The Relationship between Drug-Related Incidents and Violent Incidents in Correctional Facilities

This researcher collected data using a deputy report writing system (DRWS). The system allows for the exact collection of data about deputy sheriff reports in the target population. Specifically, this researcher collected and analyzed data, using an <i>Excel’s Statistical Analysis Tool</i>, about the number of deputy reports documenting battery incidents among inmates (e.g., assault and battery), resisting incidents (e.g., delay correctional staff and resist officer), drug-related incidents (e.g., possession of drugs/ alcohol and found narcotic reports), crisis intervention incidents (e.g., attempt suicide and harm-to-others due to mental illness), and miscellaneous reports (e.g., theft and vandalism). Except for confidential reports (reports that are not open to the public) and supplemental reports (follow-up reports for original incidents), this study examined all reports generated by deputy sheriffs in the correctional setting, for the target population, over a 27-week period. The target population for the study are adult inmates inside one Southwestern jail system in the United States.<br>

The Relationship between Drug-Related Incidents and Violent Incidents in Correctional Facilities

This researcher collected data using a deputy report writing system (DRWS). The system allows for the exact collection of data about deputy sheriff reports in the target population. Specifically, this researcher collected and analyzed data, using an <i>Excel’s Statistical Analysis Tool</i>, about the number of deputy reports documenting battery incidents among inmates (e.g., assault and battery), resisting incidents (e.g., delay correctional staff and resist officer), drug-related incidents (e.g., possession of drugs/ alcohol and found narcotic reports), crisis intervention incidents (e.g., attempt suicide and harm-to-others due to mental illness), and miscellaneous reports (e.g., theft and vandalism). Except for confidential reports (reports that are not open to the public) and supplemental reports (follow-up reports for original incidents), this study examined all reports generated by deputy sheriffs in the correctional setting, for the target population, over a 27-week period. The target population for the study are adult inmates inside one Southwestern jail system in the United States.<br>

UNDERSTANDING THE LEGAL ASPECT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT HIRING AND RETENTION

Law enforcement agencies struggle to hire officers. Law enforcement agencies are compelled to hold applicants to higher standards. Often, due to the danger that may occur, some applicants feel the pay is not worth the risk. Other applicants cannot complete the series of test such as physical agility, psychological, background checks and their criminal history. Even after an officer is hired, they are held to certain standards they must maintain to remain employed. In the State of Georgia, the Peace Officer Standard Training keeps a record of each officer in Georgia that provides the citizens with qualified, professional, trained, ethical and competent peace officers in law enforcement. Any violations could result in the officer certification being suspended or revoked and will show if a person has been fired or quit voluntarily. Hiring and Retention of law enforcement officers will need to be addressed. Police officers or Deputy Sheriffs are needed to maintain order, investigate crimes whether misdemeanors or felonies and crimes against children or the elderly. If agencies cannot retain officer’s criminals would not have consequences for their actions and society would revert to the days of outlaws and common law citizens. Not being able to hire and retain officers can have an impact externally and internally. If officers are not hired or retain the following could cause long term problems such as; officer burnout due to the overtime, case overloads for investigators or detectives, new recruits using the agency as a steppingstone until another job is found.

Time Spent Working in Custody Influences Work Sample Test Battery Performance of Deputy Sheriffs Compared to Recruits

This study determined the influence of years spent working in custody on fitness measured by a state-specific testing battery (Work Sample Test Battery; WSTB) in deputy sheriffs. Retrospective analysis was conducted on one patrol school class (51 males, 13 females) divided into three groups depending on time spent working in custody: DS24 (<24 months; n = 20); DS2547 (25–47 months; n = 23); and DS48+ (≥48 months; n = 21). These groups were compared to a recruit class (REC; 219 males, 34 females) in the WSTB, which comprised five tasks completed for time: 99-yard (90.53-m) obstacle course (99OC); 165-pound (75-kg) dummy drag; six-foot (1.83-m) chain link fence (CLF) and solid wall (SW) climb; and 500-yard (457.2-m) run (500R). A univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) (controlling for sex and age) with Bonferroni post hoc determined significant between-group differences. DS48+ were slower in the 99OC compared to the REC (p = 0.007) and performed the CLF and SW slower than all groups (p ≤ 0.012). DS24, DS2547, and DS48+ were all slower than REC in the 500R (p ≤ 0.002). Physical training should be implemented to maintain fitness and job-specific task performance in deputy sheriffs working custody, especially considering the sedentary nature of this work.

A comparative case study of Reserve Deputies in a Florida sheriff’s office and Special Constables in an English police force

Volunteers operating as ‘sworn’ police personnel with full policing powers are a common feature of policing organizations in many countries, including Special Constables in the UK and Reserve and Auxiliary police officers and deputy sheriffs in many law enforcement agencies in the USA. There has been only limited research into the experience of serving as a volunteer in such policing roles in either the US or UK settings, together with very little comparative research into volunteer officer experience across different international settings. This article presents a small-scale, comparative qualitative case study based upon interviews with volunteers from a Reserve Unit in a sheriff’s office in Florida and with volunteer Special Constables from an English police force, exploring their perspectives and experiences of volunteering in their respective policing organizations. The research identifies key differences between the settings in respect of past experience and volunteer pathways, models of training and confidence of operational capability, development and management of roles, the opportunities to develop specialization for volunteers, and leadership. The article points to the value of comparative research in police voluntarism and calls for more research in this area.

The Value of the Arrest

Deputy sheriffs make arrests for many reasons: to solve problems, generate statistics, rectify perceived moral wrongs, or enforce compliance with the law. Many studies of discretion in arrests have looked at situational and structural determinants of the decision to arrest. Citizen demeanor, race, gender, and the nature of the crime have all been examined. Turning from these approaches, this study considers the institution of policing, focusing on the relations among deputies to try and explainwhomakes an arrest, especially when more than one deputy is on scene. Drawing from data collected during a year and a half of ethnographic research as a deputy sheriff in a rural California county, we show that arrests are a form of symbolic capital. Arrests are given, taken, and fought for as deputies struggle to work with each other and compete for prestige and positions within the Sheriff’s Office. Exchanged, gifted, and stolen as a valuable good, an arrest has the power to solidify existing relationships as well as foster divisions. As such, the arrest is a vehicle of social meaning and bonding, and a valued social commodity.