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What motivates the blue line for technology adoption? Insights from a police expert panel and survey

Michael Egnoto (Cadmus Group, Homeland Security Division at College Park, College Park, Maryland, USA)
Gary Ackerman (START, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, Maryland, USA)
Irina Iles (Department of Communication, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, Maryland, USA)
Holly Ann Roberts (START, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, Maryland, USA)
Daniel Steven Smith (START, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, Maryland, USA)
Brooke Fisher Liu (Department of Communication, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, Maryland, USA)
Brandon Behlendorf (College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA)

Policing: An International Journal

ISSN: 1363-951X

Article publication date: 15 May 2017

535

Abstract

Purpose

Testing technologies for policing is costly and laborious. Previous research found that police can be reticent about technology adoption. The purpose of this paper is to examine law enforcement adoption of programmatic innovations focused on particular crime types (radiological and nuclear threats).

Design/methodology/approach

First, an expert police panel explored readiness to adopt an advanced technology (personal radiation detectors (PRDs)). A survey was then developed from the panel findings (n=101 sampled from East Coast metropolitan police).

Findings

Results indicated that on-duty device adoption was likely, but not off-duty. In addition, concerns about ease of carrying PRDs, personal health and security issues, and concerns about job performance were raised. Furthermore, findings suggest that police respond negatively to financial incentives, and focus instead on how innovations can contribute to their own safety and that of their immediate families. Additionally, results indicate that false positives are not a significant barrier to adoption, but device training is important.

Practical implications

This work gives insight how to engage officers more meaningfully in technology adoption for benefit of policing in the field.

Originality/value

This work expands previous police adoption literature and advances understanding of the increasing role officers are taking in counter-terrorism efforts in the USA with applications around the world.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Funding disclosure: the work was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under award W911NF-14-1-0178. The views, opinions, and/or findings expressed are those of the author(s) and should not be interpreted as representing the official views or policies of the Department of Defense or the US Government.

Citation

Egnoto, M., Ackerman, G., Iles, I., Roberts, H.A., Smith, D.S., Liu, B.F. and Behlendorf, B. (2017), "What motivates the blue line for technology adoption? Insights from a police expert panel and survey", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 40 No. 2, pp. 306-320. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-03-2016-0031

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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