduce the number of incidents that occurred in the precinct or solve those crimes and increase the number of solved incidents. Preventing crimes may be achieved by employing community policing strategies, thus, police managers should focus on adopting community policing strategies. Originality/value – The results of the DEA analysis can be used to help police stations in Ankara to be more efficient. Furthermore, applying DEA may be a new approach to measuring the efficiency of police services.

An examination of Florida policies on force continuums

Richard M. Hough Sr, Kimberly M. Tatum — 2012-03-02 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to examine Florida law enforcement agency policies to determine whether they contain language from the International Associations of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Model Policy on use of force. Consistency of policy content is instructive. Design/methodology/approach – Data for this study include written policies of Florida law enforcement agencies (n=160) which were collected through e-mail requests to all agencies in the state (n=323). Content analysis was used to analyze the policies. Findings – Findings suggest that 74 percent of all agencies include language that refers to a use of force continuum, including 90 percent of sheriffs' offices and 70 percent of police departments. Research limitations/implications – The research suggests that the majority of agencies continue to include a use of force continuum. Only Florida agencies were surveyed, and the response rate was 50 percent. Practical implications – The research suggests that a majority of agencies adhere to the principle that clear use of force policies can reduce liability concerns, and shows that written policies can be effective training tools. Social implications – Use of force remains the chief public concern in law enforcement's discretionary actions. Therefore, agencies must address use of force issues comprehensively. Originality/value – There is no research that examines the content of current use of force policies. This paper adds to the literature on force policy and examines such policies in the nation's fourth largest state. The paper suggests areas for future research and offers a normative model of a force policy.

The alcohol-related workload of patrol officers

Brad A. Myrstol — 2012-03-02 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to detail the prevalence and nature of patrol officers' alcohol-related workload. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic social observation (SSO) methodology was used to collect data pertaining to the alcohol-related activities and encounters of patrol officers. A fully randomized sampling procedure was used to select the days, times, and geographic areas of observation sessions. Observational data were obtained for 65 separate observations sessions - totaling approximately 650 hours, 480 police-citizen encounters, with 766 citizens, and 2,009 non-encounter activities. Findings – Approximately 26 percent of encounters and 10 percent of non-encounter activities involved citizen alcohol use. Roughly 15 percent of patrol officer time is dedicated to alcohol-related encounters and their associated activities. Alcohol-related encounters were of a substantively different type than those in which there was no alcohol involvement. In sum, alcohol-related encounters were more likely to involve a crime, occur in emotionally volatile situations, elicit a multiple-officer response, and to take place out of the public sphere. Practical implications – The paper demonstrates the utility of police-researcher collaboration. The findings can make a direct contribution to academy and in-service training. Originality/value – Unlike previous SSO studies, this research used data obtained from a representative sample of police patrols. The use of a SSO protocol provides a level of detail about the nature of police-citizen interactions within the context of alcohol-related encounters not previously seen in the literature.

Police integrity in South Korea

Sanja Kutnjak Ivkovic, Wook Kang — 2012-03-02 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the contours of police integrity among Korean police officers a decade after police reform was started. Design/methodology/approach – The data were collected in 2009 at the Korean National Police University (KNPU) and the Police Comprehensive Academy (PCA). The questionnaires distributed to police officers contained 14 vignettes describing various forms of police misconduct. The sample consists of 329 police officers, mostly non-supervisors, attending courses at the KNPU and PCA. Findings – Results indicate that the contours of police integrity vary across different forms of misconduct. Regardless of whether the respondents' views were measured through questions about misconduct seriousness, appropriate discipline, willingness to report, or knowledge about official rules, the findings suggest that Korean police officers perceived corruption as a serious form of police misconduct, while they considered the use of excessive force to be substantially less serious. In addition, a strong code of silence among the police was detected. Research limitations/implications – The study examines the contours of police integrity among a convenience sample of police officers from South Korea. Practical implications – The Korean police administrators interested in controlling police misconduct could utilize this methodology to explore the contours of the code of silence among the Korean police. The results of the study indicate that substantial focus should be put on changing police officer views about the use of excessive force and narrowing the code of silence in general. Social implications – The results show that the contours of police integrity among South Korean police officers clearly reflect the attitudes and views of the society at large toward corruption and use of excessive force. The lenient attitudes that South Korean police officers have expressed regarding the use of excessive force reflect both the historical attitudes and the lack of clarity of official rules. The strong code of silence is related to the insufficient protection for whistleblowers and the adherence to Confucianism among Korean citizens. Originality/value – Prior research predominantly measured police integrity as the opposite of police corruption in Western democracies and East European countries in transition. This research expands this by focusing on different forms of police misconduct. In addition, it explores integrity in an Asian democracy with the police agency undergoing extensive reform.

Communicating law enforcement professionalization: social construction of standards

Sara E. McClellan, Bryon G. Gustafson — 2012-03-02 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – This paper seeks to analyze how institutional arrangements and discourses shape law enforcement professionalization efforts, to identify opportunities and potential problems associated with professionalization, and to propose research to address practitioner interests in education and training and public interests in accountability and service equity. Design/methodology/approach – The paper explores discourses surrounding law enforcement professionalization efforts to identify implementation barriers and potential consequences. It reviews earlier literatures and analyzes occupational standards data, utilizing a communicative perspective to investigate professionalization problems that have often been approached from political or economic perspectives. Findings – Although law enforcement is often urged to professionalize, educational standards for officers remain low. There is no clear nexus between college curriculum and law enforcement as a profession. This paper shows that competing discourses about professionalization in general and law enforcement in particular undermine efforts to establish professional status and increased standards for law enforcement. Research limitations/implications – Future research should include greater cross-sectional data analysis. Investigation of law enforcement standards or professionalization should account for social discourses that contribute to norms and expectations. Practical implications – Law enforcement agencies and criminal justice programs have opportunities to better coordinate practice and scholarship. Failure to attend to institutional relationships and the role of communication in shaping professional standards will hamper advances in either field. Social implications – The paper shows that professional norms shape law enforcement accountability to the public in critical and sometimes unintended ways. Originality/value – Previous authors have not considered social discourse impacts on law enforcement standards and professionalization, nor their relationship to higher education. By introducing these variables, barriers and alternative approaches are revealed.

Political legitimacy and public confidence in police: An analysis of attitudes toward Mexican police

Dae-Hoon Kwak, Claudia E. San Miguel, Diana L. Carreon — 2012-03-02 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – This study attempts to determine how political legitimacy and regime change affect the level of public confidence in the Mexican police. The current study also aims to examine to what extent socioeconomic and attitudinal factors are associated with levels of police confidence among Mexican citizens. Design/methodology/approach – The data used in this study were obtained from two Mexican surveys conducted as part of the World Value Surveys (WVS) in 1996 and 2005. Owing to the nature of the dependent variable, a series of ordinal logistic regression analyses was employed to examine the effects of political legitimacy, regime change, attitudinal, and socioeconomic factors on public confidence in the Mexican police while controlling other relevant factors. Findings – Consistent with prior research, results confirmed that public confidence in the police was positively associated with political legitimacy (i.e. support for regime institutions and system support), happiness, life satisfaction, marital status, and religious activity. Yet, age, education, and size of the town were negatively related to public confidence. Research limitations/implications – Since the current study used secondary data, the availability of information was limited. Only one nation was studied which limits the generalizability of the findings. Future research may attempt to study other Latin-American nations, including Mexico, in order to address the issue of public confidence in policing on a greater scale. Further, as the police alone cannot take full credit in the public's perception of law enforcement, it is imperative that future studies also examine other government agencies (i.e. courts, prosecutors) that may lend more information on this subject. Originality/value – While the police and some governing agencies may not be able to change most of the factors studied in this research, they can strive to cultivate better trust among the citizenry and seek to improve quality of life in neighborhoods which may lead to greater happiness and life satisfaction factors that may then increase the level of confidence in the police.

The link between traditional police sub-culture and police intimate partner violence

Lindsey Blumenstein, Lorie Fridell, Shayne Jones — 2012-03-02 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify whether officers who adhere to the aspects of the traditional police sub-culture – authoritarianism, cynicism, and burnout – are more likely to use violence against their intimate partner. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is measured in terms of both physical assault and psychological violence. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was created using existing scales and was given to a sample of police officers from four departments in the southern United States. Both Tobit and logistic regression were utilized to examine the effects of the traditional police sub-culture on the two types of intimate partner violence. Findings – The results of the analyses partially supported the link between traditional police culture and police intimate partner violence. The results showed that two aspects of the traditional police sub-culture, burnout and authoritarianism, were significantly related to psychological IPV. There was no significant relationship between traditional police culture and physical IPV Research limitations/implications – There are a relatively small number of police officers in the convenience sample and it is not very diverse in its composition. Originality/value – The results of this study indicate that those who adhere to the traditional police culture are at more risk for engaging in psychological domestic violence than those officers who do not. The research shows that traditional police sub-culture has an effect on police intimate partner violence. This information is important in that it may provide police agencies with some direction in implementing domestic violence prevention efforts.

Patrol officers' perceived role in responding to cybercrime

Adam M. Bossler, Thomas J. Holt — 2012-03-02 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – Little empirical research exists regarding how local law enforcement has responded to cybercrime. This paper aims to understand: the law enforcement agencies that line officers believe should be primarily responsible for investigating cybercrime cases; their perceptions about their agency's current ability to respond to these offenses; and their beliefs regarding the best ways to improve the social response to cybercrime. Design/methodology/approach – The authors surveyed patrol officers in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan police departments. Findings – The authors found that officers do not believe that local law enforcement should be primarily responsible for handling cybercrime cases and they have little information on how upper management is addressing cybercrime. Officers indicated that the best strategies to deal with cybercrime were greater care taken by citizens online and improvements to the legal system. Research limitations/implications – Local law enforcement agencies feel they are unable to fully address cybercrime. Although the findings were generally consistent across demographic and experiential characteristics and cities, two cities in the southeastern United States were surveyed. Practical implications – According to these officers, they want citizens to be more careful online and for clarification of cybercrime laws and increased prosecutions. They do not favor local cybercrime units and additional computer training for line officers as much as scholars and police administrators advocate. Originality/value – This paper studied the perceptions of patrol officers, who are the first responders to most crime scenes, on local law enforcement responses to cybercrime and the strategies they view to be most effective in combating cybercrime.

Organisational psychosocial hazard exposures in UK policing: Management standards indicator tool reference values

Jonathan Houdmont, Robert Kerr, Raymond Randall — 2012-03-02 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose – There is a paucity of contemporary evidence on the organisational (as opposed to operational) psychosocial hazard (OPH) exposures of UK police officers. The purpose of this study is to report on OPH exposures measured via an instrument developed by the UK government – the management standards indicator tool – among police officers sampled from an entire UK force. The study seeks to provide reference values for UK police officers' OPH exposures, to consider these in relation to government exposure targets, and to examine the association between officers' OPH exposures and perceived work-related stress. Design/methodology/approach – Police officers (n=1,729) completed the management standards indicator tool which measures perceived exposure to seven psychosocial work environment dimensions: demands, control, managerial support, peer support, relationships, role, and change. In addition, a single-item measure of perceived work-related stress was applied. Findings – Sector-specific reference values were generated by job role and rank on each of the seven dimensions assessed by the indicator tool. Scores on all seven dimensions were below government target levels (indicating that scores fell below the 80th percentile in relation to benchmark data). In total, 46 per cent of police officers reported their work to be very or extremely stressful. A significant positive correlation (p <0.01) was found between scores on each of the seven psychosocial work characteristics and perceived work-related stress. Originality/value – This study is the first to report on the assessment of UK police officers' OPH exposure using the management standards indicator tool. It provides reference values that UK forces will find useful for benchmarking and intervention-targeting purposes, and against which progress in reducing OPH exposures can be assessed.

Personality Assessment in Police Psychology: A 21st Century Perspective

2012-03-02 00:00:00.0

The Police Foundation

2012-03-02 00:00:00.0

The Philadelphia Foot Patrol Experiment: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Police Patrol Effectiveness in Violent Crime Hotspots

2012-03-02 00:00:00.0

The Influence of Places on Police Decision Pathways: From Call for Service to Arrest

2012-03-02 00:00:00.0

Perceptions of Police Disrespect during Vehicle Stops: A Race-based Analysis

2012-03-02 00:00:00.0

The Impact of Higher Education of Police Officer Attitudes toward Abuse of Authority

2012-03-02 00:00:00.0

Editorial

2012-03-02 00:00:00.0

2011 Awards for Excellence

2012-03-02 00:00:00.0