Spatial risk factors of felonious battery to police officers

2014 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 823-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel M. Caplan ◽  
Phillip Marotta ◽  
Eric L. Piza ◽  
Leslie W. Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Dense Area ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Calls For Service ◽  
Spatial Risk ◽  
Chicago Police

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the spatial influence of features of the physical environment on the risk of aggression toward law enforcement. Design/methodology/approach – The spatial analytic technique, risk terrain modeling was performed on felonious battery data provided by the Chicago Police Department. Findings – Out of the 991 batteries against law enforcement officers (LEOs) in Chicago, 11 features of the physical environment were identified as presenting a statistically significant spatial risk of battery to LEOs. Calls for service within three blocks of foreclosures and/or within a dense area of problem buildings pose as much as two times greater risk of battery to police officers than what is presented by other significant spatial factors in the model. Originality/value – An abundance of existing research on aggression toward law enforcement is situated from the perspective of characteristics of the suspect or officer. The research advances the field of violence studies by illustrating the importance of incorporating physical features of the environment into empirical studies of aggression.

Shift work and overtime across a career in law enforcement: a 15-year study

2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-212
Author(s):  
Samantha M. Riedy ◽  
Desta Fekedulegn ◽  
Bryan Vila ◽  
Michael Andrew ◽  
John M. Violanti
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Shift Work ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Night Shift ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Work Hours ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Long Work Hours

PurposeTo characterize changes in work hours across a career in law enforcement.Design/methodology/approachN = 113 police officers enrolled in the BCOPS cohort were studied. The police officers started their careers in law enforcement between 1994 and 2001 at a mid-sized, unionized police department in northwestern New York and continued to work at this police department for at least 15 years. Day-by-day work history records were obtained from the payroll department. Work hours, leave hours and other pay types were summarized for each calendar year across their first 15 years of employment. Linear mixed-effects models with a random intercept over subject were used to determine if there were significant changes in pay types over time.FindingsA total of 1,617 individual-years of data were analyzed. As the police officers gained seniority at the department, they worked fewer hours and fewer night shifts. Total paid hours did not significantly change due to seniority-based increases in vacation time. Night shift work was increasingly in the form of overtime as officers gained seniority. Overtime was more prevalent at the beginning of a career and after a promotion from police officer to detective.Originality/valueShiftwork and long work hours have negative effects on sleep and increase the likelihood of on-duty fatigue and performance impairment. The results suggest that there are different points within a career in law enforcement where issues surrounding shiftwork and long work hours may be more prevalent. This has important implications for predicting fatigue, developing effective countermeasures and measuring fatigue-related costs.

Addressing tent cities: an example of police/non-profit collaboration

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 931-943
Author(s):  
Brittany Solensten ◽  
Dale Willits
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Non Profit Organizations ◽  
The City

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine a collaborative relationship between non-profit organizations and a Midwest police department to address issues of poverty and homelessness. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative interviews were conducted with five non-profit organization workers along with three police officers about social problems in the city between September and December of 2017. Findings The collaboration between non-profit organizations and law enforcement was largely helpful and successful in integrating residents of tent city into existing housing programs within the city, limiting future law enforcement calls addressing latent homelessness issues. Research limitations/implications This qualitative study was exploratory in nature and data were drawn from a single city. Although key stakeholders were interviewed, results are based on a small sample of police and non-profit social service workers. Also, individuals who lived in the tent city were not interviewed. Practical implications This study demonstrates how an approach in addressing tent cities through non-profit organizations and law enforcement collaboration are arguably effective in humanely moving residents of tent cities into housing for a long-term solution to homelessness. Originality/value There is limited research about tent cities especially the long-term effectiveness of dismantling them with various methods. This paper demonstrates one city’s approach to combat homelessness by dismantling a tent city, with a follow-up a few years later showing the effectiveness of a more humane approach, which can set an example for future cities also combating homelessness.

Evaluation of ‘the R-Model’ crisis intervention de-escalation training for law enforcement

2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (4) ◽  
pp. 271-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jillian Peterson ◽  
James Densley ◽  
Gina Erickson
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Crisis Intervention ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Outcome Evaluation ◽  
Calls For Service ◽  
Model Research ◽  
One Year

This study presents findings from a process and outcome evaluation of a custom crisis intervention and de-escalation training for law enforcement, delivered in-house to a suburban Minnesota police department (the R-Model: Research, Respond, Refer). Individual officer survey data showed the R-Model significantly decreased stigma and increased self-reported knowledge of mental health resources over baseline. Knowledge of resources held at the 4-month follow-up. One-year follow-up data at the agency level, showed decreases in the number of crisis calls for service and the number of repeat calls to the same addresses, even when compared to crisis call rates at similar police departments. Findings provide preliminary evidence that the R-Model may be an effective model that warrants additional study.

scholarly journals Revised findings for "Procedural justice training reduces police use of force and complaints against officers"

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Wood ◽  
Tom Tyler ◽  
Andrew V Papachristos ◽  
Jonathan Roth ◽  
Pedro H. C. Sant'Anna
Keyword(s):  
Procedural Justice ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Use Of Force ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Original Study ◽  
Statistical Problem ◽  
Police Use Of Force ◽  
Chicago Police Department ◽  
Point Estimates ◽  
Chicago Police

Wood et al. (2020) studied the rollout of a procedural justice training program in the Chicago Police Department and found large and statistically significant impacts on complaints and sustained complaints against police officers and police use of force. This document describes a subtle statistical problem that led the magnitude of those estimates to be inflated. We then re-analyze the data using a methodology that corrects for this problem. The re-analysis provides less strong conclusions about the effectiveness of the training than the original study: although the point estimates for most outcomes and specifications are negative and of a meaningful magnitude, the confidence intervals typically include zero or very small effects. On the whole, we interpret the data as providing suggestive evidence that procedural justice training reduced the use of force, but no statistically significant evidence for a reduction in complaints or sustained complaints.

Public communication about home burglary prevention in Belgium

2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 567-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave Gelders ◽  
Hans Peeraer ◽  
Jelle Goossens
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Public Communication ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Media Mix

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to gain insight into the content, format and evaluation of printed public communication from police officers and governments regarding home burglary prevention in Belgium.Design/methodology/approachThe content and format in this paper is analyzed through content analysis of 104 printed communication pieces in the Belgian province of Flemish‐Brabant in 2005. The evaluation is analyzed through five focus group interviews among professionals and common citizens.FindingsThe paper finds that police zones significantly differ in terms of communication efforts. The media mix is not diverse with poor collaboration between police officers and government information officers, while intermediaries (i.e. architects) are rarely used, culminating in poor targeted communication.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper shows that only printed communication is analyzed and more large‐scale empirical research is desired.Practical implicationsThe paper shows that a richer media mix, more targeted communication, more national communication support and additional dialogue between and training of police officers and communication with professionals are advisable.Originality/valueThis paper combines two empirical studies and methods (content analysis and focus group interviews), resulting in a series of recommendations for further inquiry and future action.

The Sunset of 1974: Lenny Patrick’s Changing World

2019 ◽  
pp. 37-48
Author(s):  
Joe Kraus
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Organized Crime ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Chicago Police Department ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Hard Evidence ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Chicago Police ◽  
Legal Sense ◽  
Changing World

This chapter documents Lenny Patrick’s growing paranoia by 1974. This was a pivotal year—the twenty-fifth since the death of Benjamin Zuckerman and Patrick’s own rise to power. Everyone knew that and, for practical purposes, such knowledge mattered. It meant people made way for him; that they understood he had influence to help in shady business; and that they acceded to his suggestions, requests, or threats. In a legal sense, though, the difference between knowledge and proof was everything. Until law enforcement had hard evidence against him, he was a free man. And by 1974 the FBI and Chicago Police Department had been trying to collect such evidence for at least fifteen years through sustained campaigns of surveillance, wiretapping, and harassment. Wherever Patrick went, someone was trying to track him. He had had a long run as boss of Chicago Jewish organized crime, but the net was tightening around him.

Social Climate Change and the Modern Police Department

2017 ◽  
pp. 296-313
Author(s):  
Adrienne C. Bradford ◽  
Heather K. McElroy ◽  
Rachel Rosenblatt
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Body Art ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Organizational Challenges

The advent of social media, blogs, smartphones, and the 24-hour all access news channels make information available to us constantly on the television, the internet, and even while mobile. This chapter highlights contemporary social and generational trends including the arrival of the Millennial generation into the workforce, legalization of marijuana, the mainstream acceptance of body art as a form of self-expression, and the influence of mass media on the lives of police officers, particularly in officer-involved shootings. These emerging factors challenge law enforcement managers to consider complex issues in the workplace while maintaining the core values, camaraderie, and professional standards inherent in policing. The public safety psychologist's role is also evolving with new technology, social developments, and organizational challenges. This chapter aims to encourage dialogue between mental health professionals, law enforcement managers, and policy-makers.

Consent searches: understanding the role of race and what occurs during the traffic stop

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 611-623
Author(s):  
Anthony G. Vito ◽  
Elizabeth L. Grossi ◽  
Vanessa Woodward Griffin ◽  
George E. Higgins
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Police Officer ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Racial Profiling ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Theoretical Explanation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Focal Concerns ◽  
Focal Concerns Theory

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to apply focal concerns theory as a theoretical explanation for police officer decision making during a traffic stop that results in a consent search. The study uses coefficients testing to better examine the issue of racial profiling through the use of a race-specific model. Design/methodology/approach The data for this study come from traffic stops conducted by the Louisville Police Department between January 1 and December 31, 2002. Findings The results show that the three components of focal concerns theory can explain police officer decision making for consent searches. Yet, the components of focal concerns theory play a greater role in stops of Caucasian male drivers. Research limitations/implications The data for this study are cross-sectional and self-reported from police officers. Practical implications This paper shows the utility of applying focal concerns theory as a theoretical explanation for police officer decision making on consent searches and how the effects of focal concerns vary depending on driver race. Social implications The findings based on focal concerns theory can provide an opportunity for police officers or departments to explain what factors impact the decision making during consent searches. Originality/value This is the first study (to the researchers’ knowledge) that examines the racial effects of focal concerns on traffic stop consent searchers using coefficients testing.

Police officers’ role orientations

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 944-959 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacinta M. Gau ◽  
Nicholas D. Paul
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Work Environment ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Community Policing ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Order Maintenance ◽  
Role Orientations ◽  
Maintenance Activities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine police officers’ attitudes toward community policing and order maintenance, as well as the facets of the work environment that impact those attitudes. Design/methodology/approach Survey data come from a sample of officers in a mid-sized police department. Ordinary least squares regression modeling is used to examine community-policing, order-maintenance and law-enforcement role orientations. Findings Officers endorse community partnerships, but are less enthusiastic about order maintenance. They also display mid-level support for traditional law enforcement. Work–environment variables have inconsistent impacts across the three role orientations. Research limitations/implications This was a survey of attitudes in one department. Future research should examine officers’ involvement in community-policing and order-maintenance activities and any impediments to such activities. Practical implications The findings have implications for police leaders seeking to implement community policing and ensure street-level officers are carrying out partnership and order-maintenance activities. In particular, top management must foster a positive work environment and personally model commitment to policing innovations. Originality/value This paper adds to the currently sparse body of literature on officer attitudes toward community policing and order maintenance, and incorporates traditional law-enforcement attitudes as a point of contrast. This paper advances the scholarly understanding of police officers’ role orientations.

Measuring the impact of police representativeness on communities

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 773-790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maren B. Trochmann ◽  
Angela Gover
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Use Of Force ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Police Departments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Community Conflict ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the representativeness of police departments, i.e. the extent to which the demographics of sworn police officers mirror their local constituency’s demographic makeup, has an effect on communities. The study seeks to explain whether community complaints about police use of force are related to the representativeness of the police department. Design/methodology/approach The study examines the relationships between use of force complaints lodged against a police department and the representativeness of the police vis-à-vis their community using ordinary least squares regression and city fixed-effects models. The stratified sample of 100 large US cities uses data from the US Census Equal Employment Opportunity Survey and the Bureau of Justice Statistics Law Enforcement Management and Administration Statistics Survey from several points-in-time. Findings The analysis suggests that racial makeup and, to a lesser extent, local residency of police departments might matter in reducing community conflict with police, as represented by use of force complaints. However, the fixed-effects model suggests that unobserved community-level characteristics and context matter more than police departments’ representativeness. Originality/value This study seeks to provide a unique perspective and empirical evidence on community conflict with police by integrating the public administration theory of representative bureaucracy with criminal justice theories of policing legitimacy. The findings have implications for urban policing as well as law enforcement human capital and public management practices, which is essential to understand current crises in police-citizen relations in the US, especially in minority communities.

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