The formation of suspicion: A vignette study

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 274-284
Author(s):  
Scott W Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Police Training ◽  
The Body ◽  
Police Culture ◽  
Heuristics And Biases ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Vignette Study ◽  
Police Agencies ◽  
Survey Results

Being suspicious is part of police training, and is emphasized in police culture. Tversky and Kahneman argued that people make decisions based on a limited number of heuristic factors to reduce a complex task to likely probabilities ( Tversky A and Kahneman D [1974] Judgment under uncertainty: heuristics and biases. Science 185[4157]: 1124–1131). This study contributes to the body of scholarship studying police suspicion. It uses vignettes describing an incident involving characteristics important when police officers form suspicion. This design allows respondents to judge a situation before actual engagement. A convenience sample of police officers, supervisors, and administrators from police agencies of different sizes located in two different states responded to an online survey. Results demonstrated that the time of an event, the person’s race, and their manner of dress, contributed to the formation of suspicion. Other factors (i.e., suspect age, neighborhood) were not significantly related to suspicion. Further, respondents with few years of experience were more likely to see the conditions within a vignette as suspicious. The findings indicate that unacceptable stereotyping can result from using scanty or outdated heuristic tools to simplify decision-making. Further, there is a need for additional research examining the conditions related to suspicion formation.

Cops and COVID: an examination of California officers' perceptions and experiences while policing during a pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Shjarback ◽  
Obed Magny
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Sensitive Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Police Agencies ◽  
Police Executives

PurposeUsing online survey data from a sample of 440 police officers in California throughout May 2020, the current study collected time-sensitive information on officers' perceptions and departmental experiences in the wake of the pandemic. It examined officers' perceptions of agency responsivity as well as their perceptions of morale, stress and risk following agency responses and changes in policy patterns, service delivery innovations and other administrative challenges.Design/methodology/approachCOVID-19 had a tremendous impact on the law enforcement community, who continued to work and adapt in order to provide public safety. During the first few months of the pandemic, a number of national data collection efforts set out to understand what police agencies, at the organizational-level, were doing to address the crisis. Largely missing from these initial discussions were the perspectives of individual officers, particularly how they felt about their respective departments ensuring safety and balancing risk.FindingsResults from ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions found that the number of departmental changes made in the wake of COVID-19 that reduced police–public contact was associated with (1) increased levels of perceived agency responsivity to officer needs (i.e. balancing officer safety, taking active steps to maintain officers' mental health) and (2) reduced levels of perceived negative outlook (e.g. stress, low morale, danger/risk). Policy implications and the importance of police executives' decisions during crisis are discussed.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first, to the authors’ knowledge, to examine perceptions of policing during the pandemic from an individual officer point of view rather than an organizational standpoint.

scholarly journals Specifics of physical activity in the conditions of official activity of employees of the National Police of Ukraine

2020 ◽  
pp. 46-50
Author(s):  
V. A. Didkovsky ◽  
K. V. Pleva ◽  
O. V. Kuzenkov ◽  
V. V. Bilyk ◽  
O. A. Arsenenko
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Public Safety ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Police Training ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
The Body ◽  
Memory And Attention ◽  
National Police

Based on the analysis of the peculiarities of the official activity of the employees of the National Police of Ukraine, it has been established that the performance of official tasks mostly takes place in extreme conditions and involves the application of police measures by law enforcement officers. This causes significant physical and psychological stress and impairs the physical health of employees. It is stated that the official activity of employees of most units of the National Police of Ukraine is determined by irregular working hours, daily shifts, frequent services for the protection of public safety and order. This leads to constant overload and, over time, to chronic fatigue. It is established that the specifics of physical activity during the performance of official duties by police officers are determined by the police department and due to the functional responsibilities of employees. The reasons that determine the physical activity of police officers have been identified: the performance of official duties related to the protection of public safety and order, service in daily uniforms; physical training in the system of police training, participation in competitions in professional and applied and other sports. There are objective and subjective indicators used to determine the amount of physical activity of police officers. Subjective are: the feeling of difficulty in performing the work, the inability to continue its implementation in the prescribed amount and pace, fatigue, and so on. It is stated that objective indicators play a key role in assessing the level of physical activity. Among them there are external and internal. External indicators include indicators that are evaluated by its external parameters: speed, pace, number of repetitions, load, and so on. To the internal - indicators of biochemical, physiological, psychological changes in the body due to specific loads. Prospects for further research are to examine the effect of stress on police memory and attention during service.

scholarly journals Transitioning from pandemic to normalcy: what police departments can learn from the rank-and-file

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janne E. Gaub ◽  
Marthinus C. Koen ◽  
Shelby Davis
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Body ◽  
Police Departments ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Coding Schemes ◽  
Police Agencies ◽  
Police Executives ◽  
Police Personnel

PurposeAfter more than 18 months of life during a pandemic, much of the world is beginning to transition back to some semblance of normalcy. As that happens, institutions – including policing – need to acknowledge changes that had been made during the pandemic and decide what modifications and innovations, if any, to continue moving forward.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use semi-structured interviews and focus groups of police personnel in the United States (US) and Canada. The sample includes police officers and frontline supervisors (n = 20). The authors conduct qualitative analysis using deductive and inductive coding schemes.FindingsThe sample identified four areas of adaptation during the pandemic: 1) safety measures, 2) personnel reallocation, 3) impacts on training and 4) innovation and role adjustments. These areas of adaptation prompted several recommendations for transitioning police agencies out of the pandemic.Originality/valueA growing number of studies are addressing police responses to the pandemic. Virtually all are quantitative in nature, including all studies investigating the perceptions of police personnel. The body of perceptual studies is extraordinarily small and primarily focuses on police executives, ignoring the views of the rank-and-file who are doing the work of street-level police business. This is the first study to delve into the perceptions of this group, and does so using a qualitative approach that permits a richer understanding of the nuances of perception.

scholarly journals Using force: experiences of Belgian police officers

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 278-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jannie Noppe ◽  
Antoinette Verhage
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Use Of Force ◽  
Physical Force ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Coaching ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into the type of force that is most frequently used by Belgian police officers in their daily activities, and to examine the individual and contextual triggers that result in using force. Design/methodology/approach First, the results of an online survey of police officers in three Belgian local police zones are presented. Second, qualitative data are used to gain more insight into the factors, individual as well as contextual, that influence the decision to use force. Findings The survey results indicate that the officers in the sample rarely use force. When force is used, the type of force used is typically situated on the lower end of the continuum (verbal and physical force without a weapon). The interview data suggest that suspect resistance, the behaviour of the suspect in general and the character and personality of the police officer have an influence on the use of force. Practical implications The authors conclude that police officers should be provided not only with training on typical situations, but also with training to handle unpredictable cases, as well as individual coaching and aftercare. Increased transparency and reporting of the use of force and evolutions thereof could provide basic information to develop training, coaching and aftercare. Originality/value Although there has been plenty of academic attention given to the factors that determine proper use of force by the police, most research in this field is based on police experiences abroad (such as in the USA).

Patient perspectives on the treatment burden of injectable medication for hereditary angioedema

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. S4-S10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristine Radojicic ◽  
Marc A. Riedl ◽  
Timothy J. Craig ◽  
Jessica M. Best ◽  
Jinky Rosselli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hereditary Angioedema ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
The Body ◽  
Significant Treatment ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Current Therapies ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Patients Experience

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare, chronic disease characterized by debilitating swelling episodes in various parts of the body. Patients experience significant burdens related to the symptoms and management of HAE, which can affect their daily lives and reduce their overall quality of life. Prophylactic treatment options have expanded in the past decade to the benefit of patients; however, these therapies require scheduled injections, which can be painful, burdensome, and time consuming. We conducted an online survey of patients with HAE in the USA to better understand their experiences with available prophylactic medications and the associated treatment burdens. Our survey results suggest that most patients are satisfied with their current therapies but desire novel medications with a simpler route of administration and that, although most patients experience significant treatment-related burdens, they learn to cope with these challenges over time.

scholarly journals Characteristics of e-cigarette users and their perceptions of the benefits, harms and risks of e-cigarette use: survey results from a convenience sample in Ottawa, Canada

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 130-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. D. Volesky ◽  
A. Maki ◽  
C. Scherf ◽  
L. M. Watson ◽  
E. Cassol ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Quitting Smoking ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Convenience Sampling ◽  
The Relationship

Introduction Although e-cigarette use (‘‘vaping’’) is increasing in Canada, few attempts have been made to describe e-cigarette users (‘‘vapers’’). In this context, we conducted a study in Ottawa, Canada, to describe e-cigarette users’ perceptions of the benefits, harms and risks of e-cigarettes. We also collected information on why, how and where they use e-cigarettes as well as information on side effects. Methods A 24-item online survey was administered to individuals who purchased e-cigarettes or e-cigarette-related supplies at one of Ottawa’s 17 e-cigarette shops. Descriptive analyses characterized respondents, and logistic regression models were fitted to evaluate the relationship between respondents’ characteristics and their perception of e-cigarette harms. Results The mean age of the 242 respondents was 38.1 years (range: 16–70 years); 66% were male. Nearly all had smoked 100 or more cigarettes in their lifetime (97.9%). More than 80% indicated that quitting smoking was a very important reason for starting to use e-cigarettes and 60% indicated that they intend to stop using e-cigarettes at some point. About 40% reported experiencing some side effects within 2 hours of using e-cigarettes. Those who did not report experiencing any of the listed side effects had approximately 3.2 times higher odds of perceiving e-cigarettes as harmless than those who reported having side effects (odds ratio ¼ 3.17; 95% confidence interval: 1.75–5.73). Conclusion Our findings suggest that most e-cigarette users are using them to reduce or stop smoking cigarettes and perceive them as harmless. Due to our use of convenience sampling, the reader should be cautious in generalizing our findings to all Canadian e-cigarette users.

Police as cop show viewers

2021 ◽  
pp. 174165902110055
Author(s):  
Antony Stephenson
Keyword(s):  
Public Relations ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Police Culture ◽  
Visual Texts ◽  
Cultural Objects ◽  
The Public ◽  
Police Agencies

Despite the popularity of Australian television drama and reality series featuring police, there has been a paucity of research into what these programs communicate about real world policing. These ‘cop shows’ are productive forms of public relations for police agencies, particularly the co-produced reality TV variety, and as such are valuable broadcasting and policing commodities. As complex audio-visual texts, cop shows can generate myriad meanings and messages. As cultural objects these programs also rely upon and generate expressions of national identity. Drawing on 25 interviews with policing students and serving and retired police officers, this qualitative research provides insight into how prospective, current and retired police interpret televisual representations of the profession. It was found that interviewees more deeply embedded in the police culture were more cynical of the public relations messages and contested the role of women, while aspirants to the profession were more likely to endorse depictions of a diverse work force. Although interviewees regarded Australian cop shows as reflecting national attributes and cultural context, they reflected on aspects of cop shows produced in other countries to articulate what locally produced cop shows were not.

A comparative study of the police code of silence

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanja Kutnjak Ivković ◽  
Maria Haberfeld ◽  
Wook Kang ◽  
Robert Patrick Peacock ◽  
Louise E. Porter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Peer Pressure ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Peer Culture ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Code Of Silence ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Willingness To Report

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the contours of the police code of silence, a critical component of the ability to control misconduct and enhance integrity within any police agency. Unlike the extant research, dominated by single-country studies, this paper provides an in-depth exploration of the code across five countries and tests the relation between the code of science and societal characteristics. Design/methodology/approach A police integrity survey was used to measure the contours of the code of silence among police officers in Australia (n=856), Croatia (n=966), South Africa (n=871), South Korea (n=379) and the USA (n=664). The respondents evaluated 11 hypothetical scenarios describing various forms of police misconduct. Findings Bivariate analyses reveal considerable divergence in the code of silence across the five countries. Multivariate models of the code of silence show that, next to organizational factors (i.e. the respondents’ assessment of peers’ willingness to report, evaluations of misconduct seriousness and expected discipline) and individual factors (i.e. supervisory status), societal factors (i.e. the Corruption Perceptions Index score and the percent of irreligious citizens) are significant predictors of the respondents’ willingness to report. Research limitations/implications While the same questionnaire was used in all five countries, the nature of the data collection differed somewhat across the countries (e.g. online survey vs paper-and-pencil survey), as did the nature of the samples (e.g. representative sample vs convenience sample). Practical implications Perceived peer pressure, measured as the perceptions of whether other police officers would adhere to the code of silence, is the key variable explaining the police officers’ expressed willingness to adhere to the code of silence. Changing the police officers’ perceptions of peer culture and potentially changing the peer culture itself should be critical elements in the toolbox of any administrator willing to curtail the code of silence. Originality/value Whereas the study of the code of silence has started several decades ago, no prior study has tested the effects of organizational and societal variables on the code of silence in a comparative perspective.

Police Perspectives of Problem Solving in the Context of Audience Legitimacy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott W Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Order Maintenance ◽  
Police Agencies ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Individual Variables ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Maintenance Problem ◽  
Level Of Agreement

Abstract This study examines the police officer’s contemporary views of dealing with minor order-maintenance problems. Their views of problem-solving go beyond situational, neighbourhood and individual variables. Officers might also consider ‘audience legitimacy’ when forming their opinion of problem-solving. A quasi-experimental vignette research design was used to gauge a police officer’s views of rudimentary order-maintenance activity. Police officers of various ranks, and from a range of different sized police agencies, responded to an online survey, resulting in an N of 473. The dependent variable asked respondents their level of agreement with the actions of an officer described in a vignette. Respondents disagreed with an officer’s decision to ignore an order-maintenance problem. The neighbourhood crime characteristics were not related to their judgements about the decisions of the vignette officer. The type of nuisance crime event described in the vignette was related to the respondent’s level of agreement, but only at the 0.10 level. The respondent’s audience legitimacy score was correlated with several officer characteristics, but the relationship disappeared in the regression analysis. The findings are discussed in relation to prior research, and suggestions are made for multidimensional policing research.

The impact of general police officer outlooks on their attitudes toward body-worn cameras

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 451-467
Author(s):  
Scott W. Phillips ◽  
Dae-Young Kim ◽  
Joseph Gramaglia
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Police Officer ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Police Agencies ◽  
Negative Perceptions ◽  
Officer Attitudes ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe past five years have seen a growth in studies of police body-worn cameras (BWCs). A large share of the research focused on individual officer attitudes toward these new law enforcement tools. The scholarship, however, focused almost exclusively on their positive and negative perceptions of body cameras or correlations between those attitudes and general officer characteristics. This study examined whether the influence of negative or “concerning” policing attitudes toward body cameras is mediated by other variables, such as officer outlooks toward law enforcement, officers' perceptions of citizen cooperation or their opinions of the public.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was distributed to a convenience sample of police offices from two Northeastern police agencies.FindingsFindings indicate that the relationship between experience and concerning perceptions of body cameras is mediated by distrust in citizens and perceived civilian cooperation. Further, an office's outlooks regarding aggressive law enforcement tactics do not have a direct effect on concerning perceptions of body cameras, nor do they serve as a mediator between years of experience and concerning perceptions of body cameras.Originality/valueFindings uncover the nuance and complexity of studying and understanding police officer outlooks and perceptions of BWCs. Future experimental designs should include general outlook measures.

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