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Article
Publication date: 1 January 2024

Brigitte Poirier and Remi Boivin

The proliferation of recording technologies has increased the prevalence of police intervention videos in news media. Although previous research has explored the influence of such…

Abstract

Purpose

The proliferation of recording technologies has increased the prevalence of police intervention videos in news media. Although previous research has explored the influence of such coverage on public opinion, the mechanisms underlying this impact have received limited attention. This study investigates the role of information credibility in the assessment of police interventions portrayed in news media videos.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 634 participants were shown a mock-up TV news report that included a description and a brief clip of a police use-of-force event. A survey was conducted before and after the presentation of the report.

Findings

Camera perspective, anchor tone, viewer gender and pre-existing perceived TV news credibility were found to influence how credible the mock-up news report was perceived. Participants who judged the news report as complete and credible tended to have a more favourable opinion of the police intervention. Perceived credibility also acted as a moderator in the relationship between video and receiver characteristics and the assessment of the police intervention.

Practical implications

These findings offer valuable insights for law enforcement agencies and their public affairs units to develop effective strategies for managing public opinion.

Originality/value

This research highlights how important perceived credibility is in influencing public opinion and how different factors such as video and receiver characteristics can impact credibility assessment.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 47 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 July 2020

Christi L. Gullion and William R. King

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive literature review of prior empirical studies that have examined early intervention (EI) systems or programs in policing.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive literature review of prior empirical studies that have examined early intervention (EI) systems or programs in policing.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature search of various government and academic databases (e.g. Emerald, Google Scholar, National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS), Sage, Taylor & Francis and Wiley) was conducted.

Findings

This systematic review identified eight EI studies that matched the selection criteria. Of these, two are multiagency studies and six are individual agency studies. Findings across studies are generally positive but overall relatively inconsistent with regard to EI systems' effectiveness.

Practical implications

Police agencies benefit in identifying and addressing at-risk officers to ensure police accountability and officer safety, health and wellness. This research is invaluable for optimizing how EI systems can use agency data for such predictions.

Originality/value

This state-of-the-art review on EI systems in policing is the first of its kind. EI systems have been implemented by many police agencies, yet a limited number of empirical studies have been conducted. This systematic review will be useful for researchers who wish to further explore how EI systems are utilized and whether EI systems are successful/effective.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 43 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 September 2019

Kimberly Barsamian Kahn, Kris Henning, Greg Stewart, Brian C. Renauer, Christian Peterson, Renée Jean Mitchell, Yves Labissiere and Sean Sothern

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate an experiment to improve residents’ opinions of the police in Portland, Oregon. Officers conducted community engagement patrols (CEPs) in…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate an experiment to improve residents’ opinions of the police in Portland, Oregon. Officers conducted community engagement patrols (CEPs) in 60 high-crime areas. The CEPs prioritized non-investigative contacts with community members to build trust and promote positive police–community interactions in designated high-crime locations. It is hypothesized that community members living in/near intervention sites would report greater exposure to officers, more positive interactions and feel more positively about police than residents in control areas.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 90 crime hot spots were identified using crime reports and calls for service. Locations were randomized into three groups: 2 CEPs/day (n=30), 4 CEPs/day (n=30), and control (i.e. no supplemental patrols, n=30). Officers were dispatched to treatment locations via the computer-aided dispatch system for 90 consecutive days, resulting in 16,200 scheduled CEPs. Surveys were mailed to 11,760 households immediately after the intervention ended and 1,537 were returned (13.1 percent).

Findings

Residents from intervention areas reported a higher number of positive police contacts, whereas contacts that residents perceived as negative did not differ between the three conditions. Community attitudes, including perceived police legitimacy, were generally unaffected by CEP dosage.

Originality/value

This paper documents the outcomes of a large-scale field experiment seeking to improve public attitudes toward police using directed CEPs in crime hot spots. Whereas the intervention succeeded in providing more opportunities for positive contact with police, attitude change may necessitate longer-term strategies.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 42 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 December 2020

Jason W. Ostrowe

The purpose of this state-of-the-art review is to explore the empirical literature on federal intervention of police under 42 USC Section 14141.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this state-of-the-art review is to explore the empirical literature on federal intervention of police under 42 USC Section 14141.

Design/methodology/approach

A five-stage scoping review of the empirical literature related to 14141 was conducted through searches of scholarly databases and gray literature.

Findings

This scoping review revealed 21 empirical studies of 14141 published between 2002 and 2020 in criminal justice, criminology, legal and gray literature. Researchers employed various methodologies and designs to study 14141 reflecting the complexity of evaluating a multistage and multi-outcome federal intervention of police. The success of 14141 to reform police agencies is mixed. The empirical evidence suggests that application of this law is fraught with trade-offs and uncertainties including de-policing, increased crime and organizational difficulties in sustaining reform. Overall, more research would assist in understanding the efficacy of this federal mechanism of police accountability and reform.

Originality/value

This review is the first synthesis of the empirical literature on 14141. In consideration of the current national police crisis, findings help illuminate both what is known about federal intervention and areas for future research.

Details

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

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 February 2022

Sarah Van Praet

This paper presents the results of an action research with a Brussels’ police force. This research aimed to identify elements or mechanisms within police selectivity that put…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper presents the results of an action research with a Brussels’ police force. This research aimed to identify elements or mechanisms within police selectivity that put pressure on the relationship between the public and the police and affect the equal treatment of individuals and groups. Montjardet (1996) looks to understand structural, organisational of other factors as weighing on police selectivity. This article focusses more precisely on the interaction between organisational justice on striving to improve procedural justice.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was made possible through a partnership between UNIA, the PolBruNo police force and the National Institute for Criminalistics and Criminology (NICC). The methodology of this two-year action research around two phases. The first one led through (22) interviews with management, (200 h of) observations and three group analysis to a shared diagnosis of problems regarding police selectivity. The action part centered on intervisions with the patrol officers based during further (over 420 h of) observations, giving extra information that has been integrated in the analysis.

Findings

This research points out that even when police interventions are oriented by the demands of the public – public that sometimes formulates demands based on (ethnic) stereotypes – the intervention can be problematic. Organisational aspects played an important role in how the intervention unfolded: if those demands will be treated rather as orders given by the caller or as problematic situations needing analysis by the police officers. The paper arguments that organisational justice as experienced by the police officers impact how much consideration will be given to procedural justice.

Originality/value

Many scholars have shed a light on the various situations patrol officers deal with and identified problems regarding police selectivity. Procedural justice was developed as an interesting notion to look at the relation of police officers and the (diverse groups within the) public as well as the broader impact of these encounters. The importance to look to the organisational level in the decisions made by the police officers has also been established. The paper arguments that organisational justice as experienced by the police officers impact how much consideration will be given to procedural justice.

Details

Journal of Organizational Ethnography, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6749

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 December 2018

Paul J. Morton, Kelsy Luengen and Lorraine Mazerolle

The purpose of this paper is to present evaluation results of Operation Galley, an intelligence-led policing (ILP) intervention that sought to proactively address the problem of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present evaluation results of Operation Galley, an intelligence-led policing (ILP) intervention that sought to proactively address the problem of drug dealing from hotel rooms by engaging hoteliers as crime control partners with the Queensland Police Service.

Design/methodology/approach

Operation Galley, a randomized control field trial, rank ordered and matched 120 hotels on size, star rating, location and estimated degree of suspicious behaviour. Hotels were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Operation Galley hotels who received a procedurally just letter, followed by a personal visit with detectives; the letter-only hotels who received the procedurally just letter; and the business as usual hotels.

Findings

Using repeated measures ANOVA and general linear models, results of the 12-month trial indicate that the Operation Galley condition led to an increase in police engagement with hoteliers, increasing the recognition, reporting and police enforcement of drug offenders.

Practical implications

The Operation Galley trial demonstrates that the ILP approach helped foster positive engagement between hoteliers and detectives. The approach cultivated hoteliers as crime control partners and thereby increased the flow of human source intelligence, helping police to better target and respond to drug dealing problems in hotel rooms.

Originality/value

Results of the Operation Galley trial demonstrate that hoteliers can be leveraged as crime control partners, providing important human source intelligence about drug dealing and facilitating the capacity of police to better respond to drug problems in hotels.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 42 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2021

Shawn Hill, Howard Giles and Edward R. Maguire

The purpose of this paper is to describe a theory-driven intervention called VOICES that was developed to improve police-community relations. The intervention was designed based…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a theory-driven intervention called VOICES that was developed to improve police-community relations. The intervention was designed based on principles derived from social psychological theories of intergroup contact and communication.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors discuss the theoretical basis for the intervention, as well as its development and implementation in the Santa Barbara Police Department. Based on this pilot testing, the authors provide preliminary evidence about its effectiveness using survey responses and qualitative feedback provided by participants.

Findings

Although the case study method used here does not allow for causal inferences about the effectiveness of the intervention, the limited evidence the authors present does suggest that participants found VOICES useful and it may have improved their perceptions of police. The next step will be to test this intervention using experimental or quasi-experimental methods that allow for causal inferences about effectiveness.

Originality/value

The paper shows how police can develop theory-driven interventions in an effort to improve trust between police and the public, including communities in which relationships with police have been historically strained. It also underscores how insights from the study of intergroup contact and communication can benefit policing.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 44 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 July 2018

Will Cooley, Michelle Bemiller, Eric Jefferis and Rose Penix

The purpose of this paper is to examine citizen satisfaction with police services and perceived safety using survey research in two high crime neighborhoods. Problem-oriented…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine citizen satisfaction with police services and perceived safety using survey research in two high crime neighborhoods. Problem-oriented crime deterrence strategies were used in one neighborhood, the other served as a control group.

Design/methodology/approach

Mixed-methods approach was used to measure the effectiveness of problem-oriented approaches in persistent high-crime areas. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were conducted by sampling addresses in both neighborhoods and analyzing results.

Findings

No between-neighborhood differences were reported regarding the satisfaction with police services or improvement in perceived safety.

Originality/value

These findings suggest that this deterrence strategy is a promising approach to reducing crime while not damaging community perceptions. However, departments must vary place-based strategies, and prevention is difficult given historical contexts, the absence of credible community partners and limited resources in a declining city.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 42 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 May 2014

Robert E. Worden, Christopher Harris and Sarah J. McLean

– The purpose of this paper is to critique contemporary tools for assessing and managing the risk of police misconduct and suggest directions for their improvement.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to critique contemporary tools for assessing and managing the risk of police misconduct and suggest directions for their improvement.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on extant literature, synthesizing several lines of inquiry to summarize what the authors know about patterns of police misconduct, and what the authors know about assessing and managing police misconduct. Then the paper draws from the literature on offender risk assessment in criminal justice to draw lessons for assessing and managing the risk of police misconduct.

Findings

The authors found that there is good reason to believe that the tools used to assess the risk of misconduct make suboptimal predictions about officer performance because they rely on limited information of dubious value, but also that the predictive models on which the tools are based could be improved by better emulating procedures for assessing offenders’ risk of recidivism.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should examine cross-sectional and longitudinal patterns of misconduct and associations between risk-related outputs and enforcement activity, develop better measures of criterion variables, and evaluate the predictive accuracy of risk assessment tools.

Practical implications

Police managers should make better use of the information available to them, improve the quantity and quality of information if feasible, and cooperate in the necessary research.

Originality/value

This paper offers a new synthesis of extant research to demonstrate the limitations of contemporary provisions for assessing the risk of police misconduct, and potential avenues for useful research and improved practice.

Details

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 37 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 March 2016

Jill Theresa Messing, Jacquelyn C Campbell, Allison Ward-Lasher, Sheryll Brown, Beverly Patchell and Janet Sullivan Wilson

The purpose of this paper is to examine the differential use of the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) – a risk-informed, collaborative police-social service intervention – across…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the differential use of the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) – a risk-informed, collaborative police-social service intervention – across female victim-survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) in four police jurisdictions in Oklahoma.

Design/methodology/approach

Women visited by the police during the study period participated in semi-structured telephone interviews. Logistic regression was utilized to examine what factors impacted implementation of the LAP.

Findings

There was differential use of the intervention based on the following: jurisdiction, severe violence at the incident, perpetrator’s use of a weapon ever in the relationship, PTSD symptomology, and women’s prior protective actions and utilization of domestic violence advocacy services.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should examine the decision-making process of survivors and police officers to better elucidate the meaning behind these statistical relationships.

Practical implications

PTSD education should be an integral part of police training on domestic violence. In addition, officers should be trained to recognize less injurious, but also damaging, forms of IPV, such as verbal abuse and coercive control.

Social implications

While police contact can provide accountability for the offender, the social service system is best equipped to provide safety options for the victim-survivor of violence.

Originality/value

Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of the LAP. It is important to understand how the intervention is applied in order to better understand who is most assisted by the intervention and what training or education could be beneficial for officers providing the intervention.

Details

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 39 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

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