Assessing the Utility of Body-Worn Cameras for Collegiate Police Agencies

2021 ◽  
pp. 109861112110375
Author(s):  
Janne E. Gaub
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Police Departments ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Privacy Concerns ◽  
Educational Processes ◽  
Police Agencies ◽  
Police Executives ◽  
Municipal Police ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Municipal Police Departments

Nearly all scholarship on body-worn cameras (BWCs) has focused on municipal police departments, as they comprise a majority of sworn agencies. Given the unique environment of collegiate law enforcement agencies, however, it is possible that their paths to BWCs—and the benefits and challenges they experience—vary from that of more traditional agencies. Using a survey of 126 collegiate police departments and in-depth interviews with 15 collegiate police executives, this study describes their goals, challenges, and benefits related to BWCs. Importantly, it also describes the decision-making of agencies that chose not to implement BWCs, giving voice to an understudied population and providing guidance to special agencies in making the decision to adopt BWCs. The most notable benefits and challenges interrelate with their placement as part of institutions of higher education, such as the impact of collegiate privacy concerns (e.g., FERPA) and the utility of BWC footage in both law enforcement and educational processes.

Administrative Determinants of Civil Liability Lawsuits Against Municipal Police Departments: An Exploratory Analysis

1998 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Worrall
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Civil Liability ◽  
Police Departments ◽  
Recruitment Method ◽  
Civilian Review ◽  
Community Oriented Policing ◽  
Municipal Police ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Municipal Police Departments ◽  
Law Enforcement Management

Most contributions to the police civil liability literature have described trends in the incidence of suits, the outcomes of actual cases, or the impact litigation has on police departments. This article outlines a predictive model of administrative determinants of civil litigation against police. Specifically, it asks: Do police administrators influence trends in litigation? Data drawn from the 1993 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics survey and from a 1996 survey of 248 police departments suggest that interest in minority recruitment, method of civilian review, and commitment to community-oriented policing affect the incidence of suits. Potential problems with research in this area are discussed.

When Law Enforcement Pays: Costs and Benefits for Elected Versus Appointed Administrators Engaged in Asset Forfeiture

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siân Mughan ◽  
Danyao Li ◽  
Sean Nicholson-Crotty
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
State Level ◽  
Public Administrators ◽  
Police Departments ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Municipal Police ◽  
Institutional Variation ◽  
Asset Forfeiture ◽  
Appointed Administrators ◽  
Municipal Police Departments

The billions of dollars in assets seized by law enforcement each year represent a crucial source of revenue for these organizations, but also raise important constitutional questions and can create significant tensions within the jurisdictions they administer. Research on asset forfeiture to date has focused heavily on municipal police, largely neglecting forfeiture activities by sheriffs. Thus, it has missed an important opportunity to build theory about the differences between appointed and elected administrators and neglected an important source of institutional variation that may help to explain this particular administrative activity. To develop expectations about the relative levels of asset forfeiture and the response to intergovernmental incentives related to forfeiture, we draw on and extend scholarship comparing the behavior of elected versus appointed administrators in other settings. We test those expectations in analyses of more than 1,200 sheriff’s offices and over 2,200 municipal police departments between 1993 and 2007. Results suggest that sheriffs receive less forfeiture revenue than municipal police and are less responsive to state-level policies that change the financial rewards of asset forfeiture for agencies. These results hold whether we examine forfeitures made through the federal Equitable Sharing Program, where civil and criminal forfeiture cases can be distinguished, or jurisdictional level data on forfeiture, where civil and criminal forfeitures are combined. We conclude with a discussion of implications for both the research on asset forfeiture and on elected versus appointed public administrators more generally.

Biggest Gang in Town

2014 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 64-66
Author(s):  
Darren A. Raspa
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Police Departments ◽  
Current Form ◽  
Urban Policing ◽  
Experimental Process ◽  
Municipal Police ◽  
Standing Army ◽  
Municipal Police Departments

The police are arguably the most visible and contested apparatus of legal authority and urban power in American history. The navy blue uniform, badge, and utility belt of armaments of varying lethal potential have simultaneously been the symbols of justice, order, and security, while also representing the trappings of a virtual standing army of punitive state coercion, eliciting equal amounts of fear and admiration among the most vulnerable members of society. The traditional law enforcement historiography dictates that urban policing in its present form saw its origins in London in the first half of the nineteenth century. I contend, however, that a diverse array of social classes and communities in the American city from the mid-nineteenth century onward formed and continuously reformed the municipal police departments into their current form. This process can best be observed in the experimental process of law enforcement in San Francisco, where a diversity of political ordering and community visions competed for dominance in policing methods and ideology. The sudden convergence of a multitude of classes and ethnicities on the small peninsula of San Francisco from the late 1840s onward shaped the institution of urban policing in ways that would have national ramifications.

Understanding Body-Worn Camera Diffusion in U.S. Policing

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 396-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Nix ◽  
Natalie Todak ◽  
Brandon Tregle
Keyword(s):  
Diffusion Of Innovations ◽  
Use Of Force ◽  
Police Agencies ◽  
Police Executives ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Municipal Police ◽  
Perceptions Of Police ◽  
American Police ◽  
National Probability Sample ◽  
The Impact

By 2016, approximately one half of American police agencies had adopted body-worn cameras (BWCs). Although a growing body of research has examined the impact of BWCs on outcomes such as use of force, complaints, and perceptions of police, few have considered how and why some agencies adopted BWCs, while others have not. With guidance from the diffusion of innovations paradigm, this study explores variation in BWC adoption by police agencies. Drawing on a survey administered to a national probability sample of 665 municipal police executives in the spring of 2018, we found agency size, region, and the demographic composition of municipalities were associated with BWC usage. We then examined executives’ support for (or opposition to) legislation that would require BWC footage to be released publicly. Results suggest (a) a variety of environmental factors were associated with support and (b) the correlates of support varied across agencies of different sizes.

Variability in the Use of Misdemeanor Arrests by Police Agencies From 1990 to 2013: An Application of Group-Based Trajectory Modeling

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 536-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Lum ◽  
Heather Vovak
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
The United States ◽  
Police Departments ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Trajectory Modeling ◽  
Patterns Of Use ◽  
Police Agencies ◽  
Long Term Trends ◽  
Zero Tolerance Policing

Arrest for minor offenses has become one tool that some police departments employ to fight crime and disorder in their jurisdictions. Dubbed by some as “broken windows” or “zero tolerance” policing, a few police agencies in the 1990s and 2000s notably and significantly increased their use of arrest for such misdemeanors, such as New York City and Baltimore. But was this the case for other law enforcement agencies in the United States? Our analysis is the first to examine long-term trends in the use of misdemeanor arrests in a sample of U.S. law enforcement agencies using group-based trajectory modeling. Results show that police agencies have distinct longitudinal patterns of use of arrests for minor crimes from 1990 to 2013; some agencies significantly increased their use of arrests for minor crimes while others did not. Further analysis of possible explanations for agency membership in any given longitudinal trajectory found that agencies with similar patterns in their use of misdemeanor arrests were not similar on demographic or crime characteristics. This finding suggests that the decision to increase the use of arrest for minor offenses may have been a policy choice by agencies influenced by factors not detected here.

Texas sheriffs’ perceptions on firearm regulations and mass shootings

2021 ◽  
pp. 146135572110046
Author(s):  
Michele Bisaccia Meitl ◽  
Ashley Wellman ◽  
Patrick Kinkaid
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
The United States ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Police Departments ◽  
Mass Shootings ◽  
Municipal Police ◽  
Municipal Police Departments ◽  
Discrete Populations ◽  
Limit Access

Criminal justice research often focuses exclusively on municipal police departments. Sheriffs’ departments are largely ignored in this research despite this population’s reach and role. There are nearly 3,000 sheriffs’ offices around the United States and they often serve as the only law enforcement body in rural areas. This study sought to address the scarcity of this research and focused on Texas sheriffs’ views regarding firearm regulations and the causes of mass shootings. An 18-question instrument created in consult with the Texas Narcotic Officers Association was sent to each sheriff in the 254 counties of Texas to assess their perceptions regarding solutions to mass shootings, disqualification criteria for gun ownership, and civilian access to certain types of firearms and ammunition. Responding sheriffs, as a whole, were reluctant to limit access to guns and ammunition as a general matter, but strongly agreed that certain discrete populations should have limited or no access to firearms. Policy implications are discussed.

Sheriff’s deputies and police officers: comparing their views

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
William P. McCarty ◽  
Stacy Dewald
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Justice ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Police Departments ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dependent Variables ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Municipal Police ◽  
Municipal Police Departments ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare views of the community, views of the organization head, and perceptions of organizational justice between deputies working in sheriff’s offices and officers working in municipal police departments. Design/methodology/approach This study used surveys of 2,012 sworn deputies representing 19 full-service county sheriff’s offices and 10,590 sworn officers representing 70 municipal police departments. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to compare the three dependent variables between sheriff’s offices and municipal police departments. Findings Deputies in sheriff’s offices expressed more positive views of the community and organization head, and more favorable perceptions of organizational justice than officers in municipal police departments. Regression analyses indicated that views of the organization head and perceptions of organizational justice remained significantly more positive in sheriff’s offices than municipal departments, even after controlling for agency size and concentrated disadvantage. Research limitations/implications The sample of agencies should not be considered as a representative of all sheriff’s offices and municipal police departments in the USA. The number and scope of agency-level variables included in the regression models were limited. Practical implications The results suggest the importance of ensuring more equitable systems of rewards and organization heads taking steps to communicate more effectively with sworn personnel, especially in municipal departments. Originality/value By its focus on sheriff’s offices, the study broadens knowledge of law enforcement agencies and sworn personnel, which is usually based on studies of municipal police departments and officers.

scholarly journals Crime mapping and Geographical Information Systems in crime analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 2208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uğur Argun ◽  
Murat Dağlar
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Crime Analysis ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Police Departments ◽  
Crime Mapping ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Police Agencies

As essential apparatus in crime analysis, crime mapping and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are being progressively more accepted by police agencies. Development in technology and the accessibility of geographic data sources make it feasible for police departments to use GIS and crime mapping. GIS and crime mapping can be utilized as devices to discover reasons contributing to crime, and hence let law enforcement agencies proactively take action against the crime problems before they become challenging. The purpose of this study is to conduct a literature review of Geographical Information System and Crime Mapping in Crime Analysis and to propose policy recommendations regarding to implementation of crime mapping and GIS. To achieve this purpose, first a historical evaluation of GIS and crime mapping will be rendered and then the importance of place will be explained in terms of assessing crime problems accurately.

Building Bridges Between Researchers and Police Practitioners in Small and Midsize Law Enforcement Agencies in the United States

2021 ◽  
pp. 104398622199988
Author(s):  
Janice Iwama ◽  
Jack McDevitt ◽  
Robert Bieniecki
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
The United States ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Local Police ◽  
Police Agencies

Although partnerships between researchers and police practitioners have increased over the last few decades in some of the largest police agencies in the United States, very few small agencies have engaged in a partnership with a researcher. Of the 18,000 local police agencies in the United States, small agencies with less than 25 sworn officers make up about three quarters of all police agencies. To support future collaborations between researchers and smaller police agencies, like those in Douglas County, Kansas, this article identifies challenges that researchers can address and explores how these relationships can benefit small police agencies across the United States.

scholarly journals The Protection of the Rights to Life and Health in Emergencies: An Examination of the Handling of Covid-19 Pandemic in Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-279
Author(s):  
BONTUR LUGARD Sunday
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
World War Ii ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Video Camera ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Continuous Training ◽  
Moral Duties ◽  
Entire Society ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is inarguably the most disrupting occurrence in human affairs since the World War II. This virus left governments, communities and systems with the legal, social and moral duties to protect from its impacts. However, some of the approaches adopted towards protecting the victims, potential victims, and the entire society, especially in Nigeria, caused more harm than the disease itself. This work reviews the impact of the curtailment measures adopted by governments in Nigeria and their adverse bearing on human rights, especially the right to life as a sacrosanct and universal right. It further examines how law enforcement agencies’ operations - within the confines of the institutional and international best practices - their non-adherence to the rules of engagement or principles of ethical operations have resulted in the violation of human rights, rather than protecting them. It also analyses the impact of the virus on the right to health and access to medical facilities in times of emergencies in Nigeria and concludes that both rights were either violated or not realized within the context of the ‘war’ against the COVID-19 pandemic. This work advocates for the continuous training on human rights responsibilities of law enforcement agents, a more rigorous recruitment process with a minimum qualification from school certificate to ordinary national diploma, the use of video camera in the course of operations, among others that would help safeguard the rights of citizens in times of emergencies like the COVID-19.

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