An assessment of officer attitudes toward the training and use of a pre-booking diversionary program

2020 ◽  
Vol 115 ◽  
pp. 108036
Author(s):  
Scott Hoke ◽  
Kerrie Baker ◽  
Kristen Wenrich
Keyword(s):  
Officer Attitudes

Moving the needle: can training alter officer perceptions and use of de-escalation?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. White ◽  
Victor J. Mora ◽  
Carlena Orosco ◽  
E. C. Hedberg
Keyword(s):  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Officer Safety ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Before And After ◽  
June July ◽  
Officer Attitudes ◽  
Excessive Use Of Force ◽  
And Control

PurposeDe-escalation training for police has received widespread attention as a method for reducing unnecessary and excessive use of force. There is virtually no research on de-escalation, and as a result, there is little understanding about what it is, what it includes and whether it is effective. The current study compares attitudes about the importance and use of de-escalation among officers who were randomly assigned to participate (or not) in de-escalation training.Design/methodology/approachThe current study draws from a larger randomized controlled trial of de-escalation training in the Tempe, Arizona Police Department (TPD). Approximately 100 officers completed a survey in June–July 2019 and again in June–July 2020. TPD delivered the de-escalation training to half the patrol force in February–March 2020. The authors compare treatment and control officers' attitudes about the importance of specific de-escalation tactics, how often they use those tactics and their sentiments de-escalation training. The authors employ an econometric random-effects model to examine between-group differences post-training while controlling for relevant officer attributes including age, race, sex, prior training and squad-level pretraining attitudes about de-escalation.FindingsTreatment and control officers reported positive perceptions of de-escalation tactics, frequent use of those tactics and favorable attitudes toward de-escalation before and after the training. After receiving the training, treatment officers placed greater importance on compromise, and reported more frequent use of several important tactics including compromise, knowing when to walk away and maintaining officer safety.Originality/valueOnly a few prior studies have has examined whether de-escalation training changes officer attitudes. The results from the current study represent an initial piece of evidence suggesting de-escalation training may lead to greater use of those tactics by officers during encounters with citizens.

Staff Training Aimed at Reducing Rearrest: Probation officer attitudes and experiences

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 238-264
Author(s):  
Jill Viglione ◽  
Lucas M Alward ◽  
DeCarlos L Sheppard
Keyword(s):  
Staff Training ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Probation Officer ◽  
Community Supervision ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Evidence Based Practices ◽  
Facilitators And Barriers ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
Officer Attitudes

Community correction organisations have recognised the importance of implementing evidence-based practices to improve probation practice and reduce recidivism rates. Research finds when probation agencies implement evidence-based practices in line with the Risk, Need, Responsivity model with fidelity, reductions in recidivism are possible. However, challenges of implementation persist. To assist in the translation of evidence-based practices to real-world practice, researchers and practitioners developed community supervision officer training programmes. Using qualitative interview data of trained federal probation officers, this study examined the implementation of the Staff Training Aimed at Reducing Rearrest. This study explored (1) probation officer attitudes and perceptions of Staff Training Aimed at Reducing Rearrest, training and implementation process; (2) how users and coaches implement key components of Staff Training Aimed at Reducing Rearrest; and (3) the organisational facilitators and barriers associated with Staff Training Aimed at Reducing Rearrest implementation. Findings suggest positive attitudes towards Staff Training Aimed at Reducing Rearrest for improving supervision process and highlight key facilitators and barriers that can be addressed to support successful implementation efforts.

“A Rape Is a Rape, Regardless of What the Victim Was Doing at the Time”: Detective Views on How “Problematic” Victims Affect Sexual Assault Case Processing

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-44
Author(s):  
Eryn Nicole O’Neal ◽  
Brittany E. Hayes
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Sex Crimes ◽  
Case Processing ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Sexual Assault Case ◽  
Officer Attitudes ◽  
Depth Interviews

Research finds that “problematic” victim behaviors—for example, alcohol consumption—influence sexual assault case outcomes. Questions remain, however, regarding officer perceptions of what constitutes a problematic victim and how these victims complicate case processing. Indeed, most case processing research has relied on quantitative methods and inquiry into officer attitudes has primarily relied on the use of vignettes. Using data from in-depth interviews with 52 Los Angeles Police Department sex crimes detectives, we examine attitudes toward problematic victims. Overall, we aim to determine whether rape culture beliefs and efforts to operate in a “downstream orientation” influence detective views regarding victims who have been deemed problematic.

scholarly journals A cross-national comparison of police attitudes about domestic violence: a focus on gender

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 214-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samara McPhedran ◽  
Angela R. Gover ◽  
Paul Mazerolle
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Police Attitudes ◽  
Enforcement Officer ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Officer Attitudes ◽  
Cross National

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. The first goal is to conduct a cross-national examination of law enforcement officer attitudes about domestic violence (DV) by comparing officer attitudes in the USA to officer attitudes in Australia. The second goal is to examine law enforcement officer attitudes about DV using a gender lens to identify whether patterns in attitudes among male and female officers in the USA are similar to those among Australian male and female law enforcement officers. Design/methodology/approach The current study involves a comparative analysis of DV attitudes in two different countries (the USA and Australia). Officers in the USA were asked to indicate their level agreement with 28 attitudinal statements about DV. The Australian survey adapted the Gover et al. (2011) instrument by including 24 of the 28 attitudinal statements. The survey followed a mixed-methods design with both quantitative and qualitative components. Bivariate analyses were conducted to determine whether attitudes varied by country and gender of the responding officers. Analyses of attitudinal questions and categorical variables (e.g. gender) were conducted using t-tests. Findings According to survey data gathered from police officers in Colorado (USA) and Queensland (Australia), male and female officer attitudes within each country are more similar than different. When comparing the overall sample of American officer attitudes to Australian officer attitudes, they significantly differ about half the time. Research limitations/implications The Australian survey had a considerably low response rate, and therefore it cannot be stated with certainty whether the responses given are truly representative of the views of Australian officers as a whole, although the demographic characteristics of the sample were comparable with the overall police population demographics. Another limitation is that not all demographic and background variables were collected by both surveys. For example, the US survey asked about officers’ ethnicity, while the Australian survey did not, and the Australian survey asked about how many DV jobs officers attended per month, while the US survey did not. Practical implications Improving knowledge about police attitudes towards DV can help to inform future policy or practice implementation, as well as training programmes and better overall responses to the pervasive and ongoing problem of DV internationally. Originality/value This is a unique and original piece of research as it is a partial cross-national replication of an existing survey. This work does have the potential for great impact in understanding and developing innovative law enforcement responses to DV. In developing such responses officer attitudes need to be considered and integrated into the response, as their opinions will guide the support of future interventions.

scholarly journals Police Officers’ Attitudes Toward Citizens in China

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Liu ◽  
Ivan Y. Sun ◽  
Jianhong Liu
Keyword(s):  
Survey Data ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Police Attitudes ◽  
Role Orientations ◽  
Officer Attitudes ◽  
Attitudes Toward The Police ◽  
Chinese Police

Although a substantial number of studies have examined public attitudes toward the police, a relatively thin line of research has assessed police attitudes toward the citizenry in China. Using survey data collected from a sample of approximately 200 Chinese police officers, the current study examined the effects of police officers’ demographic characteristics, socialization and experience factors, and role orientations on officers’ attitudes toward citizen virtue, citizen cooperation with the police, and citizen input in police work. Results indicated that background and experience characteristics were ineffective in predicting the three aspects of officer attitudes toward citizens. Crime-fighting and service orientations were found to be related to officers’ attitudes toward the citizenry. Findings of this study enhance our understanding of police occupational attitudes in China and provide valuable implications for policy and future research.

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