Constrained Agency Theory and Leadership: A New Perspective to Understand How Female Police Officers Overcome the Structural and Social Impediments to Promotion

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa S. Morabito ◽  
Tara O’Connor Shelley
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Agency Theory ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Coping Mechanisms ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Gendered Organizations ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Female Officers

Substantial research has examined both the barriers preventing women from entering and flourishing in policing and the coping mechanisms used to adapt to the gendered institution of policing. However, there is scant research that examines the mechanisms by which some women successfully navigate the police bureaucracy. Drawing from in-depth, semi-structured interviews of 47 female officers from 30 law enforcement agencies across seven states, we apply Constrained Agency Theory as a means to identify and understand how women capitalize on conditions and opportunities to advance and/or gain promotion in gendered organizations. The purpose of our research is to explore the efficacy of this theoretical framework for the study of women in policing. Results suggest that Constrained Agency Theory offers a promising way of understanding how female officers experience and utilize opportunities and conditions for advancement across a variety of agencies, generations, and organizational cultures.

Motivations for Police Support of Domestic Violence Response Team Implementation With Advocates

2020 ◽  
pp. 107780122093082
Author(s):  
Laura Johnson ◽  
Elisheva Davidoff ◽  
Abigail R. DeSilva
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Perceived Benefits ◽  
Police Departments ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Serious Crime ◽  
Response Team ◽  
Domestic Violence Organizations

In New Jersey, collaboration between police departments and advocates from domestic violence organizations is mandated by state policy, which requires law enforcement agencies to participate in domestic violence response teams (DVRTs). The purpose of this study is to examine factors that motivate police officers to implement DVRT. Twenty-four semi-structured interviews were conducted with DVRT coordinators and domestic violence liaison police officers. Findings suggest that police motivation for implementing the intervention is often influenced by perceived benefits to police response and investigation, perceived benefits to victims, the need to comply with mandates, and recognition of domestic violence as a serious crime.

scholarly journals Reducing police turnover: Recommendations for the law enforcement agency

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-83
Author(s):  
Susan Hilal ◽  
Bryan Litsey
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Light Duty ◽  
Personal Wellness ◽  
Law Enforcement Agency ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Term Data

Law enforcement is a career that offers long-term employment; however, not everyone who enters the profession stays until they retire. Because the costs of employing a police officer can be significant to both the organization and the individual seeking to pursue and maintain a career in law enforcement, identifying ways to reduce police turnover is important. This study captures the experiences of officers who left prematurely, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, to help identify what agencies can do to keep officers long term. Data for this exploratory study was gathered via semi-structured interviews with 36 former police officers. The findings highlighted several common themes that law enforcement agencies could address, including: leadership training, clear and transparent processes, permanent light-duty assignments, shift flexibility, improved morale, and more focus on personal wellness.

scholarly journals “We're actually more of a likely ally than an unlikely ally”: relationships between syringe services programs and law enforcement

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Y. Franco ◽  
Angela E. Lee-Winn ◽  
Sara Brandspigel ◽  
Musheng L. Alishahi ◽  
Ashley Brooks-Russell
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Wound Care ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Treatment Programs ◽  
People Who Use Drugs ◽  
Positive Relationships ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Program Staff ◽  
Compliance With The Law

Abstract Background Syringe services programs provide sterile injection supplies and a range of health services (e.g., HIV and HEP-C testing, overdose prevention education, provision of naloxone) to a hard-to-reach population, including people who use drugs, aiming to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. Methods We performed a qualitative needs assessment of existing syringe services programs in the state of Colorado in 2018–2019 to describe—their activities, needs, and barriers. Using a phenomenological approach, we performed semi-structured interviews with key program staff of syringe services programs (n = 11). All interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and validated. A data-driven iterative approach was used by researchers to develop a coding scheme to organize the data into major themes found across interviews. Memos were written to synthesize main themes. Results Nearly all the syringe program staff discussed their relationships with law enforcement at length. All syringe program staff viewed having a positive relationship with law enforcement as critical to the success of their program. Main factors that influence the quality of relationships between syringe services programs and law enforcement included: (1) alignment in agency culture, (2) support from law enforcement leadership, (3) police officers’ participation and compliance with the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program, which provides intensive case management for low-level drug offenders, and (4) implementation of the “Needle-Stick Prevention Law” and Drug Paraphernalia Law Exemption. All syringe program staff expressed a strong desire to have positive relationships with law enforcement and described how a collaborative working relationship was critical to the success of their programs. Conclusions Our findings reveal effective strategies to foster relationships between syringe services programs and law enforcement as well as key barriers to address. The need exists for both syringe services programs and law enforcement to devote time and resources to build a strong, positive partnership. Having such positive relationships with law enforcement has positive implications for syringe services program clients, including law enforcement being less likely to ticket persons for having used syringes, and encourage people who use drugs to seek services from syringe services programs, which can then lead them to other resources, such as housing, wound care, and substance use treatment programs.

scholarly journals Criminal Community Detection Based on Isomorphic Subgraph Analytics

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 164-174
Author(s):  
Theyvaa Sangkaran ◽  
Azween Abdullah ◽  
NZ Jhanjhi
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Community Detection ◽  
Traditional Method ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Modus Operandi ◽  
Research Gap ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Key Participants ◽  
Investigative Process

AbstractAll highly centralised enterprises run by criminals do share similar traits, which, if recognised, can help in the criminal investigative process. While conducting a complex confederacy investigation, law enforcement agents should not only identify the key participants but also be able to grasp the nature of the inter-connections between the criminals to understand and determine the modus operandi of an illicit operation. We studied community detection in criminal networks using the graph theory and formally introduced an algorithm that opens a new perspective of community detection compared to the traditional methods used to model the relations between objects. Community structure, generally described as densely connected nodes and similar patterns of links is an important property of complex networks. Our method differs from the traditional method by allowing law enforcement agencies to be able to compare the detected communities and thereby be able to assume a different viewpoint of the criminal network, as presented in the paper we have compared our algorithm to the well-known Girvan-Newman. We consider this method as an alternative or an addition to the traditional community detection methods mentioned earlier, as the proposed algorithm allows, and will assists in, the detection of different patterns and structures of the same community for enforcement agencies and researches. This methodology on community detection has not been extensively researched. Hence, we have identified it as a research gap in this domain and decided to develop a new method of criminal community detection.

“The Light at the End of the Tunnel Has Been Permanently Shut Off”: Work-Role Overload Among U.S. Police

2021 ◽  
pp. 009385482110247
Author(s):  
Meret S. Hofer
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Role Overload ◽  
Work Role ◽  
Psychological Resources ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Social Functions ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
International Trends ◽  
Functional Breadth

The functional breadth of the police role is a primary issue facing law enforcement. However, few empirical data examine how officers are experiencing an occupational environment characterized by an increasingly wider range of new (but routine) duties. I take a qualitative approach to explore experiences of work-role overload via in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a sample of U.S. police officers ( N = 48). By applying the framework for thematic analysis, I find that work-role overload is a robust feature of police officers’ occupational experiences and presents in two ways: (a) through quantitative overload related to the excessive volume of work demands and (b) qualitative overload related to strained or diminished psychological resources. The findings provide valuable insights for improving the theoretical understanding of work-role overload among police in light of international trends toward broadening law enforcement’s social functions and add to contemporary discussions to “defund the police.”

College Students Training Law Enforcement Officers: The Officer Charlie Get Fit Project

2021 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence Judge ◽  
Tonya Skalon ◽  
Makenzie Schoeff ◽  
Shannon Powers ◽  
James Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Learning Style ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Community Partner ◽  
Fat Percentage ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Data Collection And Analysis ◽  
Project Officer

While most law enforcement agencies recognize the importance of physical fitness for their officers and encourage them to maintain an adequate level of fitness, many find it difficult to implement a fitness program successfully. Prior studies and literature support the implementation of community-centered fitness initiatives. The purpose of this study was to (1) describe participant outcomes from the service- learning project Officer Charlie Get Fit Project and (2) delineate Kolb’s experiential learning model implemented by undergraduate kinesiology majors when applied in an exercise setting. Students were charged with working directly with police officers over an 8-week program with the goal of lowering health-risk factors for the participants. Additionally, the project provided an opportunity for students to assess their own learning style and infuse it in a real-world professional application. Participants included 16 police officers (M = 44.6, SD = 10.7 years of age) and one elected city administrative official. Paired sample t tests revealed nonsignificant differences between the pretest and posttest scores on the 10 fitness measures. Descriptive statistics revealed improvements in categories of body weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, resting heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, sum of skinfolds, and overall body fat percentage. Participant exit interviews indicated positive qualitative results. The student reflection piece indicated that the frequent writing helped with (1) the myriad of planning and preparation issues, (2) selecting a community partner and recruiting participants, and (3) data collection and analysis. This study was an important assessment of immersive learning opportunities provided through classroom lecture and development of community partnerships.

scholarly journals Юридизация области дисциплинарных отношений в рядах российской милиции (1917-1919 гг.)

2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 90-93
Author(s):  
С.Ю. Чимаров ◽  
В.С. Бялт
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies

The article presents an analysis of the legal regulation of the disciplinary responsibility of Russian militia employees during the period of the change in government models from the tsarist era to the era of democratic transformations and the transition to the Soviet-style government regime. Focusing on the desire of the new government to strictly systematize the issues of disciplinary responsibility of domestic police officers in the specified period of time, the authors substantiate the need to strengthen the police ranks on the basis of disciplining the personnel of the updated law enforcement agencies.

scholarly journals TOPICAL ISSUES OF PROFESSIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SUITABILY IN THE SYSTEM OF THE MIA OF THE REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN

2021 ◽  
pp. 211-218
Author(s):  
Somon Latifzoda
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Psychological Characteristics ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Internal Affairs ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Psychological Diagnostics

This article discusses the main problems and issues of professional and psychological suitability in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan. The analysis of the existing scientific literature was carried out, and also the author's recommendations were formulated to improve the professional training and professional suitability of the employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Along with the professional training of police officers, their psychological qualities also play a decisive role in ensuring efficiency in operational-search activities. The quality and effectiveness of the implementation of operational-search activities, then its level directly depends on the psychological characteristics of the operative and his professional training. It should be noted that scientifically grounded conclusions about the professional and psychological suitability of employees can only be achieved with the help of high-quality and correct psychological diagnostics, that is, using psychometric methods. The basis for the survey of professional and psychological suitability, the procedure, procedure, conditions and terms of the survey, cases of re-examination are determined by regulatory legal acts. Consequently, the research and scientifically grounded measures to determine professional suitability in the internal affairs bodies of the Republic of Tajikistan are relevant, and the scientifically grounded results obtained as a result of our research can be used to further improve the professional and psychological selection to the law enforcement agencies of the country.

Veto Power

2021 ◽  
pp. 131-194
Author(s):  
Noah Tsika
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Motion Pictures ◽  
The United States ◽  
Veto Power ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Deep Roots ◽  
Black Residents ◽  
White Supremacists

Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, police censorship of motion pictures was a significant and always controversial index of the expansion of law enforcement agencies to include activities that many Americans deemed unbecoming of cops. As such, it offers considerable insight into contemporary debates over the scope of police power in the United States. Today’s arguments have deep roots, including in a practice that was far more prevalent—and far more contentious—than conventional histories allow. When it came to vetting motion pictures, the methods of municipal police departments varied widely. But they often illuminated broader problems: Detroit police officers who voted to ban anti-Nazi films were themselves outspoken white supremacists; Chicago cops who balked at cinema’s suggestions of eroticism were also, outside of departmental screening rooms, aggressively targeting sex workers; and Southern lawmen who sought to eliminate intimations of racial equality were known for their brutal treatment of Black residents. Police censorship of motion pictures took place not in a vacuum but within the ever-widening ambit of law enforcement, and it merits scrutiny as a measure of the authority, influence, and cultural identities of municipal cops.

scholarly journals Policing through social media: a qualitative exploration

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-218
Author(s):  
Seth Wyatt Fallik ◽  
Ross Deuchar ◽  
Vaughn J Crichlow ◽  
Hannah Hodges
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Police Officer ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
The Past ◽  
Qualitative Exploration

Social media, in the past decade, has been used to hold police accountable for their actions. There has been, however, a paucity of empirical research into how law enforcement uses social media. To explore this issue, this paper uses qualitative data emerging from ethnographic research conducted in a Southern American state. Participant observations of police officer deployments were paired with semi-structured interviews with officers from three law enforcement agencies. The extent and ways in which these officers used social media is explored. Findings indicate that social media is used to bring positive attention to law enforcement agencies and aid criminal investigations. Although the positive impact of social media was highlighted in these experiences, persistent problems and challenges also featured in the data. Finally, officer insights were drawn upon to make recommendations for future policing policy and research.

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