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Article
Publication date: 15 November 2011

Rachael Lindsay, Thomas W. Jackson and Louise Cooke

In light of a growing trend towards mobile information management and a UK governmental drive for police forces to implement mobile technologies and realise significant benefits…

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Abstract

Purpose

In light of a growing trend towards mobile information management and a UK governmental drive for police forces to implement mobile technologies and realise significant benefits, it is important to examine the factors affecting officer acceptance. There appears to be little understanding of the key factors, yet this is critical to the success of the initiative. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the main factors that influence the usage of mobile technologies amongst police officers.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative, partially ethnographic design was followed to allow an in‐depth exploration of this issue. The study was based on a mixed‐methods longitudinal evaluation study of the implementation of mobile technologies within a UK police force over a nine‐month period. The technology acceptance model (TAM) and the subsequent TAM2 and TAM3, were then reengineered to provide a suitable theoretical model for a mobile policing context.

Findings

In total, four main categories of officer acceptance factors were identified: officer performance, security/reliability, management style and cognitive acceptance. Evidence from the study showed a key shortfall in all three versions of the TAM in that they focus on the user perspective and did not confirm the broader organisational factors within the implementation and social contexts of mobile policing.

Originality/value

Consequently, an adapted mobile‐TAM (m‐TAM) was produced that incorporated these factors into the existing TAM elements. The high‐level nature of the adapted model for mobile policing means it could be applied by other police forces and potentially other organisations, regardless of the type of mobile device implemented, to address the barriers to acceptance. The m‐TAM addresses the need for a more relevant and robust model to the mobile policing paradigm, which goes beyond the static technology environment in which the TAM2 and TAM3 were built.

Article
Publication date: 9 January 2020

Natalie Todak and Janne E. Gaub

The purpose of this paper is to examine individual-level factors related to police body-worn camera (BWC) acceptance.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine individual-level factors related to police body-worn camera (BWC) acceptance.

Design/methodology/approach

Surveys were completed by 119 officers from one northwestern police agency a year after BWC deployment. Relationships between demographics, job characteristics, cultural attitudes, organizational justice perceptions and BWC acceptance were examined.

Findings

Supervisors, as well as officers who had worn BWCs longer, worked the most active patrol shifts, and viewed their supervisors as critical, reported more BWC acceptance. Other indicators of culture and organizational justice were not significant.

Originality/value

BWCs offer many benefits, but to realize these outcomes officers must accept and use the technology. Research shows wide variations in officer acceptance of BWCs. These findings suggest some officers view BWCs as helpful in dealing with job stressors, including supervisory responsibilities, high volumes of calls and critical supervisors, and tend to grow more accepting of them over time.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 43 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 May 2008

Cara Rabe‐Hemp

The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of policewomen to determine the extent to which female officers face resistance and obstacles to police work, to examine…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of policewomen to determine the extent to which female officers face resistance and obstacles to police work, to examine the coping mechanisms female officers utilized to overcome impediments encountered, and to establish common themes in female officers' success stories of acceptance and integration.

Design/methodology/approach

Owing to the difficulty in accessing female officers, the current research utilizes in‐depth qualitative interviews through snowball sampling. This methodology provided a rich sample of tenured female officers' experiences to explore resistance and integration.

Findings

The findings suggest despite early occupational experiences of sexual harassment, discrimination, and disrespect, after long tenures, female officers do achieve acceptance in police work. Female officers are holding high civil service ranks in police agencies and achieving new “firsts” every day, including breaking into stereotypically masculine assignments.

Practical implications

As police departments nationwide are having difficulties maintaining recruitment standards and full rosters, the current study can provide insight into the obstacles women face when joining police agencies and methods to alleviate these impediments, revealing an under‐recruited population for police agencies nationwide.

Originality/value

This study extends past literature by: examining female officers' experiences in a variety of agencies previously ignored in the literature; analyzing the tenure of the officers' careers to determine the onset and desistance of female officers' experiences with resistance and acceptance; and suggesting women do survive and, in some instances, thrive in an “all boys club.”

Details

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 31 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 April 2020

Scott W. Phillips, Dae-Young Kim and Joseph Gramaglia

The 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…

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Abstract

Purpose

The 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/approach

An online survey was distributed to a convenience sample of police offices from two Northeastern police agencies.

Findings

Findings 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/value

Findings uncover the nuance and complexity of studying and understanding police officer outlooks and perceptions of BWCs. Future experimental designs should include general outlook measures.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 43 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 1999

John Riley

Questions the approaches used for evaluating the success of community‐policing in the USA. Finds that reliance on crime and arrest statistics is not adequate. One of the new…

Abstract

Questions the approaches used for evaluating the success of community‐policing in the USA. Finds that reliance on crime and arrest statistics is not adequate. One of the new measures “knowledge of organizational personnel”, is examined reporting on the interest in and acceptance of the community‐policing philosophy among police officers working in a pilot programe in Anchorage, Alaska. Findings suggest that police officers took satisfaction in some aspects of the work but were frustrated and uncertain about others. Support for the programme is linked to three issues: desire for professional development, a desire for knowledge of area covered and an interest in creative and proactive problem solving.

Details

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 22 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 December 2020

Laura I. Sigad

The study aims to contribute an insider's view of how members of law enforcement and their families cope with life-threatening situations.

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to contribute an insider's view of how members of law enforcement and their families cope with life-threatening situations.

Design/methodology/approach

The study at hand is guided by a descriptive phenomenological perspective, which is utilized to describe and analyze the experiences of five police officers living under high levels of threat from criminals.

Findings

The analysis presents a multifaceted picture of the officers’ experience of threat. The findings suggest that life under extreme threat is experienced by the officers as an upheaval of identity and loss of the structure of self. Yet with the aid of various individual protective factors as well as community and systemic support, the officers are able to mentally reframe this experience of vulnerability as one of personal agency. They demonstrate acceptance of the threat as part and parcel of their professional roles, a praxis of responsibility that gives them a sense of control. Emotional strain is ever-present as the reality of the threat infiltrates their personal lives and those of their families, yet the return to their core identity as protectors rather than victims allows for a reintegration of the self and is the foundation of their emerging resilience.

Originality/value

This novel identity-focused model can serve as the basis for a heuristic for interpreting responses to risk and fostering resilience and as the conceptual foundation for the development of practical interventions designed to foster resilience in those exposed to critical and traumatic circumstances both inside and outside the police community.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 44 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 March 2010

Ryan Patten

Numerous research studies have analyzed the difficulties of implementing community‐oriented policing (COP) in policing agencies, but there is no research examining this phenomenon…

Abstract

Purpose

Numerous research studies have analyzed the difficulties of implementing community‐oriented policing (COP) in policing agencies, but there is no research examining this phenomenon in a natural resource law enforcement department. This paper aims to examine Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife law enforcement officers' attitudes and opinions regarding their agency's paradigm shift toward COP to gain compliance with resource‐protective regulations.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are collected through the use of 43 semi‐structured interviews and ten ride‐alongs to determine the officers' commitment to use of COP in resolving contentious natural resource disputes.

Findings

This paper reaffirms findings of other COP studies regarding the need to have clear communication about officers' roles under COP and the necessity for the department to reformulate its evaluations of officer production and progress.

Practical implications

Other regulatory agencies can apply the lessons learned from this research, which demonstrate that capitalizing on veteran officers' positive experiences and rewarding officers engaged with COP are important steps to consider when attempting an agency shift from feared “regulator” to a trustworthy “collaborative problem solver”. Based on the conclusions of this research, policing and other regulatory administrators should not assume that their veteran officers are unwilling to accept a change in their roles and duties, and seasoned employees can also be determined leaders when training new recruits.

Originality/value

In a stark contradiction to other COP research, the paper reveals that veteran officers are significantly more likely to accept and utilize COP approaches as opposed to their younger counterparts.

Details

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 33 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 April 2021

Lisa Growette Bostaph, Laura L. King and Patrick Q. Brady

The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine if and how victim credibility affects investigative decision-making and case outcomes in domestic violence and sexual assault…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine if and how victim credibility affects investigative decision-making and case outcomes in domestic violence and sexual assault reports through the use of the US Department of Justice's Gender Bias Principles (GBPs).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a content analysis of 370 DVSA police reports from one agency in the western US. Multivariate regression models were estimated to examine the relationships among victim credibility and investigative activities, victim cooperation and case clearance.

Findings

Victim credibility significantly predicts specific investigative actions and case clearance, but not victim cooperation. Multiple aspects of DVSA investigations significantly impact victim cooperation as well as case clearance, regardless of victim credibility issues. The GBPs are an effective framework for disaggregating investigative activities and identifying specific areas for improvement in policing response to DVSA.

Research limitations/implications

Further study is needed to determine the temporal ordering of officer assessment of victim credibility and investigative activities, the stability of such assessments during investigations, and if credibility problems noted in police reports are valid indicators of myth acceptance among officers or represent a downstream orientation of information requested by prosecutors. Victim service referral as a part of policing response is vastly under-researched given referral's strong effects on victim cooperation and case clearance. Crime-specific differences exist in many cases, yet not in others, suggesting separate and combined DVSA analyses are warranted.

Practical implications

A more complex analysis of investigative actions offers a targeted approach to officer training and administrative rule-making that may be more efficient and effective than current generalized approaches.

Originality/value

The study is the first to empirically test the utility of the GBP framework, as well as individual aspects of DVSA investigations, and from a gender-based crime rather than crime-specific approach.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 44 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2008

Vichita Vathanophas, Nattapon Krittayaphongphun and Chalalai Klomsiri

This paper aims to show how the adopted technology acceptance model (TAM) is used to measure the acceptance of internet use by naval officers in the Naval Department for the…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to show how the adopted technology acceptance model (TAM) is used to measure the acceptance of internet use by naval officers in the Naval Department for the e‐government initiative in Thailand.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used two research methodologies for gathering data: the TAM questionnaire and interview. The TAM questionnaire was used to measure naval finance officers' perceptions on the internet and to find the relationship between the 12 external factors (independent factors) and dependent factors within the research framework of the study. The interview was used to explore internet use acceptance in a public organization, and to discover how government officers at one public organization felt about the e‐government initiative and internet usage within their organization.

Findings

The study analysis shows that the external factors influencing naval officers' perception on internet use acceptance were: prior experience, job relevance, commitment, trust, and autonomy. However, training and infrastructure problems are other important factors that can also lead to the acceptance of internet use.

Originality/value

The study outcome can provide useful information to help the organization improve its capacity for successfully implementing the e‐government initiative. Simultaneously, the study can also be used as a guideline for e‐government initiative implementation in other public organizations. As a result, this will lead to a successful e‐government initiative in Thailand.

Details

Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, vol. 2 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6166

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2005

Sanja Kutnjak Ivković

To examine the degree of homogeneity of police officers' evaluations of seriousness of police misconduct across various countries.

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Abstract

Purpose

To examine the degree of homogeneity of police officers' evaluations of seriousness of police misconduct across various countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors surveyed police officers from Croatia (N=1,649), Finland (N=378), and the USA (3,235). Respondents evaluated ten scenarios describing police corruption and one scenario describing the use of excessive force by indicating how seriously they evaluated each described behavior.

Findings

Line officers' and supervisors' evaluations of seriousness of the 11 scenarios differ substantially across the three countries. The extent of disagreement varies across cases: opinions are the most heterogeneous for the least serious cases and most homogeneous for the most serious ones. By contrast, relative evaluations of seriousness – rankings of cases in each country – are quite similar across the three countries.

Research limitations/implications

Future research could analyze how perceptions of seriousness vary across police agencies' characteristics (e.g. type, geographic location, and size) and respondents' characteristics (e.g. gender, race/ethnicity, age, or education), as well as forms of police misconduct (e.g. perjury, and racial profiling).

Practical implications

Heterogeneity of evaluations of seriousness across the three countries suggests that country‐ and/or agency‐wide environments play a key role in the police officers' views about seriousness of misconduct. Consequently, by controlling agency‐related factors, police administrators may influence the level of seriousness with which police officers view police corruption.

Originality/value

This paper shows that a larger environment plays a crucial role in forming police officers' perceptions of seriousness of police misconduct. The findings also imply that there is shared hierarchy of seriousness of various cases of police misconduct across police officers from three diverse countries.

Details

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 28 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

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