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Date: November 25, 2024 Mon
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Results for police-citizen interactions
124 results foundAuthor: Ipsos MORI, Social Research Institute Title: Police Accountability and Governance Structures: Public Attitudes and Perceptions Summary: This report presents the findings from qualitative research designed to explore public perceptions of police governance structures, and more specifically who the public feel should hold the Police to account. The research took place in four Police Force regions across England and Wales during the week commencing 23rd August 2010. Within each Police Force region one workshop took place. Workshops were deliberative in nature and were designed to allow participants to explore different options, including those proposed in the ‘Policing in the 21st Century – Reconnecting Police and the People’1 consultation paper. Qualitative research is designed to be exploratory and to enable in-depth understanding of views, not to be statistically representative. Conclusions therefore are indicative and not generalisable to the wider population. The research clearly showed that there is a general desire for greater visibility in police accountability. Participants felt a sense of reassurance in knowing the Police were currently and would continue to be held to account, and as such they wanted to be made more aware of any future model of governance. This translated into a strong preference for a visible and named figurehead for police accountability in each area. Participants thought that this figurehead should not only provide an element of visibility, but should also be a symbol of transparency and independence. Indeed, the need for independence was a particular focus for participants throughout discussions. Firstly, there was strong feeling that the role of a figurehead could not be carried out by someone with an obvious political allegiance. Secondly, it was felt that the role of the Police themselves in accountability needed to maintain a balance between ensuring their experience and expertise is maximised, while not allowing them to appear self-regulating in any sense. Linked to this the role of the Chief Constable was seen to be of great importance as providing a crucial link between Police Forces and the individual or body holding the Police to account. Despite participants having a strong preference for a local ‘figurehead’, only a minority of participants wanted an individual who would be solely responsible for holding the Police to account. The most common preferences for where responsibility should fall were either through a structure similar to that currently in place, or through a named-individual plus a scrutiny panel. Participants favouring this latter option envisaged that a scrutiny panel would work alongside a figurehead in both an advisory and scrutiny role. Interestingly, the desire for visibility and transparency did not necessarily translate into support for greater democratic involvement. Factors, such as a preconceived cynicism towards any Government devolving responsibility, and a questioning of the knowledge base on which an electorate would begin to decide who should take responsibility, made participants question this. For example, concerns were raised about possible divisive or corrupt candidates and as such there were calls for stringent vetting processes should it be decided that elections should take place. Participants also raised concerns about the cost burden of a formal election process. There was also a general consensus that those with relevant experience and expertise could be trusted to make suitable appointments for commissioner or panel roles. What mattered more to participants in terms of lay involvement would include: being able to feedback their experiences and opinions on crime in their local area to Police Officers through regular meetings, which those holding the Police to account would attend; making sure community members are in some way represented on an advisory or scrutiny panel, possibly through a process of election; and making sure the voices of key lay individuals are included in decision-making. This included groups such as victims of crime and young people. The future of police accountability. Based on the above key findings, it is possible to build a structure of police governance that summarised the consensus view of workshop participants. Details: London: Ipsos MORI, 2010. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 7, 2010 at: http://www.ipsos-mori.com/DownloadPublication/1387_sri-crime-police-accountability-and-governance-structures-september-2010.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.ipsos-mori.com/DownloadPublication/1387_sri-crime-police-accountability-and-governance-structures-september-2010.pdf Shelf Number: 120401 Keywords: Police Accountability (U.K.)Police-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPublic Opinion |
Author: Victoria (Australia). Office of Police Integrity Title: Talking Together – Relations between Police and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Victoria: A Review of the Victoria Police Aboriginal Strategic Plan 2003-2008 Summary: The broad formal acknowledgment of the unique place occupied by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in contemporary Australia is a relatively recent phenomenon. But the special attention given to the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia’s criminal justice system has been much more long-standing. Since the 1991 Report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, Victoria, along with most other Australian jurisdictions, has undertaken a range of strategies aimed at reducing the disproportionate numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people incarcerated in prisons. Because police have significant discretionary powers and play an important role as the point of entry to the criminal justice system, many of these strategies have specifically targeted police practices. But police are only a component of a much broader continuum that influences justice outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Although alcohol abuse and violence were not features of traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, they are now predominant themes associated with Koori offending. The underlying factors associated with alcohol abuse and violence in Koori communities are complex. Clearly, the most effective strategies to improve justice outcomes for Koori people are those that achieve a reduction in alcohol abuse and violence. While police may have some role in effective prevention strategies, leadership for developing and implementing strategies for reducing Koori family violence must come from Koori communities themselves and be supported by a whole-of-government approach. Achieving sustained systemic change is a long term goal. It is probable police will continue to have a disproportionally substantial role in the lives of many Kooris for some time. In 2003, one in three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Victorians, many of whom were children, were reported to be the victim, a relative of a victim or a witness to an act of violence. The great majority of these acts of violence were likely to have resulted in a police call-out. But by the time police respond, there may be little they can do, other than use their powers of arrest to extricate an offender and provide for the safety of others. Similarly, police often have few options when responding to concerns about a Koori who is alcohol-affected, other than to take the person into custody for his or her own safety or the safety of others. Although in many cases police may have limited options, how they go about performing their duties is important. Unlike their non-Koori counterparts, many Koori children will have had contact with police from an early age. How police first interact with Koori children can have a strong and lasting impact on how Koori children and young people relate to police as they mature into adulthood. Similarly, the interaction between police and Koori community Elders can influence the outcome of potentially volatile situations. Understanding cultural issues and building relationships based on mutual respect can be the difference between diffusing a situation or escalating it. It is within this context that in 2003 Victoria Police developed a strategic plan for policing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The focus of this Review was to establish how the 2003 Strategic Plan and other Department of Justice initiatives aimed at improving justice outcomes for Kooris have affected local communities. Details: Melbourne: Office of Police Integrity, 2011. 93p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 19, 2011 at: http://www.opi.vic.gov.au/index.php?i=19 Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.opi.vic.gov.au/index.php?i=19 Shelf Number: 121401 Keywords: Alcohol Related Crime and DisorderDiscriminationIndigenous PeoplesPolice DiscretionPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolicing (Australia) |
Author: Mazerolle, Lorraine Title: Key Findings of the Queensland Community Engagement Trial Summary: The international research community has spent the last twenty years developing a comprehensive understanding of public perceptions of police legitimacy and how the dynamics of police-citizen encounters explain variations in public perceptions of satisfaction, cooperation, compliance, trust in police and the capacity of police to maintain order, regulate and solve community problems. The Queensland Community Engagement Trial (QCET) is a world-first randomized field trial, conducted to investigate the effects of legitimacy policing through procedural justice and community engagement. The idea that legitimate policing can have positive impacts on police-citizen relations, community engagement and crime is not disputed and is clearly not new. However, never before have researchers used randomised field trial methods to directly test whether or not police can effectively and efficiently promote police legitimacy (and perceptions of police legitimacy) through procedural approaches, particularly in ethnically diverse communities where perceptions of legitimacy may be especially low. Accordingly, in December 2009, researchers from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Policing and Security (CEPS) – in collaboration with the Queensland Police Service (QPS) – launched the Queensland Community Engagement Trial (QCET) in the Metropolitan South Region of Brisbane, Australia. This paper describes the QCET project and the key findings in terms of procedural justice and legitimacy. Details: Nathan, Qld: ARC Centre of Excellence in Policing and Security, 2011. 10p. Source: Internet Resource: Briefing Paper: Accessed July 20, 2011 at: http://www.ceps.edu.au/files/file/FINAL%20Key%20Findings%20of%20the%20Queensland%20Community%20Engagement%20Trial.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.ceps.edu.au/files/file/FINAL%20Key%20Findings%20of%20the%20Queensland%20Community%20Engagement%20Trial.pdf Shelf Number: 122122 Keywords: Police LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolicing (Australia)Procedural Justice |
Author: Winesburg, Melissa Title: Perceptions Of Neighborhood Problems: Agreement Between Police and Citizens and Impact on Citizen Attitudes Toward Police Summary: Research comparing police and citizen perceptions of neighborhood problems and the impact their agreement or disagreement has on attitudes toward the police is limited. While researchers have examined citizen attitudes toward the police since the 1960s, there have been few studies focusing on police and citizen priorities. This research examined these issues together to determine whether or not differences in perceptions impact citizen attitudes toward the police. This research explored data collected from two sources, including a survey of citizens in Cincinnati neighborhoods and a survey of Cincinnati police beat and community officers assigned to separate neighborhoods. It examined police and citizen alignment of 13 neighborhood problems focusing on crime and disorder, and the impact these have on attitudes toward the police. Logistic regression models were used to examine the influence police-citizen agreement on neighborhood problems had on citizen perceptions of attitudes toward the police in general, citizen attitudes toward the job police were doing to prevent crime in their neighborhood, and citizen attitudes toward the job police were doing working with citizens in their neighborhood to solve crime. Findings revealed that when citizens viewed disorder as less of a problem than officers, citizen satisfaction toward the police increased across all dependent variables in the study. Findings also revealed that the mere presence of a difference in perceptions impacted attitudes toward the police, regardless of the magnitude of the difference in perceptions. When police and citizens differed in their perceptions of neighborhood crime problems, citizens were more likely to have positive attitudes toward the job police were doing to prevent crime when they perceived crime as less of a problem than officers. Details: Cincinnati, OH: University of Cincinnati, Division of Criminal Justice, 2010. 186p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed January 13, 2012 at: http://etd.ohiolink.edu/view.cgi?acc_num=ucin1299178960 Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://etd.ohiolink.edu/view.cgi?acc_num=ucin1299178960 Shelf Number: 123609 Keywords: Community PolicingCrime and DisorderNeighborhoods and CrimePolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPublic Attitudes |
Author: Moon, Debbie Title: Perceptions of crime, engagement with the police, authorities dealing with anti-social behaviour and Community Payback: Findings from the 2010/11 British Crime Survey Summary: This bulletin is the first in a series of supplementary volumes that accompany the main annual Home Office Statistical Bulletin, ‘Crime in England and Wales 2010/11’ (Chaplin et al., 2011). These supplementary volumes report on additional analysis not included in the main annual publication. Figures included in this bulletin are from the British Crime Survey (BCS), a large, nationally representative, face-to-face victimisation survey in which people resident in households in England and Wales are asked about their experiences of crime in the 12 months prior to interview. Since 2001/02 the BCS has run continuously with interviewing being carried out throughout the year. Until recently the BCS did not cover crimes against those aged under 16, but since January 2009 interviews have been carried out with children aged 10 to 15. BCS respondents are also asked about their attitudes towards different crime-related issues such as the police and criminal justice system, and about their perceptions of crime and anti-social behaviour. BCS figures in the main body of this report are limited to adults aged over 16 as in previous years, but experimental statistics for children are shown separately in Chapter 1. This bulletin presents findings from additional analyses based on the 2010/11 BCS on people’s contact and engagement with the police, their views of how the authorities in the local area are dealing with anti-social behaviour, their awareness and perceptions of Community Payback and their perceptions of crime. Details: London: Home Office Statistics, 2011. Source: Supplementary Volume 1 to Crime in England and Wales 2010/11. Internet Resource: Accessed on January 23, 2012 at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/hosb1811/hosb1811?view=Binary Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/hosb1811/hosb1811?view=Binary Shelf Number: 123748 Keywords: Anti-Social Behavior (U.K.)British Crime SurveyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPublic Opinion (U.K.) |
Author: Dolic, Zrinjka Title: Race or Reason? Police Encounters with Young People in the Flemington Region and Surrounding Areas Summary: The following research examines the role that demographic factors, such as country of birth and gender, play in shaping young people’s experiences with and attitudes toward the police. The Flemington and Kensington Community Legal Centre (FKCLC) commissioned the study at a time of growing concern about young people being treated unfairly by the police in the Flemington and Kensington community. The relationship between police and youth is fraught with difficulties and there is growing evidence that ethnic minority youth are more vulnerable to being treated unfairly by the police (Alder et al, 1992; Chan, 1997; White, 1994). In particular, the interaction between police and African youth has been a source of increasing concern of late with research identifying that African youth experience frequent unwarranted stopping, searching and police harassment in the areas of Flemington, Braybrook and City of Greater Dandenong (Duff, 2006; Reside & Smith, 2010). This study contributes to current research on race and gender by offering further evidence of the differential police treatment experienced by African youth. The findings of this study warrant further investigation and at the same time contribute to an increased awareness of the issues and challenges faced by this group of young people. A total of 151 young people, aged 15-‐24 participated in this research by completing an anonymous survey. The young people who were surveyed lived in Flemington and the surrounding areas, were roughly equal numbers of young men and women, and included young people from diverse ethnicities and non-‐English speaking backgrounds. Details: Kensington, Victoria, Australia: Flemington and Kensington Community Legal Centre, 2011. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 15, 2012 at: http://www.communitylaw.org.au/flemingtonkensington/cb_pages/files/FKCLC%20report%20March%202011_small2.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.communitylaw.org.au/flemingtonkensington/cb_pages/files/FKCLC%20report%20March%202011_small2.pdf Shelf Number: 125273 Keywords: Attitudes toward PolicePolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolice-Juvenile RelationsPublic OpinionRacial Profiling (Australia) |
Author: Great Britain. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary Title: A Step in the Right Direction: The Policing of Anti-social Behaviour Summary: Around 3.2 million incidents of anti-social behaviour were recorded by the police in England and Wales in 2010/11. Accessible, transparent and regular information on what works best in tackling the problem will help the police to meet the needs of ASB victims, and to assess whether progress is being made. In Spring 2010, Her Majesty‟s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) therefore conducted a review to determine how well forces understood and responded to their local ASB problems. We also surveyed more than 5,500 members of the public who had recently reported ASB to the police (taking a sample from each force area), to find out about their experiences. We committed at the time to repeating the review in 2012, to check on progress. This report summarises the national picture; individual force reports and the 2010 review is available on the HMIC website (www.hmic.gov.uk). Our 2012 survey found that victims are more satisfied than in 2010 with several aspects of the way the police dealt with the specific ASB incident they reported. Over half of victims are satisfied with how well the police deal with ASB in the local area, and almost two thirds with the overall way the police dealt with the incident they reported. Inspection work also revealed a marked improvement in terms of police leadership around ASB, and overall grip of the issue. Performance management and the use of intelligence and analysis has improved across the service, with the result that forces are now far more aware of the ASB issues facing them and their communities. We also found improvements in the way staff are briefed about ASB, and in how neighbourhood policing teams are resourced and monitored. But more needs to be done, particularly in relation to identifying and categorising different forms of ASB correctly (especially those that are personally targeted), and considering any ASB forming part of or linked to recorded crime as part of the whole ASB picture. This is currently not happening in most forces and represents a significant gap in knowledge. In addition, while all forces now have IT systems in place to help identify repeat and vulnerable victims (by automatically flagging up if they have called before), no force consistently bolsters this functionality by ensuring that tactful and targeted questioning of the caller takes place. This means they are missing an opportunity to establish if, for instance, the victim has suffered repeatedly, but has only just plucked up the courage to phone the police; or if a change in circumstances means they should now be considered vulnerable. Some of the callers who most need the police‟s help are therefore not getting the extra support they need. For this to improve, forces must ensure that call-handlers consistently check for repeat victimisation and vulnerability; and more widely, that their technology, systems and people all work seamlessly together to get help to those who need it most. In general though, there is a lot to commend. The group of 43 forces as a whole has improved its understanding and response to ASB since 2010. But when looking in more detail, the picture is mixed and there is substantial variation in practices and performance. Every force has improved in some aspects of what they do, but some more than others. And in concentrating on improving on some issues, some forces have taken their eye off the ball in respect of others. For instance, over half of forces have improved their follow up contact with victims, whilst over a third have fared less well than in 2010 in relation to checking the quality of call takers‟ performance. But overall, victims are getting a better service: and the survey results show that they have noticed. Details: London: Home Office, 2012. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 16, 2012 at: http://www.hmic.gov.uk/media/a-step-in-the-right-direction-the-policing-of-anti-social-behaviour.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.hmic.gov.uk/media/a-step-in-the-right-direction-the-policing-of-anti-social-behaviour.pdf Shelf Number: 125626 Keywords: Anti-Social Behavior (U.K.)Disorderly ConductPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolicingProblem Youth |
Author: Kochel, Tammy Rinehard Title: Legitimacy as a Mechanism for Police to Promote Collective Efficacy and Reduce Crime and Disorder Summary: Prior research showed that when collective efficacy is strong, it mediates the effects of concentrated disadvantage, and neighborhoods experience less crime. An untested theory about legitimacy suggests that legal institutions may be a catalyst for neighborhoods to improve collective efficacy. Legitimacy theory claims that when societies grant legal institutions legitimacy, people internalize rules and laws upheld by legal institutions, socialize others to those rules and laws, and adhere to the formal authority of legal institutions, which reduces crime. This dissertation is interested in the process by which people socialize others to rules and laws in the form of collective efficacy, examining whether views about police behaviors are related to legal institution legitimacy and collective efficacy. I theorized that police can improve legal institution legitimacy by delivering high quality services and minimizing misconduct, thus strengthening collective efficacy in neighborhoods and reducing crime and disorder. Conducting the research in Trinidad and Tobago extends the boundaries of prior research on collective efficacy and legitimacy beyond the United States, Britain, and other developed nations, into a developing nation that is wrestling with difficult challenges, including widespread disadvantage, inadequate infrastructure, acute violence, corruption, and cynicism and distrust among its people. Trinidad’s circumstances provided the opportunity to examine the linkages between police misbehavior and legal institutions and community outcomes in an environment fraught with challenges for police and neighborhoods to overcome. Additionally, in this context, I studied the linkages between delivering higher quality services and legal institution legitimacy, collective efficacy, and crime and disorder, even when the overall level of services is constrained to be low. I found that police behavior in Trinidad and Tobago has important consequences for legal institution legitimacy and for neighborhood outcomes. The results support that police may contribute to and utilize neighborhood collective efficacy as a lever to reduce crime and disorder problems. The results, however, do not (in general) support that the mechanism through which police accomplish this is legal institution legitimacy. The conclusions uphold the strong relationship between collective efficacy and crime and disorder, but leave in doubt whether legal institution legitimacy provides a pathway for increasing collective efficacy. Details: Fairfax, VA: George Mason University, Department of Administration of Justice, 2009. 219p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed July 19, 2012 at: http://digilib.gmu.edu:8080/dspace/bitstream/1920/4525/1/Kochel_Tammy.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://digilib.gmu.edu:8080/dspace/bitstream/1920/4525/1/Kochel_Tammy.pdf Shelf Number: 125683 Keywords: Collective EfficacyNeighborhoods and CrimePolice BehaviorPolice Legitimacy (U.S.)Police MisconductPolice-Citizen Interactions |
Author: Boudreau, Julie-Anne Title: Constructing Youth Citizenship in Montreal and Mexico City: The Examples of Youth-Police Relations in Saint-Michel and Iztapalapa Summary: Montreal has witnessed cyclical concerns about youth violence and street gangs. The threat is often “politically” constructed. Currently, Mexico City is struggling with a pervasive sense of insecurity. While the threat in Canada was largely attributed to mafias and organized crime throughout the 1990s (Sheptycki 2003), fear has crystallised on the figure of the young gang member in Mexico and Canada in the past few years. As Ungar writes, [y]outh thus become objects of collective fear, seen not as individuals but for the anxieties they cause and the jarring cultural changes they are seen to embrace. The particular impulsiveness of youths, wrapped up in their hostility to tradition and authority, only serves to aggravate these tensions. (Ungar 2009: 208)1 As a result, youths become the target of police action in public spaces. New repression measures are implemented, such as zero-tolerance policies or anti-gang operations, combined with a strengthened set of preventive actions ranging from youth brigades, to participatory youth projects, to community policing. In Montreal, preventive programs are generously financed by the Quebec Government and the Government of Canada. The money is channelled in priority boroughs selected on the basis of their scoring on a set of risk factors (such as household socio-economic status, school dropout rates, number of single-parent households, proportion of immigrants, general state of the built environment, the presence of gang activities in the borough, etc.). In Mexico City, particularly under the mayorship of Lopez Obrador (2000-2005), police reforms focused on community-run policing programs. The City of Mexico now has several programs for “at-risk” youths, including community youth brigades. Notably, and as discussed in greater detail in the Mexico section, today the Policía Sectorial, which is centrally overseen by the City, manages an outreach program for youth in schools that attempts to connect youth and police in a non-threatening environment. In addition to the citywide effort, Iztapalapa, the only borough in Mexico City with Auxiliary police directly under its command, also has a small team of Auxiliary police officers that implement similar efforts within the delegación. These programs are the closest thing to gang prevention efforts conducted by police in this borough. Such area-based approaches to crime prevention are reflected in the United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime (2002) and the earlier United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Urban Crime (1995), which call for a local approach to problem solving, taking into account the context of vulnerability to being victimized and/or to offending, as well as local resources. Situational approaches build on the “broken windows theory” (Wilson and Kelling 1982) among others, and community crime prevention, which includes consideration of such issues as social capital. The literature on street gangs by criminologists or psychologists (Goldstein 1991; Thornberry et al. 1993; Hawkins 1998) are also relevant. The concern is generally to find causal relationships between background factors (or risk factors) and illegal or violent acts, in order to point towards elements in which to intervene preventively. Over the course of the 1990s, this came to be known as the “new penology” (Feely and Simon 1992), which positions the criminal as a statistical probability to manage. Crime is not conceptualized as transgression; it is understood as the result of the accumulation of risk factors in a territory or an individual. Following this logic, the prevention system aims more to neutralize danger by regulating risks than by punishing or rehabilitating individuals. The stigmatizing effects of this (such as ghettoizing and/or racial profiling) have been largely documented by urban geographers and sociologists (Davis 1998; Symons 1999; Romero 2006; Wacquant 2006; Dikeç 2007). The work of Philoctète at the Maison d’Haïti in Saint-Michel in Montreal (confirmed by the data presented here) has documented how youths perceive the stigmatizing effects of prevention programs and research on their neighbourhood. Yet Saint-Michel has been very innovative in its approach to issues of street crime and insecurity in the borough, developing a comprehensive crime prevention approach which encompasses a range of socio-cultural, developmental and structural concerns. The neighbourhood police work on an area-based logic given the administrative structures in place, but recognize Saint-Michel as a community as well. The neighbourhood has seen many projects beyond gang prevention: support services of all types, work with migrant communities, cross-sector partnerships, community mobilization, etc. As Fady Dagher, former Police Commandant in Saint-Michel, said in a presentation at the 12th UN Congress in Salvador, they are trying to explicitly move from “zero tolerance” to “tolerance”. Much of this local approach is focused on the neighbourhood and the immediate community. Yet, a previous project has shown how moving around the city is important to youths and contributes greatly to their development (Cissé and Boudreau 2009; Guthrie 2009; Boudreau, Janni, and Chatel, 2011; see also Madzou and Bacqué 2008). This mobile and fluid aspect of youths’ everyday life is not always taken into account in prevention projects in Montreal and Mexico City. The developments in Saint-Michel are encouraging, but the youths to whom we spoke still feel at a distance from these programs and labelled as “vulnerable”. The previous research conducted by VESPA has highlighted depoliticization (making delinquency a technical, rather than a publicly debatable problem) as an important effect of these preventive approaches (Boudreau, Janni, and Chatel 2011). It became clear that one of the important effects of preventive measures framed by “at-risk” categorizations is to deny youths any sense of meaningful socio-political agency. As a street worker stated, “it is important to humanize the gang. In it, there are individuals with broken lives” (November 18, 2008, our translation). Viewing gangs as a technical problem of risk management depoliticizes the issue, while stripping youths of individual and group subjectivity. They are seen as vulnerable to gang recruitment rather than as individuals and groups able to act intentionally and autonomously. Parazelli’s (2004) work with street youths in Montreal demonstrates how they create their own autonomous space of action in reaction to the effects of this risk management logic of preventive action. Fortunately, some innovative projects on youth participation are seeking to counteract this (ICPC Youth Resource Guide 2010). With this project, we seek to contribute to this search for solutions. Details: Montreal: Institut national de la recherche scientifique Centre - Urbanisation Culture Société, 2012. 167p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 21, 2012 at: http://im.metropolis.net/research-policy/research_content/doc/Youth-police_relations_in_Montreal_and_Mexico_City-final_report.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://im.metropolis.net/research-policy/research_content/doc/Youth-police_relations_in_Montreal_and_Mexico_City-final_report.pdf Shelf Number: 126389 Keywords: At-Risk Youth (Montreal, Canada, Mexico City)GangsJuvenile OffendersPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsUrban CrimeYouth GangsYouth Violence |
Author: Tyler, Tom R. Title: Future Challenges in the Study of Legitimacy and Criminal Justice Summary: Studies conducted over the last several decades have established that legitimacy shapes law-related behavior. They also make it clear that we should broaden our framework for understanding both how to conceptualize and measure legitimacy and for exploring its antecedents and consequences. This chapter reviews recent efforts to address these questions. Details: New Haven, CT: Yale Law School, 2012. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Yale Law School, Public Law Working Paper No. 264: Accessed September 26, 2012 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2141322 Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2141322 Shelf Number: 126460 Keywords: Police BehaviorPolice LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPublic ConfidenceTrust |
Author: Northern Ireland. Criminal Justice Inspection Title: Policing with the Community: A Follow-up Review of Inspection Recommendations Summary: The Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI) report into PWC had been published in April 2009. It made three strategic recommendations specific to the PSNI and three other recommendations, as well as 12 suggestions for improvement directed specifically at the police. Whilst CJI had not inspected the Northern Ireland Policing Board (NIPB), the report made two further suggestions for improvement to be considered by the NIPB. The fieldwork for this follow-up review had been conducted over two years following the publication of the original report, and evidence had been collected during fieldwork from other inspection activity up to the end of March 2012. This had enabled the collection of evidence from multiple sources including community representatives, a wide spectrum of Police Officers and some short observation periods of Neighbourhood and Response Officers whilst on patrol. This summary sets out Inspectors’ findings with regard to the three strategic recommendations and three other recommendations made in the CJI report of April 2009. Of the three strategic recommendations made for the PSNI to progress, all had been assessed as partly achieved. There had been substantial progress with each of these recommendations. Two of the other recommendations had been assessed as having been achieved whilst the remaining recommendation were partly achieved. Further detail of the evidence gathered during inspection fieldwork underpinning these findings is set out in Chapter 2. Progress with the suggestions made for improvement is set out in detail in Chapter 3, and an appendix to this report contains the PSNI 2020 Strategy. Details: Belfast: Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland, 2012. 43p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 9, 2012 at: http://www.cjini.org/CJNI/files/50/50fd48fb-5a98-4d85-992f-b39680b6a99a.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.cjini.org/CJNI/files/50/50fd48fb-5a98-4d85-992f-b39680b6a99a.pdf Shelf Number: 126653 Keywords: Community Policing (Northern IrelandPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: La Vigne, Nancy Title: Key Issues in the Police Use of Pedestrian Stops and Searches: Discussion Papers from an Urban Institute Roundtable Summary: This compilation of papers examines how and why police stop and search pedestrians, and what the impact of that practice is on communities and public safety. Each paper presents the topic from researcher to practitioner perspectives with a primary focus on the implications for law enforcement practice. The papers discuss issues such as citizens' perceptions of street stops and their implications for police legitimacy; the disproportionate impact of street stops in communities of color; and ways in which stops and searches could be conducted in a manner that preserves police-community relations. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center, 2012. 51p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 26, 2012 at: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412647-Key-Issues-in-the-Police-Use-of-Pedestrian-Stops-and-Searches.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412647-Key-Issues-in-the-Police-Use-of-Pedestrian-Stops-and-Searches.pdf Shelf Number: 126999 Keywords: PolicePolice LegitimacyPolice StopsPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsRacial Profiling in Law EnforcementStop and Search |
Author: Queensland. Crime and Misconduct Commission Title: Indigenous People in Policing Roles: A follow-up review to the Restoring Order report Summary: Police and Queensland’s Indigenous communities have had a complex and often difficult history. A long line of reviews and reports have attempted to influence the way that criminal justice and policing services are delivered to remote and other discrete Indigenous communities. The Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) became more involved following the death of Cameron Doomadgee (Mulrunji) in the police watch-house on Palm Island in November 2004 and the rioting against police that occurred in January 2007 in Aurukun. In February 2007, the Government of Queensland asked the CMC to examine issues relating to policing in Indigenous communities and in 2009 we published the results of our inquiry in Restoring order: crime prevention, policing and local justice in Queensland’s Indigenous communities. Restoring order provided a blueprint for improving the relationship between police and Queensland’s Indigenous communities. Fundamental to our approach was the recognition that government alone should not seek to solve problems in communities. Rather, government should see its role as providing support and funding to enable communities to develop appropriate responses to these problems. Indigenous people in policing roles — Police Liaison Officers, Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Police and Community Police Officers — can develop community capacity, ownership and involvement in dealing with local crime and disorder. In doing so, individuals in these roles can play an important part in improving police legitimacy and relations between police and the community. Despite their potential, Restoring order highlighted a number of significant challenges that undermined the effectiveness of the existing models. Consequently, we made a commitment to revisit Indigenous people in policing roles. This report focuses on how the Queensland Police Service utilises, manages and supports individuals in these roles. While our terms of reference did not allow us to review, more broadly, the delivery of policing services to remote and other discrete Indigenous communities, we acknowledge the significant and innovative steps that the Queensland Police Service has taken in this regard. Details: Brisbane: Crime and Misconduct Commission, 2012. 138p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 1, 2012 at: www.cmc.qld.gov.au Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 127094 Keywords: AboriginalsIndigenous Peoples (Australia)Police-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Cochran-Budhathoki, Karon Title: Calling for Security and Justice in Nepal: Citizens' Perspectives on the Rule of Law and the Role of the Nepal Police Summary: This report presents the findings of a mixed method survey of attitudes among the people of Nepal toward security and the rule of law. Eight thousand members of the general public and well over four thousand members of specific professions were asked about their perceptions and experiences regarding access to justice and security. One subject that received close attention was whether the institutional mechanisms of the Nepal Police (NP) limit or enhance the public’s sense of security. The survey was conducted by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) in collaboration with 20 local civil society partner organizations. Together, they mobilized 101 local surveyors in 21 districts across Nepal. In all, 12,607 respondents answered a detailed questionnaire. Of those, 4,597 respondents drawn from six targeted groups or professions (the NP, civil society, the Government of Nepal, political parties, the business and industrialist community, and the legal profession and judiciary) also responded to a separate questionnaire. Furthermore, 15 focus group discussions (FGDs) involving 364 participants were held, and interviews were conducted with 118 high-level government officials, political party leaders, and civil society leaders. Survey development began in 2009 and delivery occurred between August and October of 2009. FGDs and interviews followed from January to June, 2010 using a constant comparison method of data analysis, culminating in the publication of results in early 2011. This relatively lengthy timeframe was purposefully designed in order to maximize the opportunities for local and policy-level stakeholders to participate in the survey and to develop their working relationships. While some local security issues erupted and others diminished across the interaction period, the survey results accurately reflected public opinion on the attitudes among the people of Nepal toward security and the rule of law. Details: Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2011. 182p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 16, 2012 at http://www.usip.org/files/resources/Security_and_Justice_in_Nepal.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Nepal URL: http://www.usip.org/files/resources/Security_and_Justice_in_Nepal.pdf Shelf Number: 127215 Keywords: Police-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPublic Opinion |
Author: Mazerolle, Lorraine Title: Legitimacy in Policing: A Systematic Review Summary: Police require voluntary cooperation from the general public to be effective in controlling crime and maintaining order. Research shows that citizens are more likely to comply and cooperate with police and obey the law when they view the police as legitimate. The most common pathway that the police use to increase citizen perceptions of legitimacy is through the use of procedural justice. Procedural justice, as described in the literature, comprises four essential components. These components are citizen participation in the proceedings prior to an authority reaching a decision (or voice), perceived neutrality of the authority in making the decision, whether or not the authority showed dignity and respect toward citizens throughout the interaction, and whether or not the authority conveyed trustworthy motives. Police departments throughout the world are implicitly and explicitly weaving the dialogue of these four principles of procedural justice (treating people with dignity and respect, giving citizens “voice” during encounters, being neutral in decision making, and conveying trustworthy motives) into their operational policing programs and interventions. OBJECTIVES This review synthesizes published and unpublished empirical evidence on the impact of interventions led by the public police to enhance citizen perceptions of police legitimacy. Our objective is to provide a systematic review of the direct and indirect benefits of policing approaches that foster legitimacy in policing that either report an explicit statement that the intervention sought to increase legitimacy or report that there was an application of at least one of the principles of procedural justice: participation, neutrality, dignity/respect, and trustworthy motives. Details: Oslo: Campbell Collaboration, 2013. 147p. Source: Internet Resource: Campbell Systematic Reviews 2013:1; Accessed January 23, 2013 at: http://www.campbellcollaboration.org/library.php Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.campbellcollaboration.org/library.php Shelf Number: 127363 Keywords: Police BehaviorPolice DiscretionPolice LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Feilzer, Martina Title: The Impact of Value Based Decision Making on Policing in North Wales Summary: This report summarises research examining the impact of value based decision making on front line policing practice; as well as its impact on front line policing staff‟s perception of their work. The research also considered the impact of value based decision making on the local community‟s evaluation of policing and the perception of police legitimacy; and the likelihood of the adoption of value based decision making increasing public confidence in the police. Value based decision making was introduced and rolled out to the whole of the North Wales Police force area in 2010. North Wales Police invested heavily in training all police staff and in total 76 training sessions were delivered and approximately 1,200 staff trained. Value based decision making is a decision making process and, in an organisational setting, has come to mean that all decisions made should be based on the values of the organisation. The process is designed to help deal with legitimate value conflicts or ambiguous situations in front line policing, such as conflicts between crime control focussed decisions and avoiding criminalisation where it serves no public interest. The research was carried out between October 2010 and August 2011 and consisted of number of research methods, including secondary data analysis, repeat interviews, and observational work. We observed training sessions for North Wales police staff; carried out repeat interviews with ten members of North Wales Police, a total of 30 interviews; analysed victim satisfaction surveys and the British Crime Survey; analysed a total of 45 sample cases dealt with under VBDM; and reviewed press coverage of North Wales Police. The introduction of value based decision making in North Wales Police mirrored a wider national trend to move away from a detection driven target culture and to return a degree of discretion to front line policing. The rationale for this shift in emphasis was to ensure that the scarce resources of policing are used to their best effect. North Wales Police implemented value based decision making as a formal decision making process with the aim of ensuring that discretion in front line policing was not completely unfettered but that there was discretion „with rules‟. The introduction of value based decision making which allowed front line police officers to make decisions and not to always act formally upon offences „detected‟ was seen to signify a culture change by senior North Wales Police management. While police staff generally welcomed an officially condoned return of discretion to the front line, their assessment of whether or not it constituted a culture change was mixed and generally more cautious. Some staff felt that they had always been able to use discretion and therefore considered the introduction of VBDM simply as confirmation as what they had been doing all along; others considered it to be a significant shift from the detection culture but one that they did not trust entirely. Police staff‟s understanding of VBDM was generally poor and some of this was due to the vague nature of the concept as well as the implementation process including the structure and content of the training sessions. Assessing the impact of value based decision making on those subjected to policing, as victims, offenders, or the general public is difficult. North Wales Police has not advertised the use of VBDM widely as far as could be ascertained from our exploratory media analysis. Additionally, only few members of the public would be exposed to VBDM in practice, mainly victims and offenders involved in minor crimes. As a result, it is unlikely that the effects of VBDM will be measurable in general public opinion surveys. However, it may be worthwhile monitoring user satisfaction surveys to assess whether non-detection under VBDM has an effect on levels of satisfaction with services received and, in particular, whether the rate of respondents indicating that „nothing had been done‟ increases. The impact of the introduction of value based decision making can be seen in a slight fall of the overall detection rate but its impact on police staff‟s assessment of their working practices was limited. A significant impact on public ratings of public confidence in North Wales Police is unlikely but there may be some measurable impact on user satisfaction. This is yet to be seen. Details: Gwynedd, Wales: School of Social Sciences, Bangor University, 2012. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed Mardh 18, 2013 at: http://wales.gov.uk/docs/caecd/research/130122-impact-value-based-decision-making-policing-north-wales-en.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://wales.gov.uk/docs/caecd/research/130122-impact-value-based-decision-making-policing-north-wales-en.pdf Shelf Number: 128008 Keywords: Police Decision-MakingPolice LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolicing (Wales, U.K.) |
Author: Vanhauwaert, Rosita: European Crime Prevention Network Title: The Prevention of Youth Crime Through Local Cooperation with the Involvement of the Police – A Pilot Study Summary: The pilot study aims to identify EU good practices regarding local cooperation, with the involvement of the police to prevent youth crime. The purpose of the study is to know what kind of local cooperation involving the police exists in the EU Member States to prevent youth crime and which of these are effective in preventing youth crime (i.e. what works). The projects that were identified are divided according to the risk factor prevention paradigm (individual/peer, school, family and community). The pilot study concludes that despite the abundance of local cooperation forms, it is almost impossible to know which types of local cooperation are effective, due to a lack of solid monitoring and evaluating of inter-agency work in crime prevention. Details: Brussels: EUCPN Secretariat, 2012. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Thematic Paper No. 2: Accessed April 5, 2013 at: http://www.eucpn.org/research/reviews.asp Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://www.eucpn.org/research/reviews.asp Shelf Number: 128294 Keywords: Delinquency Prevention (Europe)Inter-Agency CooperationPartnershipsPolice-Citizen Interactions |
Author: Bradford, Ben Title: Policing and Social Identity: Procedural Justice, Inclusion, and Cooperation between Police and Public Summary: Accounts of the social representation of policing and of the relationship between police and citizen converge on the idea that police behaviour carries important identity-relevant meaning. Opinions of and ideas about the police are implicated in the formation of social identities that relate to the social groups it represents – nation, state and community. Procedural justice theory suggests that judgements about the fairness of the police will be the most important factor in such processes. Fairness promotes a sense of inclusion and value within the group. Furthermore, positive social identities in relation to the police should on this account promote cooperation with it. This paper presents an empirical test of these ideas in the context of British policing. Data from a survey of young Londoners are used to show that perceptions of police fairness are indeed associated with social identity, and in turn social identity can be linked to cooperation. Yet these relationships were much stronger among those with multiple national identities. Police behaviour appeared more identity relevant for people who felt they were citizens of a non-UK country, while for those who identified only as British there was a weaker link between procedural fairness and social identity, and legitimacy judgements were the main ‘drivers’ of cooperation. Policy and theoretical implications are discussed. Details: Oxford, UK: University of Oxford, 2012. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Oxford Legal Studies Research Paper No. 06/2012: Accessed May 15, 2013 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1994350 Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1994350 Shelf Number: 128729 Keywords: Police-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolicing (U.K.)Procddural Jsutice |
Author: Jackson, Jonathan Title: Trust and Legitimacy Across Europe: A FIDUCIA Report on Comparative Public Attitudes Towards Legal Authority Summary: FIDUCIA (New European Crimes and Trust-based Policy) seeks to shed light on a number of distinctively ‘new European’ criminal behaviours which have emerged in the last decade as a consequence of both technology developments and the increased mobility of populations across Europe. A key objective of FIDUCIA is to propose and proof a ‘trust-based’ policy model in relation to emerging forms of criminality – to explore the idea that public trust and institutional legitimacy are important for the social regulation of the trafficking of human beings, the trafficking of goods, the criminalisation of migration and ethnic minorities, and cybercrimes. In this paper we detail levels of trust and legitimacy in the 26 countries, drawing on data from Round 5 of the European Social Survey. We also conduct a sensitivity analysis that investigates the effect of a lack of measurement equivalence on national estimates. Details: London: London School of Economics, 2013. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 18, 2013 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2272975 Year: 2013 Country: Europe URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2272975 Shelf Number: 129024 Keywords: Criminal CourtsLegitimacyPolice AuthorityPolice LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolicingPublic Confidence (Europe)Public OpinionTrust |
Author: Denney, Lisa Title: Securing Communities: The what and the how of community policing Summary: Community policing has gained popularity amongst donors, governments, police departments and communities as a mechanism for achieving a diverse range of goals – from crime reduction to improved state-society relations. Yet while community policing initiatives are widespread across the globe, there is little consensus on its definition, objectives or models. Given the ambiguity surrounding its precise meaning, this paper maps the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of community policing, setting out what it means and hopes to achieve, and how it manifests and is shaped by factors such as histories of state-society relations. Development actors have become particularly interested in community policing in recent times with the recognition that security and justice are fundamental to development processes, and that security must be tailored to the needs and interests of local communities. However, while community policing provides opportunities that can strengthen accountable safety, security and justice, it is not a panacea; those supporting or implementing such practices need to be aware of the associated risks. Furthermore, given the current donor interest in community policing, there is a need for greater analytical clarity about the features above. Details: London: Overseas Development Institute, 2013. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Background Paper: Accessed August 8, 2013 at: http://www.odi.org.uk/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/8491.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.odi.org.uk/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/8491.pdf Shelf Number: 129593 Keywords: Community Policing (International)Police-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: World Bank Title: Bringing the State Back Into the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro: Understanding Changes in Community Life after the UPP Pacification Process Summary: For many years, Rio de Janeiro has held the dubious distinction of being one of the world's most beautiful cities, and at the same time, one of the most dangerous. The city's expansive beaches and five-star hotels sit alongside informal settlements (favelas) spread over the hills where, until recently, murder rates were among the highest in the world. With the rise in the global drug trade in the 1980s, many of Rio's favelas were taken over by drug gangs, who controlled virtually all aspects of economic and social life. Over several decades, the state of Rio de Janeiro tried, and failed, to establish a permanent presence in the favelas - always rolling in with a muscular offensive and, just as abruptly, retreating again. This report is the story of Rio's attempt to break with history and establish a new kind of state presence in its favelas. In 2008, the state government of Rio de Janeiro launched the Police Pacification Units (Unidades de Policia Pacicadora, UPP), with the aim of regaining control of the territories from organized crime, disarming the drug traffic, and enabling the social, economic, and political integration of favelas into the city. This pacification was intended to shift control of the favelas from the drug gangs and militias to the Brazilian state - literally from one day to the next - and provide their residents with the same kind of citizenship rights enjoyed by the rest of the city. This report documents how life in the favelas is changing as a result of the UPP pacification effort, as seen through the eyes of favela residents themselves. Until now, studies of UPP have consisted largely of baseline surveys of quality of life at the entry of UPP or quantitative analyses about changes in crime and real estate prices, based on secondary data. This study aimed to fill gaps in understanding by documenting how the residents have experienced the arrival of UPP, and what they see the "UPP effect" has been. The findings are meant to inform the implementation of UPP as it is rolled out to additional favelas over the next couple of years. The report explores perceptions of change in three main areas: (i) social interactions and community life within the favela, (ii) the relationship of residents with police, and (iii) the integration of the favelas into the broader city in terms of public services, economic opportunities, and removal of stigma. This study used a qualitative, case-study approach and consisted of observations, focus groups, and key informant interviews in four favelas. The fieldwork was conducted between February and October 2011. Among the four favelas selected as case studies, three have received the UPP program at different times: Babilonia/Chapeu Mangueira, 2008; Pavao-Pavaozinho/Cantagalo, 2009; and Borel/ Casa Branca, 2010. The fourth, Manguinhos, had not received an UPP by the time that the fieldwork was carried out and this report was concluded, and back then remained largely under the control of drug gangs, and was therefore included as a control case. Hence, the report will still refer to Manguinhos as the case with no UPP. The case studies were selected to maximize variation in terms of (i) time of entry of UPP (to capture potential changes made in UPP strategy), (ii) geographical and socioeconomic context in which favelas were located (affluent South, middle class and poor North zones), and (iii) prior and current histories with public works projects. Details: Washington, DC: The World Bank, 2012. 136p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 28, 2013 at: Year: 2012 Country: Brazil URL: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2013/03/15/000333037_20130315115010/Rendered/PDF/760110ESW0P12300Rio0de0Janeiro02013.pdf Shelf Number: 131400 Keywords: FavelasPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsSlums (Rio de Janeiro)Youth Gangs |
Author: Fagan, Jeffrey Title: Policing, Crime and Legitimacy in New York and Los Angeles: The Social and Political Contexts of Two Historic Crime Declines Summary: The relationship between citizens and police occupies a central place both in urban politics and in the political economy of cities. In this respect, for nearly 50 years, New York and Los Angeles have been bellwethers for many of the nation's larger cities. In each city, as in cities across the world, citizens look to police to protect them from crime, maintain social order, respond to a variety of extra-legal community concerns, and reinforce the moral order of the law by apprehending offenders and helping bring them to justice (Reiss, 1971; Black, 1980; Skogan and Frydl, 2004). Beyond enforcing social and political order, the police are the front line representatives of a variety of social service needs in communities (Walker, 1992). Accordingly, policing is an amenity of urban places that shapes how citizens regard their neighborhood and their city, and in turn, the extent to which citizens see their local institutions as responsive and reliable (Skogan, 2006). Effective and sustainable governance, especially when it comes to public safety, depends on the capacity of the institutions of criminal justice to provide "value" that leverages legitimacy and cooperation among its citizens (Moore et al., 2002; Skogan and Frydl, 2004; Tyler and Fagan, 2008; Tyler, 2010). Details: New York: Columbia law School, 2012. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Columbia Public Law Research Paper No. 12-315 : Accessed November 11, 2013 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2133487 Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2133487 Shelf Number: 131627 Keywords: Crime RatesPolice Legitimacy (U.S.)Police-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Chambers, Max Title: The Pioneers: Police and Crime Commissioners, one year on. A collection of essays Summary: One year ago, the first Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) were elected across England and Wales. Charged with setting strategic policing priorities, holding Chief Constables and forces to account and improving public confidence in law enforcement, the 41 new PCCs form an integral part of the Government's wideranging police reform agenda. Policy Exchange has consistently argued that single, democratically-elected figures have the potential for renewing the police governance model and revitalising the relationship between the public and the police. As these important reforms continue to bed in and the pioneers get to grips with their new roles, we asked a cross-party group of PCCs to share their perspectives on their first year in office, highlight the key initiatives they are leading, outline the challenges and opportunities facing policing, and describe how their new leadership can help the service to succeed. Details: London: Policy Exchange, 2013. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 11, 2013 at: http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/images/publications/the%20pioneers.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/images/publications/the%20pioneers.pdf Shelf Number: 131632 Keywords: Criminal Justice ReformPolice LegitimacyPolice ReformPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolicing (U.K.) |
Author: Wheller, Levin Title: The Greater Manchester Police Procedural Justice Training Experiment: Technical Report Summary: This technical report outlines the design, methods and results of a two-group randomized control trial undertaken in Greater Manchester Police (GMP) between September 2011 and June 2012. It follows the CONSORT 2010 structure for reporting trials. In parallel with this report the College of Policing is publishing a practitioner paper with a greater focus on the high level findings, key implications and practical considerations for policing that arise from this work. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) decided to introduce a new training programme on communication skills following concern among Chief Officers that the force was underperforming compared to its most similar group of forces with regards to levels of victim satisfaction. An opportunity was identified through ongoing collaboration with the Research Analysis and Information Unit (RAI) to evaluate the impact of any new training intervention in GMP. Through discussions with RAI, GMP became interested in piloting an innovative training programme focussed on enhancing practical communication skills of frontline uniformed officers. The College of Policing has worked in collaboration with GMP to design the evaluation methodology, and - drawing on findings from a recent review of training and behavior change - the scenario based learning element of the course. An external provider developed the classroom content of the training course in collaboration with GMP. The trial was also a good opportunity to add to the growing body of research on the procedural justice model, which looks at the reasons why people cooperate with the police and do not break the law. While the relationships in the procedural justice model have been examined in survey data gathered from a range of different contexts (e.g. Australia, Ghana, Jamaica), relatively little attention had previously been paid so far to how to improve public perceptions of police procedural fairness. Given this gap in the research evidence, and the potential benefits of the police adopting a more procedurally just approach, this trial offered a valuable opportunity to test the impact of a communication skills training on the way officers interact with members of the public and to establish if training could lead to improvements in public perceptions of procedural fairness. Details: Ryton-on-Dunsmore, UK: College of Policing, 2013. 74p.; Practitioner Paper Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 20, 2014 at: http://www.college.police.uk/en/docs/Technical_Report_Final.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.college.police.uk/en/docs/Technical_Report_Final.pdf Shelf Number: 131991 Keywords: Communication SkillsPolice TrainingPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolicingProcedural Justice |
Author: Kiedrowski, John Title: Trends in Indigenous Policing Models: An International Comparison Summary: The report reviews Indigenous policing models in Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. These countries were selected due to similarities in their colonial history, laws, political structures and the socio-economic outcomes of their respective Indigenous peoples. The purpose of the report is to facilitate opportunities for the exchange of information on Indigenous policing models, research and policy issues. The report, however, is not an exhaustive overview of all Indigenous policing initiatives, but an attempt to initiate information sharing, and enhance cross-national communication and discussion in this critically important area. In the countries reviewed, the Indigenous population is growing at a more rapid rate than the non-Indigenous people. At the same time, the Indigenous people have a much higher rate of offences, arrest and incarceration than non-Indigenous population. Furthermore, the Indigenous people are more socially and economically challenged in terms of unemployment, education and health care. This setting poses a challenge for delivering policing services. Among the countries reviewed, Canada is alone in having a comprehensive and national policing program (FNPP) for its Aboriginal peoples. In the United States many of the reservations have their own policing services which evolved from Congressional legislation. Recently, Congress passed the Tribal Law & Order Act of 2010 to help establish partnerships between the Tribes and Federal government to better address the public-safety challenges that confront the Tribal communities. In Australia, the Royal Commission Into Aboriginal Deaths and Custody was the impetus for determining how policing models will service the Indigenous communities. Recently, the policing models have also been associated with the development of community partnership agreements and performance measures to better determine the impact of policing services. In New Zealand, policing services models continue to follow the Maori Responsiveness Strategy, which is geared towards building partnership and relations with the Maori people. The report identifies a few promising policing practices that can have a positive impact on public safety for Indigenous people. These practices where incorporated into an integrated policing model which highlights the importance of such factors as police training, the development of community partnerships, understanding Indigenous tradition and culture, and the use of a holistic framework. Finally, the report concludes that there is a critical need for further empirical research and more information sharing, and cross-national exchanges. Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2013. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 23, 2014 at: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/trnds-ndgns-plc-mdl/trnds-ndgns-plc-mdl-eng.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/trnds-ndgns-plc-mdl/trnds-ndgns-plc-mdl-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 132144 Keywords: AboriginalsIndigenous PeoplesPolice Policies and PracticesPolice TrainingPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Shirk, David A. Title: Building Resilient Communities in Mexico: Civic Responses to Crime and Violence Summary: This study is part of a multiyear effort by the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Justice in Mexico Project at the University of San Diego to analyze the obstacles to and opportunities for improving citizen security in Mexico. Each of the authors featured in this edited volume makes a significant contribution to this endeavor through original research - including exhaustive data analysis, in-depth qualitative interviews, and direct field observations - intended to inform policy discussions on how to foster robust civic responses to the problems of crime and violence. This research was developed with an intended audience of policymakers, journalists, leaders of nongovernmental organizations, and other current and future leaders working to address these problems in Mexico. However, there are also important lessons from Mexico's experience that may have resonance in elsewhere in Latin America and other societies grappling with similar challenges. Details: Washington, DC: Wilson Center, Mexico Institute, 2014. 294p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 24, 2014 at: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/Resilient_Communities_Mexico.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Mexico URL: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/Resilient_Communities_Mexico.pdf Shelf Number: 132178 Keywords: Crime PreventionGangsPartnershipsPolice-Citizen InteractionsPublic SecurityViolence (Mexico)Violent Crime |
Author: Greenhalgh, Stephen Title: The Police Mission in the Twenty-first Century: Rebalancing the Role of the First Public Services Summary: In common with other public services, the policing landscape in Britain has undergone unprecedented structural reform in the last few years. The police reform agenda of the Coalition Government since 2010 has instituted major changes to police governance, training, pay, conditions and pensions, which the Home Secretary is right to describe as the most significant for over 50 years. The reforms have all been controversial but they were necessary to ensure British policing could become more professional, accountable, and locally-driven. Whole new institutions - like the College of Policing and the National Crime Agency - have been created, whilst others have been reshaped or abolished. The most important reform - the introduction of elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) - was also the most contested, largely because both opponents and advocates could foresee how important it would be. Despite a rocky start, PCCs are now well established and forging important new relationships that will improve public safety. To this end it is hoped that PCCs will catalyse much wider changes to policing and other public services, with the opportunities for systemic improvements that strengthen collaboration and enhance customer service only just beginning. Policing is one public service reform programme that has been successfully landed, despite sustained opposition, when others have been scaled back or abandoned completely. But the new settlement we have now is the product of just the first phase of police reform that required new legislation, guidance and lengthy independent reviews. This first phase was all about form, not function. It created new structures; it did not change the culture. It reassigned some personnel; it did not redefine the mission. There was some rhetoric about the police role, but little new policy that actually rebalanced that role. The components of the new policing settlement are easy to identify, with PCCs the most visible part. What has been harder to gauge is what all the reforms mean for the job of policing itself, the mission that drives police officers, and the work that they do each day to deliver the first public service. Now we are entering a second phase of police reform which must be about function, not form. About what the public can realistically expect from the police, what the policing function is beyond fighting crime, and how the police can be equipped to deliver their core mission in an era of complex threats, high public demand, and shrinking budgets. The hardest question facing the police in the next decade is not whether the new settlement is the right form. That debate has ended, and none of the biggest challenges facing policing are addressed by the stale proposal of police force mergers. But rather, given the new settlement, how should the policing function adapt to the pressures of the modern world? A function - or mission - that is getting pulled and probed and tested every day by budget reductions, high public expectations, and new patterns of crime. The report's key recommendations are: - Greater clarity of the police mission which draws some boundaries and gives officers a clearer sense of their role and where they really add value. - A rebalancing of the time and effort of the police back towards crime prevention in line with public expectations, and aided by technology. - An active pursuit by the police of collaboration, to aid them in managing demand better and reducing it in the long-term. Details: London: Reform, 2014. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 7, 2014 at: http://reform.co.uk/resources/0000/1267/21st_Century_Policing_FINAL.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://reform.co.uk/resources/0000/1267/21st_Century_Policing_FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 132267 Keywords: Police LegitimacyPolice ReformPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolicing (U.K.) |
Author: Green, Alice P. Title: Pathway to Change: African Americans and Community Policing in Albany Summary: Steven Krokoff has been the Chief of Police in Albany, New York for three years. His selection was the first police chief appointment in history to require the approval of the city's governing body, the Albany Common Council. Krokoff's predecessor, James Tuffey, had retired abruptly after allegations that he had uttered a racial epithet; Tuffey's departure capped decades of racial tensions between the police department and the community it serves. An extensive search process that relied heavily on community input culminated in the recommendation that Krokoff, the acting chief of the department who had proclaimed his complete commitment to community policing during the selection process, be appointed to the position. This report examines the extent to which the community's expectations have been met thus far. This document follows three reports published by the Center for Law and Justice (CFLJ) in 2012, documenting the disparate effects of the criminal justice system on people of color in the Capital Region. Two of those reports describe the manner in which local minorities are arrested, detained, convicted and incarcerated in proportions far greater than their representation in the general population. The third report depicts the impact of the "war on drugs" in Albany, resulting in the sentencing of scores of Albany's young African-American men to more than 600 years in prison for non-violent offenses. This report examines the current relationship between the police department and African Americans in Albany. Though racial tensions between the police department and African Americans date back to World War II, most observers point to the 1984 police killing of Jesse Davis in his Arbor Hill home as the catalyst for calls for change in the department. Davis, an unarmed, mentally ill black man was shot several times by police, including once in the back and once in the top of the head. The police officers claimed they had to shoot Davis because he came at them with a knife in one hand and a fork in the other. Though a grand jury cleared the police of any wrongdoing, a police department photograph uncovered years later showed Davis' lifeless body clutching only a key case in one hand and a toy truck in the other. Despite the public outrage that followed this disclosure, racial incidents involving the police and citizens persisted throughout the 1990's and into the twenty-first century. Given their first opportunity to provide input into the selection of a police chief in 2010, community members demanded a chief dedicated to "true" community policing; the department had made a few false starts down the community policing road in previous years. This report examines the performance of the Albany Police Department under the leadership of Steven Krokoff in six key areas: community policing; transparency; public protection and law enforcement; cultural competency; leadership and communication; and political independence. CFLJ concludes that although much progress has been made and there is now a palpable path to a mutually-respectful police/community partnership in Albany, there remains much work ahead before community policing is an everyday reality for African Americans in the city. Recommendations are made for action by the police department, by the Albany Common Council, and by members of the community. Details: Albany, NY: Center for Law & Justice, 2013. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 14, 2014 at: http://www.cflj.org/cflj/PathwaytoChange.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.cflj.org/cflj/PathwaytoChange.pdf Shelf Number: 132669 Keywords: African-AmericansCommunity PolicingMinority GroupsPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsRacial Disparities |
Author: Theodore, Nik Title: Insecure Communities: Latino Perceptions of Police Involvement in Immigration Enforcement Summary: This report presents findings from a survey of Latinos regarding their perceptions of law enforcement authorities in light of the greater involvement of police in immigration enforcement. Lake Research Partners designed and administered a randomized telephone survey of 2,004 Latinos living in the counties of Cook (Chicago), Harris (Houston), Los Angeles, and Maricopa (Phoenix). The survey was designed to assess the impact of police involvement in immigration enforcement on Latinos' perceptions of public safety and their willingness to contact the police when crimes have been committed. The survey was conducted in English and Spanish by professional interviewers during the period November 17 to December 10, 2012. Survey results indicate that the increased involvement of police in immigration enforcement has significantly heightened the fears many Latinos have of the police, contributing to their social isolation and exacerbating their mistrust of law enforcement authorities. Key findings include: - 44 percent of Latinos surveyed reported they are less likely to contact police officers if they have been the victim of a crime because they fear that police officers will use this interaction as an opportunity to inquire into their immigration status or that of people they know. - 45 percent of Latinos stated that they are less likely to voluntarily offer information about crimes, and 45 percent are less likely to report a crime because they are afraid the police will ask them or people they know about their immigration status. - 70 percent of undocumented immigrants reported they are less likely to contact law enforcement authorities if they were victims of a crime. - Fear of police contact is not confined to immigrants. For example, 28 percent of US-born Latinos said they are less likely to contact police officers if they have been the victim of a crime because they fear that police officers will use this interaction as an opportunity to inquire into their immigration status or that of people they know. - 38 percent of Latinos reported they feel like they are under more suspicion now that local law enforcement authorities have become involved in immigration enforcement. This figure includes 26 percent of US-born respondents, 40 percent of foreign-born respondents, and 58 percent of undocumented immigrant respondents. - When asked how often police officers stop Latinos without good reason or cause, 62 percent said very or somewhat often, including 58 percent of US-born respondents, 64 percent of foreign-born respondents, and 78 percent of undocumented immigrant respondents. These findings reveal one of the unintended consequences of the involvement of state and local police in immigration enforcement - a reduction in public safety as Latinos' mistrust of the police increases as a result of the involvement of police in immigration enforcement. Details: Chicago: Department of Urban Planning and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2013. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 30, 2014 at: https://greatcities.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Insecure_Communities_Report_FINAL.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://greatcities.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Insecure_Communities_Report_FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 132847 Keywords: Illegal ImmigrationImmigration EnforcementLatinosPolice-Citizen InteractionsUndocumented Immigrants (Illinois) |
Author: Toronto Police Service Title: The Police and Community Engagement Review (The PACER Report); Phase II -- Internal Report and Recommendations Summary: Since March 2012, the Toronto Police Service has been undertaking a review of the way in which we engage with the community. The Police and Community Engagement Review (PACER) has considered the procedures that flow from these contacts, in particular the recording of an individual's personal information on a card or in a database after an encounter with a police officer. Chief William Blair initiated this review in response to growing concerns by individuals, public groups, and organizations in the community, that the police were unfairly targeting some people. There were also growing concerns about the nature of the information being gathered, what was being done with that information, and how that information might affect an individual. The goal of the PACER Team was to make recommendations that would improve public safety while ensuring the delivery of bias-free police services. To do this, the team analyzed data and consulted with the community, frontline officers, academics, and legal experts to arrive at a comprehensive view of the issues. The result was 31 recommendations designed to improve our systems, our training, and our public communications, to bolster the confidence and respect among all members of the community. The implementation of these recommendations will mean changes to the way we conduct and manage our operations, evaluate our performance, and communicate with the public. We invite you to learn more about the recommendations and the rationale behind them by reading the report. Highlights of the Report include: - The Service will create a Standing Community Advisory Committee that will include people from outside of the Toronto Police Service who will work continuously with the Service on the delivery of bias-free police services. - Training for all officers will be enhanced in the areas of the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms, the Ontario Human Rights Code, articulable cause, note-taking, tactical communications and strategic disengagement. - Officers' performance will include a review of the quality, not quantity, of their community engagements. - The Service will continue to consider Community Safety Note information in the recruitment and hiring process, however, a CSN does not preclude anyone from employment opportunities with the Service. Any consideration of a CSN as part of the hiring process will now include a supervisor's review and input from the original issuing officer. - The Service will explore body-worn cameras and an Intercultural Development program. - Officers will no longer complete a hard-copy Community Inquiry Report card. Officers will make notes directly into their memo books. Information that can be used to solve crimes or protect the community may be entered as a Community Safety Note into the Service's records management system. This information will be retained for seven years. - The Community Inquiry Report Receipt will be modified into a re-designed business card. Keeping our neighbourhoods safe from harm remains at the forefront of our thoughts and forms the basis for all of our actions. Nevertheless, we recognize that the community needs to understand our purpose and have confidence in our ability to understand the lived experiences of others. These recommendations will ensure we continue to improve in that regard. Details: Toronto: Toronto Police Service, 2014. 95p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 12, 2014 at: http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/publications/files/reports/2013pacerreport.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Canada URL: http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/publications/files/reports/2013pacerreport.pdf Shelf Number: 133003 Keywords: Police LegitimacyPolice PerformancePolice Policies and ProceduresPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations (Toronto, Canada) |
Author: Denney, Lisa Title: Securing communities for development: Community policing in Ethiopia's Amhara National Regional State Summary: - There is growing interest in community policing internationally as a way of involving communities in their security provision. - Ethiopia's Amhara National Regional State offers a unique perspective on this, and its 'top-down' community policing model emerges from a particular political context shaped by its political structures and ideology, state-society relations and the existence of long-standing customary security and justice practices. - In practice, community policing in Ethiopia serves multiple purposes - from sharing the state's burden of policing with customary actors, to reducing crime, involving communities in security provision and contributing to national development. - Both positive and negative effects of this community policing model are apparent, with some improvements in perceptions of crime levels and police-community relations but concerns around the quality of justice on offer as well as contribution to an effective state surveillance system. Details: London: Overseas Development Institute, 2013. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed October 9, 2014 at: http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/8656.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Ethiopia URL: http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/8656.pdf Shelf Number: 133619 Keywords: Community Policing (Ethiopia)Police-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: All Party Parliamentary Group for Children Title: "It's All About Trust": Building good relationships between children and police Summary: During this inquiry, the All Party Parliamentary Group for Children took evidence from children and young people, organisations working with children and young people, and representatives from police forces across the country. The inquiry heard that children and young people's attitudes towards the police are often characterised by feelings of mistrust and sometimes fear. The majority of those giving evidence were clear that more work is needed if there are to be strong and positive relationships between children, young people and the police. There are examples of good practice, reflecting the work of police leaders and officers who are dedicated to improving the way they work with children. However, these examples of good practice are not replicated across the country. Key findings Section one of this report summarises the views and experiences of children and young people involved with the police, based on evidence given to the inquiry by children and young people themselves and those who work with them. Section two examines current police practice with children and young people, and the policy and legislative framework that governs the work of police forces. Overall, the inquiry found that: There is a lack of trust in the police among many children and young people. Some children and young people fear the police. Encounters between the two groups are often characterised by poor and unconstructive communication and a lack of mutual respect. Experts told the APPGC that it takes time and hard work to change these ingrained attitudes and behaviours. It is critical that in every encounter with the police, under 18s are be treated as children first, with all officers having regard for their welfare, safety and well-being, as required under sections 10 and 11 of the Children Act 2004 and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Certain groups of children and young people, many of whom are likely to have higher levels of contact with the police, share similar feelings and attitudes. Children in care, who are over-represented in the youth justice system, can have negative early experiences of the police and do not always get the support and protection they need. The additional vulnerabilities of children with special educational needs, a language or communication difficulty, or mental health needs can be overlooked or exacerbated in encounters with the police. The way in which the police treat children who have been trafficked or experienced sexual abuse was described as a 'postcode lottery' - these children are often confused by police processes and report being treated with a lack of respect. First contact with the police is important in shaping children and young people's attitudes, yet for a significant number of children and young people this experience is a negative one. There are examples of positive school and community initiatives that help children and young people encounter the police in a positive context. However, for many, the first contact will be as a victim or suspected offender. Therefore the way in which the police carry out processes - such as the way they use stop and search or the way they treat children who are arrested and detained - is vital for building trust and respect. Many children and young people will first have contact with the police when they are stopped and searched. While young people understand why the police need to use stop and search, they feel they are stopped too often and for insufficient reason, that they are not treated with respect, and that the police do not explain the process or reason for the stop. For those who are arrested and detained, the experience can be traumatic and upsetting, with very vulnerable children often exposed to a space designed for adults, usually without separate or designated facilities for children. Some children and young people are involved in police initiatives through their schools and communities, such as Safer School Partnerships or Voluntary Police Cadets, which help break down barriers and negative perceptions. These examples of positive engagement are, however, not found in all schools or communities and are being threatened by reductions in police budgets. There are examples of police forces which work hard to listen to and engage with children and young people in a variety of contexts, and to treat them, first and foremost, as children in all aspects of the police process. However, these positive approaches are not reflected across the country. Greater effort is needed nationally to assist local police forces in identifying and implementing good practice examples from other parts of the country. Training and professional development for police officers should enable them to understand how they can improve their practice to meet the needs of children and young people. The policy and legislative framework governing the work of the police does not pay sufficient attention to the needs of children and young people or address the specific considerations of working with this age group. In particular: o the rights and specific needs of children must be reflected in guidance relating to the stop and search process, and searches should only take place, particularly on younger children, when absolutely necessary; o 17 year-olds should have the same rights and entitlements as younger children in legislation and guidance relating to police processes; o police forces should have designated or separate custody facilities for children and young people, and provide access to youth liaison and diversion to identify and address needs; o a focused effort is needed to ensure that all children and young people who are refused bail after being charged are transferred to local authority accommodation, as is required by law; and o nationally endorsed guidance and protocols should be put in place for the purpose of reducing the criminalisation of children in care. Details: London: All Party Parliamentary Group for Children, 2014. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 30, 2014 at: http://www.ncb.org.uk/media/1164355/appgc_children_and_police_report_-_final.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.ncb.org.uk/media/1164355/appgc_children_and_police_report_-_final.pdf Shelf Number: 133842 Keywords: Police BehaviorPolice Legitimacy (U.K.)Police-Citizen InteractionsPublic AttitudesPublic Opinion |
Author: Ramirez, Debbie A. Title: Developing partnerships between law enforcement and American Muslim, Arab, and Sikh communities: a promising practices guide Summary: The Partnering for Prevention and Community Safety Initiative (PfP) grew out of a series of conversations among American Muslim, Arab, and Sikh communities, and among federal, state, and local law enforcement leaders, that began in the fall of 2001. After the attacks of September 11th, leaders in the Muslim, Arab, and Sikh communities realized a critical need to define themselves as distinctly American communities who, like all Americans, had every desire to help prevent another terrorist attack. It was, as many have noted, their time in history. However, these communities also had the added burden of both guarding their civil liberties from heightened security measures and protecting their children, their homes, and their places of worship from hate crimes and hate incidents. To achieve these goals these communities began to prioritize law enforcement outreach efforts. At the same time law enforcement recognized that the tools used prior to September 11th were inadequate to the new post-September 11th task. Although traditional investigative tools had been useful in achieving a quick and thorough response to September 11th, law enforcement needed enhanced tools to effectively prevent future acts of terror. Specifically, September 11th reinforced the idea that for law enforcement agencies to effectively prevent future acts of terrorism, it would require the cooperation and assistance of the American Muslim, Arab, and Sikh communities. Embedded within these communities are the linguistic skills, information, and cultural insights necessary to assist law enforcement in its efforts to identify suspicious behavior. In order to have access to these critical tools and information, law enforcement recognized the need to build the bridges required for effective communication with these groups. In the fall of 2002, members of the future PfP research team came together at Northeastern University to pursue mechanisms for moving this discussion about institutionalizing partnerships forward into action. In order to assist with the development of partnerships, the team decided to research 1) the benefits of these proposed partnerships; 2) the challenges posed by this partnership model; 3) case studies of these partnerships in action; and, ultimately, 4) the "promising practices" that can be utilized by sites interested in pursuing this model. The PfP research was conducted from May 2003 to May 2004 and was based on three sites: Southeastern Michigan, Southern California, and Greater Boston. Guidance and input from national partners in Washington, DC was another critical piece of the research plan. These research sites were chosen because of their experience in developing preliminary partnerships between communities and local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, the presence of major terrorism or hate crime investigations, and/or because significant numbers of Arab, Muslim and Sikh community members indicated an interest in participating in the study. These communities were chosen because both law enforcement and the perpetrators of hate crimes were (and in some cases still are) focused on individuals who share or are perceived to share1 characteristics with the September 11th hijackers. Specific research participants were initially identified through national organizations. Local chapters of these organizations then directed the team toward other interested community members, who were also asked to participate. On the law enforcement side, key federal, state, and local agencies were contacted in each of the three sites. Over the course of the year, PfP visited the three sites and conducted numerous focus groups, personal interviews, and discussions with community and law enforcement members. After these visits, the team continued to communicate with project participants through emails, letters, faxes, and phone calls. All project participants were given the opportunity to review a draft version of the relevant section of the report to help ensure its accuracy. As a culmination of this research, the Promising Practices Guide aims to demonstrate the research findings that: 1) The goals of the American Muslim, Arab, and Sikh communities and law enforcement are not in conflict and can in fact be achieved simultaneously; 2) The most effective model for simultaneously addressing community and law enforcement concerns is through institutionalized partnerships; and 3) While there are significant challenges to achieving these partnerships, they are not only possible but also necessary for both community safety and terrorism prevention. While this work is by no means comprehensive, it does reflect the experience of a wide range of community and law enforcement representatives. Both in terms of studying additional sites and contacting more community organizations and law enforcement entities, there is still much work in this arena to be done. The hope is that this guide will serve as the beginning of an ongoing dialogue and the catalyst for new programming and training focused on the initiation, development, and strengthening of partnerships. This research will continue and can be followed by accessing PfP's website at www.ace.neu.edu/pfp. Details: Boston: Northeastern University, Partnering for Prevention & Community Safety Initiative, 2004. 98p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 11, 2015 at: http://iris.lib.neu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=pfp_pubs Year: 2004 Country: United States URL: http://iris.lib.neu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=pfp_pubs Shelf Number: 134905 Keywords: Community Crime PreventionCommunity ParticipationCommunity-Oriented ProgramsCrime Prevention Programs (U.S.)Minority GroupsPartnershipsPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsTerrorism |
Author: Miller, Lindsay Title: Implementing a Body-Worn Camera Program: Recommendations and Lessons Learned Summary: Over the past decade, advances in the technologies used by law enforcement agencies have been accelerating at an extremely rapid pace. Many police executives are making decisions about whether to acquire technologies that did not exist when they began their careers - technologies like automated license plate readers, gunshot detection systems, facial recognition software, predictive analytics systems, communications systems that bring data to officers' laptops or handheld devices, GPS applications, and social media to investigate crimes and communicate with the public. For many police executives, the biggest challenge is not deciding whether to adopt one particular technology but rather finding the right mix of technologies for a given jurisdiction based on its crime problems, funding levels, and other factors. Finding the best mix of technologies, however, must begin with a thorough understanding of each type of technology. Police leaders who have deployed body-worn cameras1 say there are many benefits associated with the devices. They note that body-worn cameras are useful for documenting evidence; officer training; preventing and resolving complaints brought by members of the public; and strengthening police transparency, performance, and accountability. In addition, given that police now operate in a world in which anyone with a cell phone camera can record video footage of a police encounter, body-worn cameras help police departments ensure events are also captured from an officer's perspective. Scott Greenwood of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said at the September 2013 conference: The average interaction between an officer and a citizen in an urban area is already recorded in multiple ways. The citizen may record it on his phone. If there is some conflict happening, one or more witnesses may record it. Often there are fixed security cameras nearby that capture the interaction. So the thing that makes the most sense-if you really want accountability both for your officers and for the people they interact with - is to also have video from the officer's perspective. The use of body-worn cameras also raises important questions about privacy and trust. What are the privacy issues associated with recording victims of crime? How can officers maintain positive community relationships if they are ordered to record almost every type of interaction with the public? Will members of the public find it off-putting to be told by an officer, "I am recording this encounter," particularly if the encounter is a casual one? Do body-worn cameras also undermine the trust between officers and their superiors within the police department? In addition to these overarching issues, police leaders must also consider many practical policy issues, including the significant financial costs of deploying cameras and storing recorded data, training requirements, and rules and systems that must be adopted to ensure that body-worn camera video cannot be accessed for improper reasons. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2014. 92p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 11, 2015 at: http://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/resources/472014912134715246869.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/resources/472014912134715246869.pdf Shelf Number: 134908 Keywords: Body-Worn CamerasLaw Enforcement Technology (U.S.)Police AccountabilityPolice BehaviorPolice TechnologyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsVideo Technology |
Author: Mateescu, Alexandra Title: Police Body-Worn Cameras Summary: Police Body-Worn Cameras breaks down what's known - and not known - about the promises, perils, and potential best practices around police body-worn cameras. Both law enforcement and civil rights advocates are excited by the potential of body-worn cameras to improve community policing and safety, but there is no empirical research to conclusively suggest that these will reduce the deaths of black male civilians in encounters with police. There are some documented milder benefits evident from small pilot studies, such as more polite interactions between police and civilians when both parties are aware they are being recorded, and decreased fraudulent complaints made against officers. Many uncertainties about best practices of body-worn camera adoption and use remain, including when the cameras should record, what should be stored and retained, who should have access to the footage, and what policies should determine the release of footage to the public. As pilot and permanent body-worn camera programs are implemented, it is important to ask questions about how they can be best used to achieve their touted goals. How will the implementation of these programs be assessed for their efficacy in achieving accountability goals? What are the best policies to have in place to support those goals? Details: New York: Data & Society Research Institute, 2015. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper: Accessed March 12, 2015 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2569481 Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2569481 Shelf Number: 134919 Keywords: Body-Worn CamerasLaw Enforcement Technology (U.S.) Police Accountability Police Behavior Police Technology Police-Citizen Interactions Police-Community Relations SurveillanceVideo Technology |
Author: Adamson, Sue Title: Evaluation of the West Yorkshire Police Community Scrutiny Panels (Stop and Search): Final report Summary: - West Yorkshire Police introduced divisionally based Scrutiny Panels for Hate Incidents and Stop and Search early in 2005 with the aim of increasing transparency and accountability of police procedures and thereby promoting public confidence. This evaluation was tasked to specifically consider the Stop and Search element of the scrutiny panels. - West Yorkshire Police produced force guidelines for the Scrutiny Panels providing common minimum standards but divisions were expected to tailor implementation to local circumstances. There is therefore considerable variation in the structure and operating procedures of the panels. However few panels had formally defined their local arrangements. This omission may contribute to lack of clarity in the understanding of panel members about their role and police expectations of their commitment. - The size and composition of the panels varies considerably. Some panels are probably too small either in the listed pool of members or in attendance to be an effective public scrutiny. Although all panels include representatives from partner agencies and community members, the balance varies considerably and some panels are light on the latter. - All panel members include representatives of minority ethnic groups. Half of the survey respondents, excluding police officers, were white, one quarter Pakistani and smaller numbers from other ethnic groups. More men than women are involved with the panels and there have been particular difficulties in reaching women of Asian background. Few panels had succeeded in including young people. It is important that the panels are representative not only of the communities they serve but of those who are most likely to be the subjects of stop and search. - Few of the panels have provided formal training to panel members although some have introduced information packs which panel members can use for reference purposes. Ensuring that panel members can work from a knowledgebase is essential to the effectiveness of the panels. - All except one panel conform to the force guidelines for monthly meetings. Panels vary in the timing and location of meetings. Some always meet in the same place (frequently the police station), some alternate between different geographic locations within their divisions and others make efforts to meet on non-police premises. Some panels meet in the afternoon, some in the evening and others alternate. These variations have been introduced to maximise attendance at meetings. - Most panels comply with the force guidance that police representation should include an inspector although there are some where the rank is lower always or sometimes. On the other hand chief inspectors attend some panels. Senior police officer input is welcomed by panel members in signalling to members and police officers the value of the panel. - Most panels are chaired by police officers although for one there is a regular lay chair and for others a revolving chair. Panel members generally though the quality of the chairmanship was more important than whether or not the chair was a police officer. - Almost all the respondents to the survey thought that the meetings were open and transparent and all that members had the opportunity to have their say. - There was some variation in the way that stop and search forms were presented, notably in whether the panel members selected the forms for scrutiny and whether they were able to examine the forms themselves. It is important for transparency that this takes place. Some panels presented stop and search statistics while others did not. - Panels vary in their recording of their proceedings. All the panels submit a monitoring form to police headquarters after each meeting but in some panels this is not available to panel members. Some panels however produce formal minutes. Some panels formally feedback on unresolved issues raised at previous meetings but in others this is more adhoc. Feedback is essential for accountability. The monitoring form/minutes can provide a useful aide memoire in providing feedback. - Few panel members thought that the panel proceedings had shown irregularities in police conduct of stop and search. Those that were expressed included insufficient grounds for stop and search and the large numbers of cases where those stopped had refused their copy of the form. - Half the respondents to the survey and most of those interviewed identified issues in the recording of stop and search. These included incomplete recording, illegibility and counter signature of faulty forms by supervising officers. - The scrutiny panels have the potential to impact on community knowledge about stop and search, improve the transparency and accountability of the stop and search process, and raise public confidence in the police, particularly among ethnic minority communities. However these impacts are restricted by issues of representativeness of the community, superficiality of scrutiny because of an insufficient knowledgebase or time constraints and feedback to the community. - The scrutiny panels can have an effect on police performance of stop and search although again this is limited because the panel sees only a record. There is however evidence that the panels are improving recording of stop and search and can identify issues of supervision and training. The panels cannot address disproportionality in stop and search but can address the perception of that disproportionality among community members. - A number of good practice suggestions and performance indicators have been identified, Details: University of Hull, Department of Criminology and Sociological Studies, 2007. 116p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 16, 2015 at: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/14346/1/Cole_WYP_Stop_and_Search_Scrutiny_Panels_-_Full_Report.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/14346/1/Cole_WYP_Stop_and_Search_Scrutiny_Panels_-_Full_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 134924 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice Discretion Police PerformancePolice-Citizen Interactions Stop and Search (U.K.) |
Author: Great Britain. Home Office Title: Improving police integrity: reforming the police complaints and disciplinary systems. Summary of consultation responses and next steps Summary: 1.1 The consultation document Improving Police Integrity: reforming the police complaints and disciplinary systems set out the Government's plans for reform of the police complaints and disciplinary systems, measures to strengthen protections for police whistleblowers, an extension to the remit of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), and changes to the role, powers and structure of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The consultation presented 42 questions across four policy areas and invited comments from national, local and regional organisations, police forces, Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), Police and Crime Panels, frontline practitioners, staff associations, trade unions and other groups or interested individuals. Method 1.2 The consultation took place over an eight week period from 11 December 2014. 1.3 The consultation document was made available on the Home Office website, https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/improving-police-integrity-reforming-the-police-complaints-and-disciplinary-systems. A Welsh version was available on request, as were large print and audio versions. Responses to the consultation could also be completed anonymously online, submitted via email to policeintegrityconsultation@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk or posted to the Home Office. 1.4 To support the consultation process, three events were held to canvass opinions from policing partners and frontline practitioners. Key themes from these discussions were noted and have been reflected in the summary of responses. A list of the events is set out in the table on page 6. 1.5 The Government received a total of 170 responses to the consultation (97 were submitted by post or email, and 73 were responses to the online survey). Details: London: Home Office, 2015. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Cm 9031: Accessed March 16, 2015 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/411970/improving_police_integrity_reforming_the_police_complaints_and_disciplinary_systems.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/411970/improving_police_integrity_reforming_the_police_complaints_and_disciplinary_systems.pdf Shelf Number: 134925 Keywords: Complaints Against PolicePolice DisciplinePolice Ethics (U.K.)Police PerformancePolice-Citizen Interactions |
Author: Police Executive Research Forum Title: Legitimacy and Procedural Justice: The New Orleans Case Study Summary: As today's police executives strive to maintain the progress in reducing crime while serving as effective agents of change, many are taking on a new challenge: applying the concepts of "legitimacy" and "procedural justice" as they apply to policing. Legitimacy and procedural justice are measurements of the extent to which members of the public trust and have confidence in the police, believe that the police are honest and competent, think that the police treat people fairly and with respect, and are willing to defer to the law and to police authority. In this paper, PERF provides a more extensive analysis of the connections between leadership and legitimacy through an unusual case study: the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD). Details: Washington, DC: PERF, 2014. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 20, 2015 at: http://www.policeforum.org/assets/docs/Free_Online_Documents/Leadership/legitimacy%20and%20procedural%20justice%20-%20the%20new%20orleans%20case%20study.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.policeforum.org/assets/docs/Free_Online_Documents/Leadership/legitimacy%20and%20procedural%20justice%20-%20the%20new%20orleans%20case%20study.pdf Shelf Number: 134993 Keywords: Police AdministrationPolice AuthorityPolice LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolicing (New Orleans) |
Author: McDowall, Almuth Title: Promoting ethical behaviour and preventing wrongdoing in organisations: A rapid evidence assessment Summary: This report summarises the findings of an REA, the aim of which was to identify interventions, mechanisms and levers that might help to encourage ethical behaviour and prevent wrongdoing in organisations (i.e. comply with common professional standards or ethical principles). This review builds on the separate REA carried out by the College on the impact of codes of ethics on professional behaviour (see Brown 2014). The REA is based on a total of 57 studies carried out in policing and other professions. The review used a clear protocol to search for, sift and bring together the most relevant research papers. It reports 39 studies identified by this method, plus an additional 18 studies identified by the College of Policing or at peer review. While it was difficult to draw out overall conclusions from the literature, because the studies included in the review used a wide range of research methods to answer different questions in a variety of settings, the key findings are highlighted below. Evidence from existing systematic reviews is presented separately to that from single studies and case studies. What works and what's promising While the number of evaluated interventions and practices found during our literature search was fairly small, and sometimes not of the type required to make statements about "what works", the evidence we did find suggested that organisations can take positive steps to encourage ethical behaviour and address wrongdoing. Evidence from a systematic review - Procedural justice policing - The strongest intervention evidence we identified - based on a systematic review - explored the impact of a range of interventions on public perceptions of the police, a "positive" measure of ethical behaviour, rather than a "negative" measure of wrongdoing: - Overall, interventions that embraced the principles of procedural justice (i.e. fair decision-making and respectful treatment) - such as community policing, informal contact and restorative justice - improved public trust and confidence, and changed people's perception of the police for the better. - The review concluded there was "overwhelming support" for the police to introduce innovations that seek to advance citizen perceptions of legitimacy. Evidence from individual intervention studies or case study reviews - Body worn video cameras - One US randomised controlled trial (identified by the College outside the search protocol) showed that body worn video cameras can lead to a significant reduction in the police use of force. The effect on public complaints also appeared to be positive, but was less conclusive. - Being held to account - One quasi-experiment involving Dutch riot police suggested that reminding officers they would be accountable for their actions had a positive impact on reported attitudes (e.g. more moderate views about the police use of force). - Training - Five studies were identified exploring the effect of training in both military and policing contexts. Though the content and delivery of the training differed, the nature of decision-making and interaction skills were common elements. Each study suggested training could have a positive effect: - Training in moral decision-making (military) - A quasi-experiment, involving the Swiss military, showed that a one-week training programme on resolving moral dilemmas was effective in improving the decision-making competence of officers. - Training in procedural justice (police) - A randomised controlled trial carried out in Greater Manchester Police showed that training in practical communication skills resulted in victims perceiving the police to be fairer and more respectful. - Training in personal responsibility and control (police) - Two related studies carried out in the Nigerian Police suggested that training aimed at raising awareness of officers' personal responsibilities could change attitudes towards corruption. - Conflict resolution training (police) - One US quasi-experiment showed that three-day simulation-based training gave officers an alternative way of managing encounters, reducing the frequency and intensity with which force was used. - Ethics programmes - One before/after study carried out in an Israeli regional council suggested that the introduction of an ethics programme - in support of a code of ethics - resulted in changes to some, but not all, employee perceptions (e.g. improved perceptions of there being an ethical work climate). - Targeted problem-solving and early interventions - can potentially lead to substantial reductions on the police use of force and complaints. - One international review of before/after case studies suggested there was plausible evidence that the adoption of a problem-oriented approach by the police could reduce excessive or unnecessary uses of force. - Several individual case studies were identified that suggested the scanning and analysis of police data as ways of identifying particular officers or hotspots for target prevention activity was potentially promising. When interventions are most likely to be effective - Limited evidence was uncovered about the specific contexts in which interventions were most likely to be effective. However, studies pointed towards a need for both: - scanning and analysis of available police data, to ensure the intervention is well targeted and deals with the underlying causes of a problem; and -{ organisational commitment and leadership. Evidence from individual intervention studies or case study reviews - Body worn video cameras - One US randomised controlled trial (identified by the College outside the search protocol) showed that body worn video cameras can lead to a significant reduction in the police use of force. The effect on public complaints also appeared to be positive, but was less conclusive. - Being held to account - One quasi-experiment involving Dutch riot police suggested that reminding officers they would be accountable for their actions had a positive impact on reported attitudes (e.g. more moderate views about the police use of force). - Training - Five studies were identified exploring the effect of training in both military and policing contexts. Though the content and delivery of the training differed, the nature of decision-making and interaction skills were common elements. Each study suggested training could have a positive effect: - Training in moral decision-making (military) - A quasi-experiment, involving the Swiss military, showed that a one-week training programme on resolving moral dilemmas was effective in improving the decision-making competence of officers. - Training in procedural justice (police) - A randomised controlled trial carried out in Greater Manchester Police showed that training in practical communication skills resulted in victims perceiving the police to be fairer and more respectful. - Training in personal responsibility and control (police) - Two related studies carried out in the Nigerian Police suggested that training aimed at raising awareness of officers' personal responsibilities could change attitudes towards corruption. - Conflict resolution training (police) - One US quasi-experiment showed that three-day simulation-based training gave officers an alternative way of managing encounters, reducing the frequency and intensity with which force was used. - Ethics programmes - One before/after study carried out in an Israeli regional council suggested that the introduction of an ethics programme - in support of a code of ethics - resulted in changes to some, but not all, employee perceptions (e.g. improved perceptions of there being an ethical work climate). - Targeted problem-solving and early interventions - can potentially lead to substantial reductions on the police use of force and complaints. - One international review of before/after case studies suggested there was plausible evidence that the adoption of a problem-oriented approach by the police could reduce excessive or unnecessary uses of force. - Several individual case studies were identified that suggested the scanning and analysis of police data as ways of identifying particular officers or hotspots for target prevention activity was potentially promising. When interventions are most likely to be effective - Limited evidence was uncovered about the specific contexts in which interventions were most likely to be effective. However, studies pointed towards a need for both: - scanning and analysis of available police data, to ensure the intervention is well targeted and deals with the underlying causes of a problem; and organisational commitment and leadership. What doesn't work and evaluation gaps - No ineffective or counter-productive interventions were identified. However, there is a clear need for any intervention to be implemented thoughtfully and with care to help ensure it does not have any unintended negative consequences, and to put appropriate evaluation in place. - Limited empirical evidence was found on a number of approaches used by the police or proposed in the literature for promoting ethical behaviour and preventing wrongdoing (such as proactive investigative techniques, recruitment screening). This finding points to the need for further testing to identify "what works". The factors influencing ethical behaviour and wrongdoing We identified evidence from a number of empirical studies and literature reviews about factors associated with ethical behaviour and wrongdoing in organisations. By understanding these factors, practitioners may be better placed to design and implement more effective interventions or target them appropriately. Evidence from a systematic review - Systematic review evidence - based on 136 studies from a wide range of professional and occupational settings - suggested that ethical choices in the workplace were influenced by a range of factors at the individual, situational and organisational level. - An ethical working environment and a belief among workers that a code of conduct was well-enforced both had a positive effect on ethical decision-making. - Overall, the context of the situation in which a decision is made, particularly in terms of its perceived immediacy and magnitude of its consequences for others, was associated with workers avoiding unethical behaviour. - The influence of individual characteristics on ethical decision-making was relatively small overall: - Workers who were concerned about others, less "flexible" in their morality, less manipulative, and who took greater personal responsibility, tended to be more ethical at work. - Men and younger workers were more likely to make unethical choices overall than women and older workers. - Educational attainment was found to have no overall effect. - The range of factors associated with ethical choices suggests action at individual, situational and organisational level may be required to deal with wrongdoing and that it would be insufficient to target "bad apples", "bad cases" or "bad barrels" on their own. - Interventions focused solely on officer attitudes and intentions may not lead to improved behaviour, as the systematic review evidence suggested unethical decisions were not always based on unethical intentions. The choices made by a worker were more accurately predicted by their past behaviour than by their reported intentions. Evidence from individual studies - Organisational factors - The working environment, organisational justice and ethical leadership were all found to be "protective factors" against wrongdoing. Ethical leadership appeared to have a range of direct and indirect influences. While there was some consistency between studies on the value of role-modelling, other leadership behaviours and styles were also found to have an effect, such as openness or strictness (i.e. setting and enforcing standards). Thus, while it is clear that supervisors and leaders should - as a default - seek to be good role models through exemplary behaviour, and to encourage open discussion, there may be situations where it is important for them to set appropriate standards of behaviour and to sanction behaviour that falls short. - Situational factors - Some evidence was found on the situational factors that increased the chances of officers using improper force (e.g. the suspect being agitated or antagonistic, and having been involved in a serious offence). There was some indication that officers could sometimes be unsure whether particular activities were unethical. Several studies were also found that pointed to the existence of a "blue code of silence" - the informal pressure on officers not to report their colleagues - although its effect appeared to vary within and between organisations. - Individual characteristics - A range of individual characteristics - such as being male, younger, less experienced - were found in the literature to be associated with some types of wrongdoing. Early career misconduct and a range of social and psychological risk factors were also found to be potentially important influences, although their impact was found to be difficult to measure. The implications for practice of these individual characteristics are perhaps less clear as they are potentially related to other confounding factors and arguably harder for practitioners to influence. Conclusions and implications Taken together, the evidence in this REA raises a range of possibilities to take forward into practice. While the number of evaluated practices was fairly small, the evidence we found suggested that organisations can take steps to encourage ethical behaviour and reduce wrongdoing. Although there were no ready-made single solutions, a multi-pronged approach is likely to be needed. Notably, all the promising interventions that were identified were broadly preventive or remedial in their approach; none were purely focused on apprehending and disciplining those responsible for wrongdoing. The evidence also underlined how important leadership was within organisations. The need for strong and effective leadership - such as leaders being open, acting as role models, and also being "firm" in terms of setting and enforcing standards - was highlighted as encouraging ethical behaviour and as an essential ingredient for the successful implementation of interventions. This finding contains learning for individual leaders about how they should perform their role, but also has wider implications for the way leadership in the service is selected, promoted, developed and held to account. Moreover, leadership - and the organisational environment it helped create - were strong influences on the attitudes and (reported) behaviours of those working for them. Key here were the ideas of organisational justice (fair decision-making and respectful treatment internally) and ethical leadership. However, despite its importance, leadership was only one of several influences on ethical behaviour. A range of factors at the organisational, situational and individual level were all found to affect wrongdoing in different professional settings. While it is not clear what initiatives will "work", this finding highlights the need for action to be taken in combination at all three levels. Details: Ryton-on-Dunsmore, UK: College of Policing, 2015. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 2, 2015 at: http://whatworks.college.police.uk/Research/Documents/150317_Integrity_REA_FINAL_REPORT.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://whatworks.college.police.uk/Research/Documents/150317_Integrity_REA_FINAL_REPORT.pdf Shelf Number: 135133 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice BehaviorPolice EthicsPolice IntegrityPolice LegitimacyPolice Misconduct (U.K.)Police TrainingPolice-Citizen InteractionsProcedural Justice |
Author: Quinton, Paul Title: Fair cop 2: Organisational justice, behaviour and ethical policing - An interpretative evidence commentary Summary: Fair decision-making and respectful treatment of the public by the police has previously been shown to foster police legitimacy, which, in turn, encourages people to cooperate with the police and not break the law. This paper provides a commentary around new survey research (Bradford et al 2013 and Bradford and Quinton 2014) that shows fairness and respect, internally within police organisations, can have a similar effect on the attitudes and behaviour of the workforce. Fairness at a supervisory and senior leadership level was associated with officers 'going the extra mile' without personal gain, following work rules, valuing the public, feeling empowered, and supporting ethical policing. These effects were largely brought about by fair treatment encouraging officers to identify with the organisation and its values, rather than a police subculture. The positive impact of fairness on attitudes and behaviour was found to exceed that of the traditional 'carrot and stick' approach, which ran the risk of fostering unthinking compliance with the rules even when officers thought it might be the 'wrong thing' to do. By linking the 'internal' organisational justice and 'external' procedural justice models together, it is possible to see how fairness and respect inside the police could, in the longer term, improve the public's perceptions of, and their voluntary cooperation with, the police. It also highlights the risk to policing of perceived unfairness within police organisations, because of its detrimental effect on staff attitudes and behaviours. Details: Ryton-on-Dunsmore, UK: College of Policing, 2015. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 2, 2015 at: http://whatworks.college.police.uk/Research/Documents/150317_Fair_cop%202_FINAL_REPORT.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://whatworks.college.police.uk/Research/Documents/150317_Fair_cop%202_FINAL_REPORT.pdf Shelf Number: 135135 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice Behavior (U.K.)Police DiscretionPolice EthicsPolice-Citizen InteractionsProcedural Justice |
Author: Jackson, Brian A. Title: Respect and Legitimacy - A Two-Way Street. Strengthening Trust Between Police and the Public in an Era of Increasing Transparency Summary: Events in recent months have focused national attention on profound fractures in trust between some police departments and the communities they are charged with protecting. Though the potential for such fractures is always present given the role of police in society, building and maintaining trust between police and the public is critical for the health of American democracy. However, in an era when information technology has the potential to greatly increase transparency of police activities in a variety of ways, building and maintaining trust is challenging. Doing so likely requires steps taken by both police organizations and the public to build understanding and relationships that can sustain trust through tragic incidents that can occur in the course of policing - whether it is a citizen's or officer's life that is lost. This paper draws on the deep literature on legitimacy, procedural justice, and trust to frame three core questions that must be addressed to build and maintain mutual trust between police and the public: (1) What is the police department doing and why? (2) What are the results of the department's actions? and (3) What mechanisms are in place to discover and respond to problems from the officer to the department level? Answering these questions ensures that both the public and police have mutual understanding and expectations about the goals and tactics of policing, their side effects, and the procedures to address problems fairly and effectively, maintaining confidence over time. Details: Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2015. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2015 at: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/perspectives/PE100/PE154/RAND_PE154.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/perspectives/PE100/PE154/RAND_PE154.pdf Shelf Number: 135543 Keywords: Police LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsProcedural Justice |
Author: Witherspoon, Pernell Title: Police Body Cameras in Missouri: Good or Bad Policy? An Academic Viewpoint Seen Through the Lens of a Former Law Enforcement Official Summary: After the fatal shooting of an African American teenager in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9, 2014, various police departments are exploring the use of body cameras. With tensions high, it is hopeful that body worn camera policies will be based on sound research and that appropriate measures are made to achieve optimum effectiveness. The author of this writing, a former law enforcement official and current academic, presents some challenges that police administrators will need to address toward body camera implementation. Because racism is difficult to accurately measure and police are historically reluctant to provide genuine feedback for researchers, the author introduces hypothetical, but realistic, phenomena for Missouri law enforcement leaders to assess. This writing raises questions to who is attracted to or being chosen for the police profession. While difficult and perhaps impossible to prove because of hidden factors, conservatism and lack of college education might be correlated to an officer's judgment toward delivering equitable treatment to all citizens. Thus, some officers might be motivated to undermine any new policies that hinder their autonomy in policing? The author's personal experiences are laid out to acknowledge the complexities behind introducing new policies based on knee jerk reactions if self-assessments within departments are not first drawn out. Details: St. Charles, MO: Lindenwood University, 2014. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Number 2 (Summer/Fall 2014) Missouri Policy Journal : Accessed May 29, 2015 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2538932 Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2538932 Shelf Number: 135803 Keywords: Body-Worn CamerasPolice AccountabilityPolice BehaviorPolice-Citizen Interactions |
Author: U.S. President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing Title: Interim report of The President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing Summary: Trust between law enforcement agencies and the people they protect and serve is essential in a democracy. It is key to the stability of our communities, the integrity of our criminal justice system, and the safe and effective delivery of policing services. In light of the recent events that have exposed rifts in the relationships between local police and the communities they protect and serve, on December 18, 2014, President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order establishing the Task Force on 21st Century Policing. In establishing the task force, the President spoke of the distrust that exists between too many police departments and too many communities - the sense that in a country where our basic principle is equality under the law, too many individuals, particularly young people of color, do not feel as if they are being treated fairly. "When any part of the American family does not feel like it is being treated fairly, that's a problem for all of us," said the President. "It's not just a problem for some. It's not just a problem for a particular community or a particular demographic. It means that we are not as strong as a country as we can be. And when applied to the criminal justice system, it means we're not as effective in fighting crime as we could be." These remarks underpin the philosophical foundation for the Task Force on 21st Century Policing: to build trust between citizens and their peace officers so that all components of a community are treating one another fairly and justly and are invested in maintaining public safety in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Decades of research and practice tell us that the public cares as much about how police interact with them as they care about the outcomes that legal actions produce. People are more likely to obey the law when they believe those who are enforcing it have the right - the legitimate authority - to tell them what to do. Building trust and legitimacy, therefore, is not just a policing issue. It involves all components of the criminal justice system and is inextricably bound to bedrock issues affecting the community such as poverty, education, and public health. The mission of the task force was to examine how to foster strong, collaborative relationships between local law enforcement and the communities they protect and to make recommendations to the President on how policing practices can promote effective crime reduction while building public trust. The president selected members of the task force based on their ability to contribute to its mission because of their relevant perspective, experience, or subject matter expertise in policing, law enforcement and community relations, civil rights, and civil liberties. Details: Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2015. 109p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 30, 2015 at: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/interim_tf_report.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/interim_tf_report.pdf Shelf Number: 135831 Keywords: Police LegitimacyPolice ReformPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolicing |
Author: Great Britain. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary Title: In harm's way: the role of the police in keeping children safe Summary: Between January 2014 and June 2015, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) conducted 21 inspections of different aspects of the police response to child protection issues. These comprised: - eight inspections of individual forces as part of the National Child Protection Inspection programme, which is examining the child protection work of every police force in England and Wales; and - 13 other inspections (conducted either alone, or jointly with other organisations) which contain a child protection theme. This report summarises findings from all these inspections. By drawing them together in this report, we are able to provide a comprehensive overview of the experiences of vulnerable children who come to the attention of the police, highlighting both good practice and areas for improvement. Details: London: HMIC, 2015. 91p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 17, 2015 at: http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic/wp-content/uploads/in-harms-way.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic/wp-content/uploads/in-harms-way.pdf Shelf Number: 136099 Keywords: At-Risk YouthChild ProtectionPolice-Citizen Interactions |
Author: Barlage, Melody Title: Essays on the relations between European police forces and their stakeholders Summary: In a dynamic world where societies and crimes are growing more complex, we see that police organisations increasingly reach out to stakeholders, and vice versa. In this thesis we try to learn more about stakeholder management in police organisations. On the one hand, we do this to attempt to close some gaps in the literature on stakeholder management in the policing sector. On the other hand, an elaborate study is desired from the practical perspective. As police forces and many individual officers cope with external parties on a daily basis, it is highly relevant to ask if they are doing it right, and if they could do it in ways that are more satisfactory for the stakeholders. Satisfying stakeholders is crucial for police and other public organisations alike, because their operations thrive on the legitimacy they receive from the citizenry. We approached the topic from several angles, looking both at strategic and operational stakeholder management. In our first study, we focus broadly on stakeholder management strategies that are employed towards different types of police stakeholders in Europe. In the second and third study we investigate the success factors of collaborations between the police and other public organisations in the Netherlands. Finally, in the fourth study, we provide a cautionary note concerning the potential biases in stakeholder perceptions of European police organisations. Details: Tilburg: Tilburg University, CentER, Center for Economic Research, 2014. 251p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed August 28, 2015 at: https://pure.uvt.nl/portal/files/3848327/ThesisMelody.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Europe URL: https://pure.uvt.nl/portal/files/3848327/ThesisMelody.pdf Shelf Number: 136619 Keywords: Collaboration Partnerships Police Agencies Police Legitimacy Police Performance Police-Citizen Interactions |
Author: Police Executive Research Forum Title: An Integrated Approach to De-Escalation and minimizing Use of Force Summary: Persons with mental illnesses, drug or alcohol addictions, or disorders such as autism can present police officers with difficult challenges. In some cases, a person may brandish a weapon or otherwise appear to pose a threat to the public, to the police, or to himself or herself. The threat may be a real one, or the situation may be less dangerous that it appears, and often it is difficult to assess the level of danger. These situations often are complicated when, because of their conditions, persons cannot communicate effectively with police officers. In some cases, they may appear to be threatening or uncooperative, when in fact they are unable to understand an officer's questions or orders. Many police agencies have recognized the special challenges they face in dealing with these populations of persons with various conditions, and have undertaken specialized training programs designed to teach officers to understand these situations when they happen, and to make special efforts to de-escalate the situations when that is possible. As one recent news report expressed it, "With that mind-set, the officer can use alternative tactics: words instead of guns, questions instead of orders, patience instead of immediate action. The method may not only defuse a tense situation, authorities say, but [also may] result in treatment at a screening center for the suspect rather than weeks in jail." When police fail to understand that they are dealing with a person with a special condition, the result is sometimes a use of force that may be legally and morally justifiable, especially if the person appeared to be threatening the safety of others, but which produces a very unfortunate outcome-a situation that some observers call "lawful, but awful." For police departments, the challenge is to adopt policies and training programs that are designed to improve the handling of these difficult encounters and reduce the chances of force being used unnecessarily. This report summarizes the findings of PERF research on this topic and presentations made at a PERF Summit in Washington, D.C. in February 2012 on "An Integrated Approach to De-Escalation and Minimizing Use of Force." At this one-day meeting, police chiefs and other experts described their experiences on issues such as the following: - How "slowing the situation down" and getting a supervisor to the scene can reduce the chances of violence; - How Crisis Intervention Teams (CITs) and other partnerships with mental health officials can result in more effective handling of encounters with members of special populations; - Identifying "chronic consumers" of police resources and helping them to avoid crisis situations; - Special considerations in dealing with veterans in crisis; - Avoiding overreliance on weapons, such as Electronic Control Weapons, as opposed to hands-on tactics and verbal skills; - Recognizing the real threats to officers that can be posed by persons with mental illnesses or other conditions, and the anxiety that officers feel about such situations; - Training officers in "tactical disengagement"; - The importance of training for officers in these encounters, and practicing strategies to de-escalate volatile situations; - Use-of-force continuums and other tools for discussing use-of-force options; - The defunding of mental health care, and the "cycling" of mentally ill persons through lockups, jails, and prisons; and - The negative impact on a police agency's "legitimacy" that can occur from a "lawful, but awful" event. As in other reports in the Critical Issues Series, we present the discussions from our meeting in the police chiefs' and other experts' own words, in order to convey their insight and experience. Details: Washington, DC: PERF, 2012. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Critical Issues in Policing Series: Accessed August 31, 2015 at: http://www.policeforum.org/assets/docs/Critical_Issues_Series/an%20integrated%20approach%20to%20de-escalation%20and%20minimizing%20use%20of%20force%202012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.policeforum.org/assets/docs/Critical_Issues_Series/an%20integrated%20approach%20to%20de-escalation%20and%20minimizing%20use%20of%20force%202012.pdf Shelf Number: 136622 Keywords: Crisis InterventionMentally Ill PersonsPolice DiscretionPolice LegitimacyPolice Use of ForcePolice-Citizen Interactions |
Author: Silva, Rolondo Title: Palm Beach County, Florida Smart Policing Initiative: Increasing Police Legitimacy and Reducing Victimization in Immigrant Communities Summary: The Palm Beach County, Florida Smart Policing Initiative (SPI) addressed robberies in the Guatemalan community in Lake Worth using strategies that reflect core principles of Community Policing: data-driven analysis of the problem, community engagement, problem solving, and partnerships. Analysis showed that many of the robbery victims are day laborers who make easy targets for criminals because they tend to carry cash payments from their labor on their person; they solicit employment from potential, but unknown employers; and they loiter in public places at night, often engaging in public consumption of alcohol. This problem is complicated by a trust gap between law enforcement and the Guatemalan community, due to language and cultural barriers, as well as a variety of complications linked to illegal immigration, migrant workers, and enforcement of immigration laws. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO) SPI included targeted efforts to increase police legitimacy, to improve residents' awareness of their victimization risk, and to empower residents to embrace crime prevention in their community. The centerpiece of the Palm Beach County SPI involved the hiring of a Community Liaison and the re-assignment of a dedicated robbery detective to the target area. The Community Liaison served as a community advocate and as an intermediary between law enforcement and the immigrant community. For this project, the Community Liaison was a Guatemalan-born naturalized citizen who speaks English, Spanish, and the Mayan language, Kanjobal. His central goal was to build a bridge between PBSO and the migrant community by engaging residents and law enforcement in positive outreach events. He also collaborated extensively with the line and leadership levels of the PBSO, the Guatemalan Consulate, community-based organizations, banks, business leaders, and the media. In addition, a dedicated robbery detective investigated all robberies in the target community, worked closely with the Community Liaison, conducted proactive patrols throughout the target area, and monitored known offenders and ex-offenders. Surveys of residents in the target area indicate that immigrants' attitudes toward the police improved notably during the SPI, including higher levels of satisfaction, and greater levels of comfort speaking to police and reporting crimes (i.e., greater trust). Crime data indicate a short-term spike in robberies during the initial phase of the project, possibly resulting from increased reporting due to successful engagement of the residents, followed by a longer-term decline in robberies. At the same time, arrests for robberies have increased. The Palm Beach County SPI highlights a number of lessons that may be useful for other law enforcement agencies seeking to engage immigrant communities, such as the importance of hiring a Community Liaison; coordinating with state and federal immigration authorities; anticipating brief spikes in crime as a result of greater crime reporting; and understanding the "big picture" with regard to community engagement, police legitimacy, and increased cooperation and compliance with the law. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, bureau of Justice Assistance, 2012. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Smart Policing Initiative: Site Spotlight: Accessed September 5, 2015 at: http://www.smartpolicinginitiative.com/sites/all/files/Palm%20Beach%20SPI%20Site%20Spotlight%202012%20FINAL.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.smartpolicinginitiative.com/sites/all/files/Palm%20Beach%20SPI%20Site%20Spotlight%202012%20FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 136680 Keywords: Immigrant CommunitiesPolice EffectivenessPolice LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsRobbery |
Author: Blitz, Marc Jonathan Title: Police Body-Worn Cameras: Evidentiary Benefits and Privacy Threats Summary: In this Issue Brief, Professor Blitz examines the costs and benefits of body-worn cameras programs. Acknowledging that cameras will not serve as a panacea, Professor Blitz outlines policies that police departments should adopt to ensure the maximum effectiveness of such programs. As Blitz observes, even though such footage is flawed, it is better than accounts given by eyewitnesses long after the event occurred. Blitz admits that such cameras can "transform ephemeral and forgettable moments into permanent and easily shared records" of the parts of our lives we may be "least comfortable sharing with others." To address these privacy concerns, Blitz examines model rules that place greater restrictions on police use of cameras in private homes and prevent the viewing or dissemination of body camera footage except in limited circumstances. Ultimately, Professor Blitz concludes that body-worn cameras can be an important tool in efforts to combat police abuse, if used in accordance with clear guidelines proposed. Details: Washington, DC: American Constitution Society, 2015. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Issue Brief: Accessed December 1, 2015 at: https://www.acslaw.org/sites/default/files/Blitz_-_On-Body_Cameras_-_Issue_Brief.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.acslaw.org/sites/default/files/Blitz_-_On-Body_Cameras_-_Issue_Brief.pdf Shelf Number: 137375 Keywords: Body-Worn CamerasLaw Enforcement Technology Police AccountabilityPolice Behavior Police SurveillancePolice Technology Police-Citizen Interactions Police-Community Relations Video Technology |
Author: New York City Department of Investigation Title: Body-Worn Cameras in NYC: An Assessment of NYPD's Pilot Program and Recommendations to Promote Accountability Summary: In September 2014, New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner William Bratton announced the launch of a small-scale pilot program to test the use of body-worn cameras (BWCs) by New York City police officers (Volunteer BWC Pilot Program). In mid- December 2014, the Volunteer BWC Pilot Program began with 54 BWCs deployed to patrol officers across the City. BWCs are mobile cameras worn by police officers that can capture audio and video recordings of encounters between police and members of the public. BWC technology has drawn national attention for its potential to improve policing while promoting transparency and accountability in law enforcement. Police departments using BWCs have reported positive changes in the conduct of both citizens and officers, as well as speedier resolutions to police misconduct complaints and litigation. As a result, BWC programs continue to spread rapidly across the country, and numerous organizations and advocacy groups have published reports and issued their own model BWC policies. However, with the potential benefits of BWCs come certain costs and concerns, including risks to the privacy and safety of both officers and the public. As NYPD ventures into the new, evolving, and high-profile world of BWCs, it will need to ensure that the policies and procedures governing BWC use are fair, practical, legal, and transparent. To this end, the New York of the Inspector General for the NYPD (OIG-NYPD) has conducted a detailed review of NYPD's Volunteer BWC Pilot Program in order to assess how certain key topics are addressed and to identify areas not adequately covered by the policy. Specifically, OIG-NYPD focused on five topics at the forefront of the discussion surrounding BWCs: - Officer discretion regarding when to record - Notifications to citizens by officers when a BWC is activated - Safeguards to ensure officer compliance with BWC policy - Access to footage by officers and the public - Retention and purging of BWC footage These issues are critical components of any BWC policy and have stirred the greatest controversy among police executives, oversight agencies, officers, and the unions that represent them. In order to better understand the Volunteer BWC Pilot Program in both theory and practice, OIG-NYPD conducted several meetings with the NYPD team that created, launched, and is overseeing the Volunteer BWC Pilot Program. Separately, OIG-NYPD interviewed multiple police officers who are participating in the program and wearing BWCs on patrol. As BWCs impact various groups, OIG-NYPD also consulted with entities that deal directly with NYPD - such as the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association (PBA), Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), representatives from each of the City's five District Attorney's Offices and community advocates. Lastly, OIG-NYPD's evaluation of the Volunteer BWC Pilot Program included a comparative examination of NYPD's Operations Order 48 "Pilot Program - Use of Body-Worn Cameras" (Op Order 48) against the BWC policies of other police departments across the country and the policy recommendations of numerous independent studies. Through this work, OIG-NYPD was able to conduct a thorough and unique assessment of Op Order 48, specifically tailored to New York City's distinct policing environment. Based on the information gathered, OIG-NYPD developed 23 recommendations for improving the use of BWCs as NYPD transitions from its current pilot program to a more expansive long-term BWC program. Several of these recommendations - based on interviews with police officials and prosecutors, as well as the experiences of police departments nationwide - involve the safety of officers and witnesses as well as the integrity of the prosecution process. Details: New York: Department of Investigation, Office of the Inspector General, 2015. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 1, 2015 at: http://www.nyc.gov/html/oignypd/assets/downloads/pdf/nypd-body-camera-report.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.nyc.gov/html/oignypd/assets/downloads/pdf/nypd-body-camera-report.pdf Shelf Number: 137413 Keywords: Body-Worn Cameras Law Enforcement Technology Police Accountability Police Behavior Police Surveillance Police Technology Police-Citizen Interactions Police-Community Relations Video Technology |
Author: Chauhan, Preeti Title: Tracking Enforcement Rates in New York City, 2003-2014 Summary: In recent years, the national discussion on the role of the police in our society has been defined, in large part, by debates over the proper exercise of the enforcement authority granted to police officers. This discussion has been carried out under various headings. Some debates focus on the effectiveness of "quality of life", or "broken windows" policing. Others center on whether there is a "Ferguson Effect," or a hesitation on the part of the police to take enforcement actions following the tragic events in Ferguson, MO. Still other policy discussions focus on the role of the police in enforcing specific laws, such as prohibitions on marijuana possession, or in arresting certain categories of people, such as the mentally ill or the homeless. Finally, many heated discussions involve the role of the police in interacting with communities of color, particularly young people in those communities, and the use of enforcement powers in those neighborhoods. Too often, these discussions are carried out in the absence of clear empirical understanding of the trends in the use of the enforcement powers of the police. It is against this backdrop of a compelling conversation about the role of the police and the need for good data that John Jay College of Criminal Justice is particularly pleased to present this report documenting the rise and fall in enforcement actions in New York City from 2003-2014. This is the third report prepared by the Misdemeanor Justice Project, a research initiative launched nearly three years ago by a team of John Jay faculty, staff, and students. The Misdemeanor Justice Project focuses on trends in the use of police discretion in response to crimes, particularly low-level crimes. The hope of the Misdemeanor Justice Project is to provide an empirical foundation for the policy discussion underway in New York City and across the country on the interactions between the police and the public regarding low-level violations of the law. This third report from the Misdemeanor Justice Project documents the changing patterns in felony arrests, misdemeanor arrests, criminal summonses, and stop, question and frisk activities in New York City from 2003-2014. This analysis was inspired by Police Commissioner William J. Brattons notion of the "peace dividend," the assertion that a lower level of enforcement activity by police officers will allow police resources to be redeployed to better use, promote greater discretion in exercising authority, and reduce the number of negative interactions with the public. On March 26, 2015, the NY Daily News reported that Commissioner Bratton predicted one million fewer law enforcement contacts with the public in 2015, mainly due to decreases in stops, summonses, and marijuana arrests. This report presents trends in arrests, criminal summonses, and stops and analyzes these data by the age, gender, and race/ethnicity (when possible) of those receiving this enforcement attention. The report covers enforcement activities through 2014, the year before the Commissioner's predictions can be validated, but the results confirm his assessment of the magnitude of the "peace dividend": between 2011 and 2014, there were 804,750 fewer enforcement actions taken by the NYPD. As with the previous reports of the Misdemeanor Justice Project, this third report provides a macro-level picture on the number (and rates) of enforcement actions using arrests, criminal summonses, and reported stops. Unlike our prior reports, we do not track these from point of contact to disposition and sentence. We recognize at the outset that this report does not include all the different types of enforcement activities for which New Yorkers come in contact with the police, such as moving violation summonses, parking violation summonses, and Transit Authority Bureau summonses. These three types of activities are likely high volume and contribute to the overall experience of New Yorkers with the police, but data are not available for parking violation summonses and TAB summonses, and moving violation summonses do not provide demographic breakdown. Therefore, this report does not include the entire universe of enforcement actions between the police and public. Details: New York: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Misdemeanor Justice Project, 2015. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: Report Presented to the Citizens Crime Commission: Accessed February 2, 2016 at: http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/News/Enforcement_Rate_Report.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/News/Enforcement_Rate_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 137735 Keywords: Arrests Crime Statistics Misdemeanors Police Authority Police Discretion Police Effectiveness Police-Citizen InteractionsPolicing |
Author: Edmonton Police Service Title: Body Worn Video: Considering the Evidence Summary: The Edmonton Police Service has completed a comprehensive three-year study to assess the effectiveness of body worn video (BWV) for use by its officers, and as a result of the research findings, will proceed with a graduated deployment of cameras to specialized police units at this time. The EPS BWV pilot project ran from October 2011 to December 2014, with operational field testing through a variety of environments from October 2012 to July 2014. This project was partially funded through the Canadian Police Research Centre and continued under the Canadian Safety and Security Program, which is a federal program led by Defence Research and Development Canada's Centre for Security Science, in partnership with Public Safety Canada. From the outset, privacy has been a major consideration of the EPS BWV project. The EPS research team consulted with the Alberta Privacy Commissioner who provided valuable insight and recommendations. Respective of this input, the EPS created policies and procedures for the BWV pilot project that aligned with the BWV guidance document issued by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. As part of the BWV testing, the EPS issued 56 industry-standard cameras to officers in: Downtown Division and Beats; West Edmonton Mall and Whyte Avenue Beats; the Impaired Driving Countermeasures Unit; and with the Disaster and Emergency Operations Unit for a training exercise with Fire Rescue and EMS. While the body worn video project reviewed technical performance, legal considerations, and usefulness in everyday policing and investigations, it also surveyed the public and police officers on their opinion. Based on the pilot project findings, the EPS has decided to proceed with a graduated deployment of a body worn video program over the next two to five years. Cameras will be used by officers who are involved in high-risk interactions with the public, where the officers are on the scene of a crime being committed, and the evidence captured on video is of the greatest value in providing information to the courts. Examples include: the Specialized Traffic Apprehension Team (STAT) that intercept high-risk vehicles; the Impaired Driving Countermeasures Unit for Checkstop operations; Tactical Team entries where weapons may be involved; and the Public Order Unit when responding to riots. The graduated roll-out of BWV will require training of officers, revising instructional materials, modifying police uniforms to carry cameras, as well as submitting a service package for funding, sourcing newer BWV cameras, and utilizing a new digital asset management system. Details: Edmonton, Alberta: Edmonton Police Service, 2015. 241p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 8, 2016 at: http://www.bwvsg.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Edmonton-Police-BWV-Final-Report.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Canada URL: http://www.bwvsg.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Edmonton-Police-BWV-Final-Report.pdf Shelf Number: 137812 Keywords: Body-Worn CamerasLaw Enforcement Technology (U.S.) Police Accountability Police Behavior Police Technology Police-Citizen Interactions Police-Community Relations Surveillance Video Technology |
Author: Hurley, Greg Title: Body-Worn Cameras and the Courts Summary: In response to the August 9, 2014 shooting death of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, a citizen petition was posted on the White House website, petitions.whitehouse.gov. It asked people to sign if they supported a law requiring all state, county, and local police to wear body-worn cameras, or BWCs. Within a few weeks, the petition collected 150,000 signatures. The response to this petition received national mainstream media attention. Roy L. Austin, Jr., deputy assistant to the president for the Office of Urban Affairs, Justice and Opportunity in the Domestic Policy Council, responded to the petition on behalf of the administration. He noted that research suggested that BWCs can have significant benefits to the community, which can include: - evidence that both officers and civilians acted in a more positive manner when they were aware that a camera was present; - new opportunities for effective training of law enforcement officers presented by the use of cameras; and - useful evidence of interactions was often captured on video. However, he also stated that the cost of this technology cannot be ignored, and there are some significant unanswered questions that need to be addressed, such as: - What is the most effective type of camera (vehicle, body, weapon) - and if body, where is it best placed (lapel, ear, belt)? - What are the privacy implications of having officers record interactions with the public? - When should cameras be turned on? - Does every officer on a force need a camera? - How long should video data be maintained and who should have access to it? - What is the impact on community relationships? On December 2, 2014, Shaun Donovan, the director of the White House's Office of Management and Budget, announced that a proposed, three-year $263 million Community Policing Initiative would include an investment package that would increase the use of BWCs. This was a significant statement from the Obama Administration and demonstrated the administration's view that BWCs could be a useful tool in providing greater officer accountability and promoting more trust in law enforcement by the general public. On September 21, 2015, the Department of Justice announced over $23 million in federal funding to support a BWC pilot program, which will support 73 local and tribal law enforcement agencies in 32 states. In their press release, they noted that this was done as a "part of President Obama's commitment to building trust and transparency between law enforcement and the communities they serve." This development is not surprising as the Obama Administration had previously indicated a willingness to deploy BWC technology. It is reasonable to assume that the cumulative effect of public support for officers using BWCs, and the federal government's willingness to provide funding for a significant pilot program, suggests that BWCs will become an increasingly common piece of law enforcement equipment. In fact, the author is of the opinion that within the next five to ten years, the vast majority of law enforcement officers nationally will be equipped with and required to wear and use BWCs. Details: Williamsburg, VA: National Center for State Courts, 2016. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2016 at: http://ncsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/criminal/id/268 Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://ncsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/criminal/id/268 Shelf Number: 137938 Keywords: Body-Worn Cameras Law Enforcement Technology (U.S.) Police Accountability Police Behavior Police Technology Police-Citizen Interactions Police-Community Relations Surveillance Video Technology |
Author: Wheller, Levin Title: The Greater Manchester Police procedural justice training experiment: the impact of communication skills training on officers and victims of crime Summary: A growing body of research has shown that people's motivations to cooperate with the police and not break the law are shaped more by feeling the police have legitimate authority, and share the same values, than by people's perceived risk of being caught and punished. Given public perceptions of fair treatment are at the root of police legitimacy, improved police-public interactions over the long term could help reduce crime. There is limited evidence on which interventions can improve public perceptions of fair treatment by the police. The Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) reported in this paper tested the impact of training on the perceived quality of interactions between the police and crime victims in Greater Manchester. The intervention focused on developing officers' practical communication skills. In total, 339 officers were randomly assigned to the treatment group (to receive the training) and 237 to the control group (to not receive the training). As the officers were assigned at random, differences between the groups after the training can be directly attributed to the intervention. RCTs are considered the 'gold standard' in evaluation research as they can establish 'cause and effect' relationships. Main findings Officer attitudes An online survey measured officer attitudes post-training. The intervention was found to have had a positive effect on four out of eight possible outcomes, with no effect on the remaining four. Officers in the treatment group were more likely than those in the control group to: hold positive views about delivering quality of service; recognise the value of building empathy and rapport with victims; and report making decisions that involved victims in the process. Officer behaviour Officer behaviour was assessed post-training in a realistic role-play exercise. The intervention was found to have had a positive impact, with officers in the treatment group scoring significantly higher than those in the control group on a 'quality of interaction' scale. In terms of fair treatment, these officers were more likely to give victims a choice about how the incident was to be dealt with (a 14 percentage point difference). A higher proportion were also rated as 'good/excellent' in terms of their overall performance (48% compared to 22%). Victim perceptions An existing force survey was used to measure the perceptions of crime victims who had contact with officers in the trial. The intervention was found to have had a significant positive effect on a 'quality of interaction' scale. No effect was found for overall victim satisfaction and willingness to cooperate with the police. Given that most victims were already satisfied and cooperative, it was unlikely the training could produce an effect size large enough to be detected by the survey. It is possible, therefore, that the training might have had a bigger effect in more challenging encounters where public perceptions of the police are more varied. Conclusions The trial showed that training which seeks to teach officers a series of practical techniques and improve their general communication skills can be effective at improving the victim experience. While some of the effects were relatively small, the overall pattern of results points consistently to training having had a positive impact on outcomes. Findings from across the outcome measures suggest that - rather than officers adopting specific techniques or skills they were taught on the course - training instead encouraged a more general shift in the way officers approached interactions with the public. Officers in the treatment group developed a greater awareness of the need to listen to and empathise with victims of crime - resulting in improved public perceptions. Details: Ryton-on-Dunsmore, UK: College of Policing, 2013. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2016 at: http://whatworks.college.police.uk/Research/Documents/GMP%20Practitioner_Paper_Final.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://whatworks.college.police.uk/Research/Documents/GMP%20Practitioner_Paper_Final.pdf Shelf Number: 138148 Keywords: Communication Skills Police BehaviorPolice Training Police-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations Policing Procedural Justice |
Author: James, Nathan Title: Public Trust and Law Enforcement -- a Brief Discussion for Policymakers Summary: Recent events involving conflict between the police and citizens have generated interest in what role Congress could play in facilitating efforts to build trust between law enforcement and the people they serve while promoting effective crime reduction. This report provides a brief overview of police-community relations and how the federal government might be able to promote more accountability and better relationships between citizens and law enforcement. Gallup poll data show that, overall, Americans are confident in the police; but, confidence in the police varies according to race, place of residence, and other factors. In 2014, less than 50% of Americans favorably rated the honesty and ethics of police, the lowest percentage since 1998. If they conclude that low public ratings of the police are at least partially attributable to police policies, Congress may decide to address state and local law enforcement policies and practices they believe erode public trust in law enforcement. Federalism limits the amount of influence Congress can have over state and local law enforcement policy. Regardless, the federal government might choose to promote better law enforcement-community relations and accountability through (1) federal efforts to collect and disseminate data on the use of force by law enforcement, (2) statutes that allow the federal government to investigate instances of alleged police misconduct, and (3) the influence the Department of Justice (DOJ) has on state and local policing through its role as an enforcer, policy leader, convener, and funder of law enforcement. There are several options policy makers might examine should they choose to play a role in facilitating better police-community relations: - Congress could consider placing conditions on federal funding to encourage law enforcement to adopt policy changes to promote better community relations. - Policy makers could consider expanding efforts to collect more comprehensive data on the use of force by law enforcement officers. - Congress could consider providing grants to law enforcement agencies so they could purchase body-worn cameras for their officers. - Policy makers could take steps to facilitate investigations and prosecutions of excessive force by amending 18 U.S.C. S242 to reduce the mens rea standard in federal prosecutions, or place conditions on federal funds to promote the use of special prosecutors at the state level. - Congress could fund Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) hiring grants so law enforcement agencies could hire more officers to engage in community policing activities. - Policy makers might consider using the influence of congressional authority to affect the direction of national criminal justice policy. Details: Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2016. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: R43904: Accessed March 29, 2016 at: https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=762775 Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=762775 Shelf Number: 138452 Keywords: Criminal Justice PolicePolice AccountabilityPolice BehaviorPolice LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Police Executive Research Forum Title: Guiding Principles On Use of Force Summary: American policing is at a critical juncture. Across the country, community members have been distressed by images of police officers using deadly force in questionable circumstances. These incidents are an infinitesimal fraction of the millions of interactions that take place between the police and the public every week. Most police officers never fire their guns (except during training) throughout their entire careers, yet they face enormous challenges and risks to their own safety on a regular basis and they perform their jobs admirably. But police chiefs tell us that even one bad encounter can damage trust with the community that took years to build. Others tell us that there is an upheaval within the policing profession itself. Officers who in the past exuded great pride in wearing the badge now feel underappreciated by some members of the public, who seem to question their every move and motive. PERF members also tell us that there is a crisis of public safety and officer safety. Violent crime shot up in many U.S. cities last year-the result, some have said, of the so-called "You Tube effect," with some officers hesitant to police proactively for fear of becoming the subject of the next viral video, and residents who have grown reluctant to partner with the police in community policing efforts. At the same time, violence against police officers, including attacks on officers just for being police officers, seems to have become more brutal and senseless. As a research organization of law enforcement executives, PERF hears from police chiefs and other officials every day. And what we are hearing is that the policing profession must take the initiative and address the serious challenges confronting it today. That means rethinking some of the fundamentals of policies, training, tactics, and equipment regarding use of force. We need to challenge the conventional thinking on how the police approach some potential use-of-force situations, in particular those that involve people with mental illness who do not have a firearm. Many of the strategies recommended in this report, such as Crisis Intervention Team training and de-escalation, are already in place in many police agencies, and have been for years. Other strategies, such as the Critical Decision-Making Model, are just beginning to be adopted by leading police agencies. This report reflects the latest thinking on police use-of-force issues from the perspective of many of the nation's leading police executives. These leaders are quoted in this report and in four previous PERF reports on these issues, three of which were released within the last year. Details: Washington, DC: PERF, 2016. 136p. Source: Internet Resource: Critical Issues in Policing Series: Accessed May 23, 2016 at: http://www.policeforum.org/assets/30%20guiding%20principles.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.policeforum.org/assets/30%20guiding%20principles.pdf Shelf Number: 139122 Keywords: Assaults Against PoliceCrisis InterventionDeadly ForcePolice LegitimacyPolice Use of ForcePolice-Citizen InteractionsPolicing Training |
Author: Police Executive Research Forum Title: Advice from Police Chiefs and Community Leaders on Building Trust: Summary: The last 18 months have been traumatic for the policing profession and for communities across the nation, with issues of use of force being questioned. To address these issues, the Police Executive Research Forum has been working to devise new training programs for police officers, emphasizing concepts of de-escalation, crisis intervention, and "slowing situations down" in order to give officers more time to evaluate what's happening, consider their options, get additional resources to the scene, and devise effective responses that minimize use of force. The national upheaval in policing since Ferguson is not only about issues of policing and training regarding use of force. Equally important is the impact on the level of trust by community members in their police departments. So we invited police chiefs and community leaders to a national conference in Washington, and asked them to discuss what's going on in their cities, particularly with respect to issues of force and the level of trust in the police. We wanted to know how they see what's going on in their city, and how they feel about what's happening nationally. And to the extent that community leaders and police chiefs could tell us that they have solid relationships of trust, we wanted to ask them for their best advice about how they reached that point. To get this project under way, we contacted PERF's member chiefs, invited them to participate in a one-day meeting, and asked each participating chief to invite one community leader to the meeting. We wanted frank, candid discussions that would produce useful information and guidance, so we asked each chief to choose a community leader who is not necessarily your biggest fan, but who has credibility in the community. Details: Washington, DC; PERF, 2016. 88p. Source: Internet Resource: Critical Issues in Policing Series: Accessed May 24, 2016 at: http://www.policeforum.org/assets/policecommunitytrust.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.policeforum.org/assets/policecommunitytrust.pdf Shelf Number: 139149 Keywords: Police LegitimacyPolice ReformPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolicing |
Author: Owens, Emily G. Title: Promoting Officer Integrity Through Early Engagement and Procedural Justice in the Seattle Police Department Summary: Project Description/Goals The procedural justice intervention experiment was designed to assess the impact of a procedural justice intervention on police citizen encounters. The intervention was based on supervisory modeling of LEED principles (listen and explain with equity and dignity) during a review of a routine encounter to determine whether this lost cost intervention would translate to more procedurally just encounters. Study Design & Methods Using a randomized design, this study relied on three innovations: 1) a new kind of Early Intervention System - the High Risk Circumstance (HRC) - model that identifies officers working in behavioral "hot spots:" 2) training sergeants on the concept of listening and explaining with equity and dignity (LEED), an approach to procedural justice, and asking them to meet with officers to discuss recent encounters in which they modeled this technique; and 3) providing experimental evidence on the impact of a feasible procedural justice training program that is based on two practical and quantifiable performance metrics: officer activity and incident outcomes. Officers were selected using the new HRC model, and then were randomly assigned to receive the procedural justice intervention or to the control in order to test for the impact of this low-cost intervention approach to institutionalizing procedural justice. Results The officers who participated in supervisory meetings appeared to engage in encounters with citizens with equal frequency as their colleagues. However, those who participated in the meetings were roughly 26% less likely to resolve an incident with an arrest one week after having a meeting when compared to their colleagues who did not participate. This effect is reasonably persistent, and the results suggest that officers who participated in the LEED debriefs were 12% less likely overall to resolve incidents via an arrest over the six-week period after the supervisory meetings. The results also suggest that in the longer run, officers who participated in the meetings were over 30% less likely to be involved in a use of force incident. Overall, we did not find evidence that officers who had additional non-disciplinary supervisory meetings were any more or less likely to respond to, initiate, or document CAD incidents relative to their peers who worked in similar situations. We also found no substantive change in the amount of time officers were officially on-scene in a given incident. Furthermore, we did not find evidence that officers who participated in the meetings were less likely to garner complaints from the public. We conclude that non-disciplinary LEED based supervisory meetings are a promising strategy for improving police legitimacy. Officers who had at least one meeting over a six month period in which they reviewed how they approached relatively standard citizen encounters appeared to be less likely to engage in behaviors that, while central to policing, have the potential to reduce legitimacy when abused (e.g. making arrests and use of force). Implications for Policy & Practice The findings from this study suggest that procedural justice can be implemented in law enforcement agencies rather simply and inexpensively while also potentially contributing to increased legitimacy. It is expected that agencies that want to institutionalize procedurally just approaches can do so by implementing supervisory training at a minimal level, and maximize returns on that investment be encouraging supervisors to model procedurally just behaviors. Details: Washington, DC: The Police Foundation, 2015. 149p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 28, 2016 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/249881.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/249881.pdf Shelf Number: 139507 Keywords: Police IntegrityPolice LegitimacyPolice TrainingPolice-Citizen InteractionsProcedural Justice |
Author: Eberhardt, Jennifer L., ed. Title: Strategies for Change: Research Initiatives and Recommendations to Improve Police-Community Relations in Oakland, Calif. Summary: In May 2014, the City of Oakland contracted with our team of Stanford social psychologists to assist the Oakland Police Department (OPD) in collecting and analyzing data on officers' self-initiated stops. Our task was to analyze the reports that OPD officers completed after every stop they initiated between April 1, 2013 and April 30, 2014. These reports are called stop data. In Strategies for Change, we summarize the findings of this stop data analysis, discuss four other research initiatives, and list 50 recommendations for improving police-community relations.Across our research programs, we indeed uncovered evidence that OPD officers treat people of different races differently. At the same time, we found little evidence that disparate treatment arose from explicit racism or purposeful discrimination. Instead, our research suggests that many subtle and unexamined cultural norms, beliefs, and practices sustain disparate treatment. Our findings also suggest 50 evidence-based actions that agencies can take to change department cultures and strengthen police-community ties. Details: Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University, SPARQ: Social Psychological Answers to Real-world Questions, 2016. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 21, 2016 at: https://stanford.app.box.com/v/Strategies-for-Change Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://stanford.app.box.com/v/Strategies-for-Change Shelf Number: 139752 Keywords: Police LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsStop and Search |
Author: Hetey, Rebecca C. Title: Data for Change: A Statistical Analysis of Police Stops, Searches, Handcuffings, and Arrests in Oakland, Calif., 2013-2014 Summary: Law enforcement agencies across the United States are facing claims that they discriminate against community members of color. Inquiries into these claims often involve analyzing data from police stops. These so-called stop data reports typically take one of two approaches: either attack the agency for intentional racism, or deny the presence of racial disparities altogether. Yet neither of these approaches has yielded adequate progress toward many agencies' mission of serving their communities with fairness and respect. Taking a different approach, the City of Oakland engaged our team of Stanford social psychologists to examine relations between the Oakland Police Department (OPD) and the Oakland community, and then to develop evidence-based remedies for any racial disparities we might find. Racial disparities in policing likely have many causes. To examine these causes, our team has undertaken five research initiatives. We describe our research methods, findings, and recommendations in Strategies for Change: Research Initiatives and Recommendations To Improve Police-Community Relations in Oakland, Calif. We provide a technical report of our main research initiative, a thorough analysis of OPD stop data, in Data for Change: A Statistical Analysis of Police Stops, Searches, Handcuffings, and Arrests in Oakland, Calif., 2013-2014. Across our research programs, we indeed uncovered evidence that OPD officers treat people of different races differently. At the same time, we found little evidence that these racial disparities arose from overt bias or purposeful discrimination. Instead, our research suggests that many subtle and unexamined cultural norms, beliefs, and practices sustain disparate outcomes. Our findings also suggest 50 evidence-based actions that agencies can take to change department cultures and strengthen police-community ties. Below, we highlight some of our research initiatives, findings, and recommendations for improving police-community relations in Oakland and other U.S. cities. Below, we highlight some of our research initiatives, findings, and recommendations for improving police-community relations in Oakland and other parts of the U.S. The 5 Research Initiatives - Statistical analyses of stop data from 28,119 forms that 510 OPD officers filed after stopping drivers and pedestrians in Oakland, Calif., between April 1, 2013 and April 30, 2014 (for a summary, see Chapter 1 of Strategies for Change; for the technical report, see Data for Change); - Development of computational tools to analyze linguistic data from body-worn cameras (BWCs) and, using these tools, analyses of some 157,000 words spoken by OPD officers during 380 stops in April of 2014 (see Chapter 2 of Strategies for Change); - Development of computational tools to analyze written narratives from police stop data forms, and, using these tools as well as human experts, analyses of some 1,000 OPD officer narratives from April of 2014 (see Chapter 3 of Strategies for Change); - Two surveys of 416 Oakland community members regarding their attitudes toward and experiences with OPD officers (see Chapter 4 of Strategies for Change); - Development and evaluation of implicit bias and procedural justice training modules with 675 OPD officers (see Chapter 5 of Strategies for Change). Key Findings - OPD officers stopped, searched, handcuffed, and arrested more African Americans than Whites, a finding that remained significant even after we controlled for neighborhood crime rates and demographics; officer race, gender, and experience; and other factors that shape police actions; - Some 60% of OPD stops were of African Americans, who make up 28% of Oakland's population; - Of OPD officers making at least one stop during the 13-month period of study: - Only 20% stopped a White person, while 96% stopped an African American person; - Only 26% handcuffed a White person, while 72% handcuffed an African American person (excluding arrests); - Only 23% conducted a discretionary search of a White person, while 65% conducted a discretionary search of an African American person; - When OPD officers could identify the community member's race before a stop, they were much more likely to stop an African American, as compared to when officers could not identify the community member's race; - With African Americans, OPD officers used more severe legal language (e.g., mentioned probation, parole, and arrest) and offered fewer explanations for the stop than with Whites; - In police-initiated interactions, African American and Hispanic Oakland residents felt more disrespected and misunderstood than did White and Asian Oakland residents. Select Recommendations - Our findings suggest the OPD has a culture where officers stop, search, handcuff, and arrest more African Americans than Whites. We suspect many other law enforcement agencies have similar cultures. In Strategies for Change, we thus recommend the OPD and other agencies regularly review their policies, practices, and procedures for evidence of disparate outcomes. - As our findings reveal that less-experienced officers show more racial disparities in their stops, better training of new officers could likely reduce the degree of these disparities. To this end, Strategies for Change presents several recommendations for how to improve officer training. - Although the OPD collects copious amounts of data, few measures track the OPD's relationship with the community. In Strategies for Change, we thus recommend several actions that the OPD and other law enforcement agencies can take to measure what matters most. - More broadly, we observe that many law enforcement agencies do not fully embrace data because they view it as evidence that could be used against them, rather than as feedback about what is or is not working, and why. In Strategies for Change, we recommend more than a dozen actions that the OPD and other law enforcement agencies can take to better leverage data. Details: Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University, SPARQ: Social Psychological Answers to Real-world Questions, 2016. 298p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 21, 2016 at: https://sparq.stanford.edu/data-for-change Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://sparq.stanford.edu/data-for-change Shelf Number: 139753 Keywords: Police LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsRacial Profiling in Law EnforcementStop and Search |
Author: San Francisco. Blue Ribbon Panel on Transparency, Accountability, and Fairness in Law Enforcement Title: Report of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Transparency, Accountability, and Fairness in Law Enforcement Summary: The Blue Ribbon Panel on Transparency, Accountability, and Fairness in Law Enforcement (the Panel) was established as an advisory body to the San Francisco District Attorney in May 2015 in the wake of revelations that 14 San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) officers had exchanged numerous racist and homophobic text messages. The text messages-milder examples of which included statements such as "Cross burning lowers blood pressure! I did the test myself!" and "I still hate black people" - expressed blatant hostility toward and mocked people of color - including SFPD officers - and insulted lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. The Panel was tasked with answering the critical and obvious question that the text-messaging scandal raised and - to the Panel's knowledge - no other city agency had investigated: Was the racial and homophobic bias so clearly demonstrated by the offensive texts a reflection of institutionalized bias within the SFPD and, if so, to what extent? Over a one-year period, the Panel examined a number of different aspects of the SFPD to try to develop a comprehensive understanding of the issue, interviewing more than 100 witnesses and reviewing thousands of public documents. The result is this report. Its findings and recommendations strive to give credit where credit is due, but point to several unmistakable conclusions: the SFPD is in need of greater transparency; lacks robust oversight; must rebuild trust with the communities it serves; and should pay greater attention to issues of bias against people of color, both officers and members of the public. In short, the Panel concludes that the SFPD is in urgent need of important reforms. Details: San Francisco: The Panel, 2016. 249p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 21, 2016 at: http://sfdistrictattorney.org/sites/default/files/Document/BRP_report.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://sfdistrictattorney.org/sites/default/files/Document/BRP_report.pdf Shelf Number: 139754 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsRacial Profiling in law EnforcementStop and Search |
Author: Chicago. Police Accountability Task Force Title: Recommendations for Reform: Restoring Trust between the Chicago Police and the Communities they Serve: Report Summary: The primary mission of the Police Accountability Task Force was to lay the foundation for the rejuvenation of trust between the police and the communities that they serve by facing hard truths and creating a roadmap for real and lasting transparency, respectful engagement, accountability and change. The Police Accountability Task Force developed comprehensive findings with specific recommendations for change in the short, interim and long term in five important areas: - Video Release Policies - De-escalation - Community & Police Relations - Early Intervention & Personnel - Legal Oversight & Accountability The Police Accountability Task Force arose amidst a significant and historic public outcry. The outcry brought people into the streets, on social media and on other venues to say in a very clear voice that they had reached a breaking point with the entire local law enforcement infrastructure. People were and are demanding accountability and real and lasting change. The outcry was not localized in any particular neighborhood or demographic, although communities of color and those ravaged by crime added some of the most poignant commentary. The Task Force immediately understood that one of our most important responsibilities was to actively seek out, listen and respond to voices from all over Chicago who had much to say about their personal and often painful experiences with the Chicago Police Department ("CPD"), the Independent Police Review Authority ("IPRA") and other parts of the local policing infrastructure, as well as their frustrations and lack of confidence in political actors. What we have heard has been humbling. As we dug deeper into the complaints of so many about the callous and disrespectful way in which they had been treated by some officers, we also understood that we had an important duty to lay bare the systemic and sanctioned practices that led to the deaths of fellow citizens and the deprivation of the rights of so many others. We have borne witness to many hard truths which have profound and lasting impacts on the lives and hopes of individuals and communities. Our recommendations are intended to be responsive to the people, empower the people and to specifically identify a range of changes that are essential to building trust, accountability and lasting change. As part of our work, the Task Force heard from many current and former CPD officers who are dedicated public servants, committed to performing their duties lawfully and making Chicago a safer place for all of its residents. Serving as a police officer is a challenging and often dangerous job. The police face an increasingly daunting challenge in crime fighting. Illegal guns flood the streets of the same neighborhoods that are devastated by crime, poverty and unemployment. We as a society cannot expect the police to cure every ill in Chicago's neighborhoods. Yet we put significant pressure on them to solve and prevent crime, as well as to address the manifestations of a number of other daunting social and economic challenges beyond their charge and capacity to manage, let alone solve. Still, a keen appreciation of and sensitivity to these broader issues is critical to effective law enforcement and positive community-police relations. The findings and recommendations in this report are not meant to disregard or undervalue the efforts of the many dedicated CPD officers who show up to work every day to serve and protect the community. The challenge is creating a partnership between the police and the community that is premised upon respect and recognizes that our collective fates are very much intertwined. Simply put, a more professional, engaged and respectful police force benefits us all. We cannot and have not shied away from identifying systemic problems or challenges that undermine the efforts of those officers who are sincerely committed to doing their jobs the right way. To be sure, individual officers must own responsibility for not merely their actions each day, but also the reverberating and sometimes corrosive and lingering effect of those actions on citizens. And ultimately, the responsibility for setting the correct course lies with CPD leadership itself. The City and in particular CPD would do well to embrace the necessary changes to address the systemic problems in CPD and not simply hope that this storm will pass. It will not and ignoring this opportunity will exacerbate an already volatile set of circumstances. CPD in particular must face the problems in order to fix them. Details: Chicago: The Task Force, 2016. 184p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 21, 2016 at: https://chicagopatf.org/ Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://chicagopatf.org/ Shelf Number: 139755 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice IntegrityPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Lum, Cynthia Title: An Evidence-Assessment of the Recommendations of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing — Implementation and Research Priorities. Summary: The Final Report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing is one of the most significant documents for law enforcement in modern history. The Task Force was charged by President Obama in 20142 to "examine ways of fostering strong, collaborative relationships between local law enforcement and the communities they protect and to make recommendations to the President on the ways policing practices can promote effective crime reduction while building public trust". Within six pillars—building trust and legitimacy, policy and oversight, technology and social media, community policing and crime reduction, training and education, and officer wellness and safety—the Task Force presented 156 recommendations and action items to law enforcement agencies and the federal government with the goal of strengthening democratic policing in a complex and diverse society. Of these 156 recommendations, approximately 63 were directed toward federal agency implementation, while 87 were relevant for state and local law enforcement agencies. Another six recommendations and action items were relevant to both the federal government and to state and local agencies. Where should law enforcement agencies begin in implementing these recommendations? Which recommendations should be prioritized for action, for policy implementation, or for more research? With a grant from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, the Institute for Community-Police Relations of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)3 has collaborated with researchers from George Mason University’s (GMU) Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy4 to create an evidence-based Blueprint for 21st Century Policing. The research team was charged with reviewing existing research knowledge about those Task Force recommendations relevant to state and local law enforcement, highlighting promising efforts based on research knowledge, and identifying issues that need more research and testing. Including research in the conversation about law enforcement policy and practice—an idea known as evidence-based policing—has become an important value of law enforcement. Evidence-based policing is based on the idea that research knowledge is an essential part of police decision-making and can provide expertise and an objective perspective for a complex profession. Toward those ends, the goal of this assessment of the research knowledge behind the Task Force recommendations is to provide information about what we know from research about those recommendations and what more needs to be learned through police-research partnerships to advance them. Details: Fairfax, VA: Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy, George Mason University. Alexandria, VA: International Association of Chiefs of Police, 2016. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 10, 2016 at: http://cebcp.org/wp-content/evidence-based-policing/IACP-GMU-Evidence-Assessment-Task-Force-FINAL.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://cebcp.org/wp-content/evidence-based-policing/IACP-GMU-Evidence-Assessment-Task-Force-FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 141088 Keywords: Evidence-Based PracticesPolice Legitimacy Police Reform Police-Citizen Interactions Police-Community RelationsPolicing |
Author: Renauer, Brian Title: Public Contact with and Perceptions Regarding Police in Portland, Oregon Summary: On September 12, 2012 the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a complaint in the Federal District Court for Oregon asserting that the City of Portland has engaged in a pattern and practice of unnecessary or excessive force against persons experiencing a mental health crisis. This survey is the result of a settlement agreement between Portland's City Council and the DOJ which specified the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) develop a means of assessing public perceptions. The first report generated by the research team examined general attitudes of residents. This second report focuses on an area pertinent to the DOJ settlement - police contact experiences. The purpose of this second report is to: 1) examine whether persons who report voluntary (e.g. asking police for help) or involuntary (e.g. being stopped by the police) police contacts in the past year felt they were treated "fairly" or "unfairly", and 2) examine whether perceptions of treatment relate to attitudes about the Bureau. Data for the report were obtained from a postal survey sent in July of 2013 to a random sample of Portland addresses, including an oversampling of Census tracks with higher percentages of African American, Hispanic/Latino, and younger residents. Details: Portland, OR: Portland State University, Criminal Justice Policy Research Institute, 2013. 49p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 13, 2016 at: http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=cjpri_briefs Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=cjpri_briefs Shelf Number: 146047 Keywords: Police LegitimacyPolice Use of ForcePolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Renauer, Brian Title: Public Perceptions Regarding the Police Bureau and Crime in Portland, Oregon Summary: The "Portland Public Safety Survey" was implemented in the summer of 2013 to fulfill research needs and begin baseline data collection necessitated by the settlement agreement approved by Portland City Council with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on November 14, 2012. Here are some examples from the settlement agreement that specify the need for a general population survey and the focus of measures. Page 3 of the settlement agreement notes a need for measures that, "will assist the Parties and the community in determining whether, (2) community trust in PPB has increased; and (3) the improvements will be sustainable." Page 52 of the settlement agreement authorizes the City to conduct a representative survey of the Portland community, "regarding their experiences with and perceptions of PPB's prior community outreach efforts and accountability efforts and where those efforts could be improved, to inform the development and implementation of the CEO Plan." The bulk of the settlement agreement focuses on reforming use of force policy and training with a particular focus on mental health crisis management. Dr. Brian Renauer of Portland State University and his research team entered into a contract with the Portland Police Bureau (PPB), with the approval of City Council, to address the above needs stipulated in the settlement agreement. This is the first of three reports required in the contract. The methodology and content of the general population survey was informed by the language of the settlement agreement, meetings with PPB and City representatives, and resource constraints. The focus of the general population survey is on five content areas: Section 1. Legitimacy and Trust Section 2. Evaluation of PPB’s Performance Over the Past Year Section 3. Perceptions of Use of Force Section 4. Perceptions of Safety Section 5. Police Contact Experiences Sections 1 through 4 are reviewed in this report and section 5 will be the focus of a separate report. It is important to point out this report represents “baseline” data. In other words, it is the first year of data collection and there are as yet no appropriate comparison data that would allow us to assess changes over time. Nor are there nationally established policing standards that could be used in comparing Portland to other regions. For these reasons the report does not make value judgments regarding the findings. Instead, the report is designed to help the City understand existing public perceptions, identify potential factors that may be influencing perceptions, and to generate a list of strategies that could help to sustain and improve public opinion of local law enforcement. Details: Portland, OR: Portland State University, Criminal Justice Policy Research Institute, 2013. 51p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 13, 2016 at: http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=cjpri_briefs Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=cjpri_briefs Shelf Number: 146048 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice LegitimacyPolice Use of ForcePolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPublic Opinion |
Author: United States Department of Justice. Civil Rights Division Title: The Civil Rights Division's Pattern and Practice Police Reform Work: 1994-Present Summary: There are more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies across the country. Law enforcement is a demanding, rigorous, and – at times – dangerous profession. The vast majority of men and women who police our communities do so with professionalism, respect, bravery, and integrity. But as we have seen around the country, when police departments engage in unconstitutional policing, their actions can severely undermine both community trust and public safety. Today, our country is engaged in a critically important conversation about community-police relations. This report describes one of the United States Department of Justice’s central tools for accomplishing police reform, restoring police-community trust, and strengthening officer and public safety – the Civil Rights Division’s enforcement of the civil prohibition on a “pattern or practice” of policing that violates the Constitution or other federal laws (the Department’s other tools are described later in this document). Pattern-or-practice cases begin with investigations of allegations of systemic police misconduct and, when the allegations are substantiated, end with comprehensive agreements designed to support constitutional and effective policing and restore trust between police and communities. The Division has opened 11 new pattern-or-practice investigations and negotiated 19 new reform agreements since 2012 alone, often with the substantial assistance of the local United States Attorney’s Offices. The purpose of this report to make the Division’s police reform work more accessible and transparent. The usual course of a pattern-or-practice case, with examples and explanations for why the Division approaches this work the way it does, is set forth in this report. The following is a brief summary of its major themes: The Division’s pattern-or-practice cases focus on systemic police misconduct rather than isolated instances of wrongdoing. They also focus on the responsibilities of law enforcement agencies and local governments rather than on individual officers. The Division’s pattern-or-practice cases begin with the launch of a formal investigation into a law enforcement agency to determine whether the agency is engaged in a pattern or practice of violating federal law. An investigation most often consists of a comprehensive analysis of the policies and practices of policing in a particular community, although an investigation may also focus on a specific area of policing practice. If the Division finds a pattern or practice of police misconduct, it issues public findings in the form of a letter or report made available to the local jurisdiction and the public. The Division conducts a thorough and independent investigation into allegations of police misconduct and substantiates any conclusions it draws with evidence set forth in its public findings. After making findings, the Division negotiates reform agreements resolving those findings, usually in the form of a “consent decree” overseen by a federal court and an independent monitoring team. The lead independent monitor is appointed by the court, and usually agreed upon by both the Division and the investigated party, but reports directly to the court. If an agreement cannot be negotiated, the Division will bring a lawsuit to compel needed reforms. When the court finds that the law enforcement agency has accomplished and sustained the requirements of the reform agreement, the case is terminated. In recent years, the Division’s reform agreements have included data-driven outcome measures designed to provide clear and objective standards for measuring success and determining whether the law enforcement agency has met the objectives of the agreement. At all stages of a pattern-or-practice case, from investigation through resolution, the Division emphasizes engagement with a wide variety of stakeholders, including community members and people who have been victims of police misconduct or live in the neighborhoods most impacted by police misconduct, police leadership, rank and file officers, police labor organizations, and local political leaders. Each of these groups brings a different and important perspective and plays a critical role in accomplishing and sustaining police reform. In keeping with the focus on systemic problems, the Division’s reform agreements emphasize institutional reforms such as improving systems for supervising officers and holding them accountable for misconduct; ensuring officers have the policy guidance, training, equipment and other resources necessary for constitutional and effective policing; creating and using data about police activity to identify and correct patterns of police misconduct; and institutionalizing law enforcement agencies’ engagement with and accountability to the community. The sections that follow provide background on why Congress gave the Division authority to address systemic police misconduct, how the Division opens pattern-or-practice investigations, what an investigation involves, and how the Division negotiates reform agreements. The report then outlines the common threads among the Division’s current generation of police reform agreements, explaining how the Division’s model promotes sustainable reform and constitutional, effective policing, as well as how those agreements come to a close. Finally, the report discusses the evidence to date of the impact of the Division’s pattern-or-practice work on police reform, as well as future directions for research and reflection on that impact. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 2017. 55p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 25, 2017 at: https://www.justice.gov/crt/file/922421/download Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.justice.gov/crt/file/922421/download Shelf Number: 147803 Keywords: Civil RightsPolice AccountabilityPolice MisconductPolice ReformPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Flemming, Pamela S. Title: Teen Empowerment's Youth/Police Dialogues: The Bridge to Improving Police and Youth Relations Summary: Negative youth-police relations are an issue that has plagued the Rochester, NY community for decades. Teen Empowerment is committed to helping change the relational negativity, and build positive partnerships between these two groups. The organization believes that youth-police dialogues are the bridge to improving youth-police relations, which will in turn build stronger communities. The information in this thesis tests whether youth-police dialogues are essential to improving the youth-police relationship. The Methodology for my evaluation included a pre and post survey for Teen Empowerment's youth organizers and participating police officers. Surveys were completed for the Phase I and Phase II dialogue sessions of the implemented program. Analysis of survey results focus group outcomes, and interview outcomes all point to positive consequences from the Youth-Police Dialogues. There were evident shifts in some measures on the surveys showing that participants gained empathy, understanding, and respect. Focus groups revealed some tangible changes in behavior among both officers and youth that indicate they gained new perspectives as well as new skills for how to work together effectively. The policy implications for this research for contemporary youth-police relations include the need for more dialogue sessions, integrating non-dialogue activities, such as sports, or volunteer opportunities, to help the group bond. It would also be beneficial to have youth and officers who are considered to be a problem to each respective group (i.e. bad cops, bad youth). Details: Rochester, NY: Rochester Institute of Technology, 2015. 144p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed February 20, 2017 at: http://scholarworks.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=10132&context=theses Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://scholarworks.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=10132&context=theses Shelf Number: 141122 Keywords: Police-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations Police-Youth Relations Public Opinion |
Author: La Vigne, Nancy Title: How Do People in High-Crime, Low-Income Communities View the Police? Summary: In certain American communities, public trust in law enforcement, a critical ingredient in public safety, is tenuous at best. Residents of these high-crime, heavily disadvantaged communities witness and experience intensive police presence, high rates of incarceration and community supervision, and concentrated violence and question the intent, effectiveness, and equity of the criminal justice system. Indeed, police may carry out aggressive strategies that target quality-of-life infractions and drug-, gun-, and gang-related violence in ways that undermine public confidence. Perhaps not surprisingly, areas with high levels of mistrust tend to be those that are heavily policed, where police use tactics such as pretextual stops that damage their relationship with the people they are charged to protect. The results can be far-reaching: a distrust of the criminal justice system, an unwillingness to cooperate with the police, and a cynical view of the law that can perpetuate crime and victimization. The people most likely to experience high rates of violence and heavy police presence in their communities have limited resources, social capital, and political voice. Yet their voices, when amplified, can be a powerful tool that communities can leverage to hold law enforcement accountable. Integrating the authentic experiences and perceptions of community members into public safety decision-making processes is critical in efforts to promote public safety. Quite simply, reductions in violent crime are not possible without meaningful representation of—and engagement with—the residents most affected by it. This research brief aims to elevate the experiences, views, and attitudes of residents often underrepresented in research on perceptions of law enforcement—people living in high-crime neighborhoods with concentrated disadvantage. Using a unique purposive sampling methodology to represent residents in communities with the most tenuous relationships with law enforcement, we conducted in-person surveys in partnership with local organizations in six cities: Birmingham, Alabama; Fort Worth, Texas; Gary, Indiana; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Stockton, California. The purpose of these surveys was to collect baseline data on residents' views of police as part of an Urban Institute (Urban) evaluation of the National Initiative on Building Community Trust and Justice (National Initiative). But our findings serve more than an evaluation function, offering insights into the nature of community-police relations in high-crime, high-poverty neighborhoods and highlight opportunities for improvement. Our research shows that although variations exist across the six cities, respondents’ perceptions of police across measures of legitimacy, procedural justice, racial bias, relatability to police, and applied principles of community policing, on average, are extremely negative. However, residents also expressed a firm belief in and support for the law and a willingness to partner with police in public safety efforts. The variation in responses by city suggests that each city’s local context, including departmental policies and policing approaches, likely influence perceptions. This brief is organized in four sections. We first review the literature on past efforts to measure and assess community perceptions of the police; next we describe our study's methodology. We then summarize findings across the six cities in accordance with the literature, grouped by category: procedural justice, police department legitimacy, police bias, community policing, perceptions of the law, relatability to the police, and willingness to partner with police in public safety efforts. We conclude by discussing the variation in perceptions across cities and the implications for policy and practice. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2017. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 24, 2017 at: http://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/88476/how_do_people_in_high-crime_view_the_police.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: http://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/88476/how_do_people_in_high-crime_view_the_police.pdf Shelf Number: 141213 Keywords: Disadvantaged CommunitiesHigh-Crime AreasPolice LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPublic OpinionTrust |
Author: Shapland, Joanna Title: Developing restorative policing in Humberside, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire Summary: The project 'Developing restorative policing' is being taken forward by the Universities of Sheffield and Leeds, together with Humberside Police and the PCC for Humberside, South Yorkshire Police and the PCC for South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire Police and the PCC for West Yorkshire, and Remedi. It started in September 2015 and will finish in June 2017. This report reflects the position in the three forces in May 2016, when the fieldwork was carried out. The aims of the project are to: develop greater understanding of restorative justice (restorative justice) principles relevant to policing and the research evidence base that informs good practices that are sensitive to the needs of victims; foster the means and capability to institutionalise processes and mechanisms to deliver restorative justice in relation to policing, including self-evaluation of police restorative justice practices and work with partner organisations; assist the police in identifying means for front-line officers to assess which paths to use to facilitate restorative justice and how best to introduce restorative justice to victims. The project is hence very much concerned with developing good practice in delivering restorative justice in relation to policing. We have interpreted that to mean restorative justice at the level of the police and prosecution, in which police officers involved in mainstream policing are directly involved. This is therefore primarily concerned with restorative justice pre-court, rather than restorative justice delivered pre-sentence or post-sentence. Police officers may be involved in providing information to others delivering restorative justice in later stages of the criminal justice process, but we have not included these practices in our research. The project is concerned both with adult and young offenders. There are three inter-connected stages to the project. The first stage, which has been underway since September 2015 and is the subject of this report, involves fieldwork in all three police force areas, to set out the contemporary nature and extent of restorative policing across each area. The second stage entailed comparative work in Belgium and Northern Ireland, to inform the work with the three English forces. It was the subject of a separate report delivered in August 2016 (Shapland et al. 2016). The third stage draws on both previous stages. The intention is for each police force to develop one or more new initiatives in part (or the whole) of their force area, in the light of the proposals from the research team, and to implement these initiatives from October 2016. The research team will then evaluate selected initiatives, as far as that can be accomplished in the time-frame of the project, with fieldwork running until March 2017. The final report of the project drawing together the overall findings will be submitted at the end of June 2017. As is well known, restorative justice incorporates a variety of practices and there has been considerable discussion about how it should be defined. We have therefore needed to consider how we define restorative justice for our purposes in this project. We see restorative justice as different from the broader concept of restorative practice. We have adopted the definition, similar to that proposed by Marshall (1999), as 'a deliberative process governed by principles of procedural fairness in which the parties with a direct stake in a particular offence (or incident) come together (preferably face-to-face) in a encounter collectively to resolve how to respond to the offence (or incident) such that the harm caused is acknowledged and the implications for the future of the parties are considered with an emphasis on reparation and reintegration' . This definition implicitly includes the recognition that restorative justice should be in relation to an offence, which means a criminal offence (though we are aware that conduct can be difficult to classify between a criminal offence and anti-social behaviour). This report therefore concentrates upon criminal offences, though we also mention, where relevant, measures and structures for anti-social behaviour. We also note that the Ministry of Justice defines restorative justice as 'the process that brings those harmed by crime, and those responsible for the harm, into communication, enabling everyone affected by a particular incident to play a part in repairing the harm and finding a positive way forward'. Our definition of restorative justice therefore bounds the kinds of practices we are considering to those which involve the direct victim and offender of a particular offence. We are therefore not concerned with practices or disposals which involve only action directed to the benefit of the community as a whole, or action in relation to victims or offenders of other offences, though these may have restorative intent or outcomes. We shall use the term 'restorative practices' to refer to this more indirect work. Our definition therefore includes practices such as mediation (with victim, offender and mediator/facilitator involved), conferencing (with, additionally, victim and offender supporters present at a meeting, as well as possibly police), and panels. It includes both direct face-to-face meetings and also indirect or 'shuttle' mediation where a facilitator/mediator passes communications between victim and offender of the same offence. A brief glossary of terms and definitions is set out at the end of this chapter. Details: Sheffield, UK: University of Sheffield; Leeds, UK; University of Leeds, 2017. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 27, 2017 at: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/polopoly_fs/1.682936!/file/developing-restorative-policing-stage1-report.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/polopoly_fs/1.682936!/file/developing-restorative-policing-stage1-report.pdf Shelf Number: 141220 Keywords: Police-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolicingRestorative Justice |
Author: Mastrigt, Jody van Title: CCTV Beyond Surveillance: Implications Towards Police Legitimacy of the UPP in the favela Rocinha Summary: This thesis aims to show the impact of the CCTV cameras installed by the Pacification Project on the police legitimacy of the UPP in Rio de Janeiro’s favela, Rocinha. By conducting fieldwork in Rocinha and using the theoretical framework of modern police legitimacy theory, this paper examined the performances of the cameras as perceived by the residents to understand its impact on the UPP police legitimacy. This thesis argued that CCTV as a technological tool used by the police has had a negative impact on the police legitimacy in Rocinha. In addition, the thesis also examined the use of smart phones to monitor the police by the residents in Rocinha. To further interpret its impact on the favela, the analytical concept sousveillance has been used to examine the empirical data. The engagement of the residents monitoring the police has also shown to have a negative impact on the legitimacy of the police in Rocinha. Details: Utrecht, NL: Utrecht University, 2016. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed February 28, 2017 at: https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/338218 Year: 2016 Country: Brazil URL: https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/338218 Shelf Number: 141230 Keywords: CCTVFavelaPolice LegitimacyPolice SurveillancePolice-Citizen InteractionsSlums |
Author: Bright Research Group Title: Measure Y Community Policing: 2014 Annual Evaluation Report Summary: Measure Y is a voter-approved initiative that provides funding to violence prevention programs and community policing in the City of Oakland. Passed in 2004 as a 10-year parcel and parking tax, the initiative was renewed in November 2014 as Measure Z. Measure Y funding to the Oakland Police Department (OPD) supports the personnel costs of Problem Solving Officers and Crime Reduction Team Officers, as well as related training and equipment costs. Measure Y also mandates an external evaluation of funded services, which the present document provides for the funded community policing activities. Since 2008, the evaluation team has provided recommendations to OPD to strengthen the alignment and integration of its Measure Y investments with research and best practices in community policing. The evaluation focuses on the deployment of resources and quality of implementation in three major areas of best practice in community policing: Organizational Transformation, Problem Solving, and Community Partnerships. Evaluations in prior years examined Organizational Transformation and Problem Solving. This year's evaluation focuses on Community Partnerships, examining the quality of relationships between OPD and Oakland residents, particularly those in flatland neighborhoods. The evaluation also provides an update on progress toward developing accountability measures for the Problem Solving Officer (PSO) Program, and documenting the activities and approaches of Crime Reduction Teams (CRTs). Community Partnership: A core tenet of community policing is developing effective and collaborative relationships between residents and police. Police departments in diverse, urban cities like Oakland have struggled to attain legitimacy in the eyes of the community. For African American and Latino communities in particular, racial profiling, corruption, and abuse have eroded trust that police will treat them fairly and humanely. More broadly, when police departments fail to keep down crime, the public begins to doubt their effectiveness. Conversely, from a law enforcement perspective, officers interact with the most criminal and deviant elements of society. If officers do not receive recognition for their efforts to protect public safety, acknowledgement of the risks they take, or cooperation from residents in solving crimes, they develop a cynical perspective towards the community. In light of such challenges, a core goal of community policing approaches like Measure Y is to repair and strengthen community-police partnerships and police legitimacy. Measure Y's current investments reflect two primary strategies drawn from the research on community policing: first, to strengthen police-resident relationships through problem solving and community engagement; second, to restore community trust by bringing order to violence-plagued neighborhoods through violence suppression activities. 2As Oakland moves into the next phase of the initiative, it is critical to ensure that OPD strategies reflect prevention and intervention approaches - through community engagement on the one hand and violence prevention on the other. Details: Oakland, CA: Bright Research Group, 2014.62p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 7, 2017 at: http://resourcedevelopment.net/_documents/Measure_Y_Community_Policing-2014_Annual_Evaluation_Report_2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://resourcedevelopment.net/_documents/Measure_Y_Community_Policing-2014_Annual_Evaluation_Report_2014.pdf Shelf Number: 144745 Keywords: Community PartnershipsCommunity PolicingCrime PreventionPolice Problem SolvingPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsViolence PreventionViolence Suppression |
Author: Zimmerman, Benjamin L. Title: Educational Level of Law Enforcement Officers and Frequency of Citizen Complaints: A Systematic Review Summary: The belief that a law enforcement officer who holds a college degree will be a better officer has been the foundation for many policies in support of higher education for officers. However, there is a lack of overwhelming empirical evidence to support such a claim. Past literature has examined police performance in general as it relates to a number of different background characteristics, which include educational level. Citizen complaints are one type of measurement tool that arguably addresses the sensitive relationship between a law enforcement organisation and the community it serves. This systematic review identified 14 studies meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria, resulting in a total of 5359 subjects. By using meta-analytic procedures, this review attempted to identify and quantify the relationship between higher education and citizen complaints. The results provided a comprehensive picture of the overall relationship between education and citizen complaints, which produced a small statistically significant effect size. The effect was negative, indicating that education was predictive of fewer citizen complaints. Additional analyses were conducted to examine differences between large organisations and small to medium organisations as well as published studies compared to unpublished studies. Meta-analysis of the studies using large organisations and published studies revealed even greater effect sizes than the overall results while meta-analysis of small to medium sized organisations and unpublished works resulted in statistically insignificant smaller effect sizes. Police implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. Details: Cambridge, UK: Wolfson College , 2011. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed April 10, 2017 at: http://www.crim.cam.ac.uk/alumni/theses/Zimmerman,%20B.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.crim.cam.ac.uk/alumni/theses/Zimmerman,%20B.pdf Shelf Number: 144770 Keywords: Citizen ComplaintsPolice BehaviorPolice Education and TrainingPolice LegitimacyPolice-Citizen Interactions |
Author: Huntsman, Max Title: Community Oriented Policing: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Summary: The purpose of this report is to identify the community oriented outreach and policing efforts of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department which are conducted at the station level. We have invited each station to tell us about their work to form a basis for future audits and so that each station will be aware of the different approaches being used throughout the county. While it is not our primary purpose to discuss centralized community outreach, it should be noted that not all community oriented policing is conducted at the stations level. Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell regularly attends community events to show his support and commitment to Community Oriented Policing (COP) and the LASD offers Introduction to Community Policing courses both internally and externally. In 1996, the LASD was awarded a $1 million grant to create and operate a Regional Community Policing Institute (RCPI). The mission of the Institute was to promote the development of community policing by providing training and technical assistance to law enforcement agencies, local governments and communities in an eight county region. Today, RCPI is still operated by the LASD. In mid-2014, every LASD unit commander received training in community policing. As part of the training, each unit commander created formal community policing strategies for their respective units. While community oriented policing has become a best practice in modern urban policing, the term is used to describe many different programs and policies. The LASD serves many diverse communities and provides a great deal of discretion to individual stations as to what programs to employ. It is our hope that sharing this information will help each station prepare the best possible plan for engaging their communities. Details: Los Angeles: Office of Inspector General, County of Los Angeles, 2016. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed: May 1, 2017 at: https://oig.lacounty.gov/Portals/OIG/Reports/Community%20Oriented%20Policing.pdf?ver=2016-05-03-101534-000 Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://oig.lacounty.gov/Portals/OIG/Reports/Community%20Oriented%20Policing.pdf?ver=2016-05-03-101534-000 Shelf Number: 145213 Keywords: Community Oriented Policing Police-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations Sheriffs |
Author: Domanick, Joe Title: Communicating to Build Trust: A Best Practices Guide for Law Enforcement Specialists in Latin America and the Caribbean Summary: This guidebook seeks to provide communicators with the practical tools and recommendations to do a better job, particularly in their dealings with reporters on issues from crisis management, violence against women, to reporting on crime statistics, among others. The aim is help build trust among all actors involved. Having the police communicate in a more professional way with the media (and its broader audiences through social media) is helpful not only to the police but to journalists, too, who can then report relevant news more accurately and fairly. Details: Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank, 2016. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 1, 2017 at: https://publications.iadb.org/bitstream/handle/11319/7829/Communicating-to-Build-Trust-A-Best-Practices-Guide-for-Law-Enforcement-Specialists-in-Latin-America-and-the-Caribbean.pdf?sequence=11 Year: 2016 Country: Latin America URL: https://publications.iadb.org/bitstream/handle/11319/7829/Communicating-to-Build-Trust-A-Best-Practices-Guide-for-Law-Enforcement-Specialists-in-Latin-America-and-the-Caribbean.pdf?sequence=11 Shelf Number: 145225 Keywords: Law Enforcement Police Legitimacy Police-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Ibanez, Ana Maria Title: Impact of a Judicial System Reform on Police Behavior: Evidence on Juvenile Crime in Colombia Summary: This paper uses a natural experiment to identify the impact of a judicial system reform on police behavior. The study finds that, after a decrease in the severity of judicial punishment imposed on Colombian adolescents, arrest rates for adolescents in most misdemeanor crimes decreased due to a change in police behavior. The magnitude of this effect ranged between 0.08 to 0.321 standard deviations. The uncertainty on how to operate the new system, the lack of training, and the potential disciplinary sanctions led police officials to reduce arrest rates. Nonetheless, police forces learned gradually how to operate within the new system and adjusted their operations, countervailing the initial negative impact on arrest rates. We present suggestive evidence that the reduction in arrest rates and the lower sanctions increased crime incidents in cities with a large proportion of adolescents in their population. Qualitative evidence collected in focus groups with police officials supports the principal quantitative findings and contextualize the obstacles that led to the decrease in arrest rates and the perceived increase of juvenile crime based on the officials' experiences in the streets. Details: Bogota: Universidad de los Andes, Colombia - Department of Economics, 2017. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Documento CEDE No. 2017-17: Accessed May 12, 2017 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2931146 Year: 2017 Country: Colombia URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2931146 Shelf Number: 145457 Keywords: Juvenile CrimeJuvenile OffendersPolice BehaviorPolice ReformPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Helfgott, Jacqueline B. Title: Seattle Police Department's Micro-Community Policing Plans Implementation Evaluation: Final Report Summary: This report summarizes the results from a two-year implementation evaluation of the Seattle Police Department's Micro-Community Policing Plans (MCPP). The evaluation employed a mixed-method research design including participant observation, community focus groups, and the development and administration of the Seattle Public Safety survey. The results tell the story of the evolution of the Seattle Police Department's MCPP initiative and show how the collection of data on community perceptions of crime at the micro-community level provide a comprehensive assessment of the nature of crime in Seattle communities that can be used in conjunction with crime data to address public safety in Seattle. Implications for public safety and police-community engagement in Seattle and recommendations for further development of the SPD MCPP initiative are discussed. Details: Seattle: Seattle University Center for the Study of Crime and Justice, 2017. 158p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 12, 2017 at: https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/Police/Reports/SPD-MCPP-Implementation-Evauation-Final-Report.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/Police/Reports/SPD-MCPP-Implementation-Evauation-Final-Report.pdf Shelf Number: 146068 Keywords: Community PolicingNeighborhoods and CrimePolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPublic Safety |
Author: Brown, Gregory Roy Title: The Blue Line on Thin Ice: Police Use of Force in the Era of Cameraphones, 'Citizen Journalism', and YouTube Summary: In today's urban environments the ubiquity of cameraphones and the entrenchment of both 'citizen journalism' and Web 2.0 media into social life and socio-political discourses have exponentially increased the public's exposure to police violence. This thesis investigates the impact on contemporary policing of the 'new visibility' of police conduct. Findings emerged from the surveying of 231 front-line officers in Toronto and Ottawa, follow-up interviews with 20 of these officers, and interviews with 8 policing officials in those cities. It was determined that widespread video oversight of policing and the ability of citizens to disseminate imagery through social media is profoundly embedded in the consciousness of operational officers and has resulted in various behavioural changes through the deterrence of certain 'performances', including significant moderations in police use of force practices. Technological innovations have enabled transformative changes in the public-police relationship and power dynamic through a democratizing social leveling. Details: Ottawa, ON: Carleton University, 2013. 352p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed June 13, 2017 at: https://curve.carleton.ca/system/files/etd/d7998649-b8e4-4181-84e6-47e800d58fa3/etd_pdf/85aa435a3f0c48556e981342a4e7fed0/brown-thebluelineonthinicepoliceuseofforceinthe.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Canada URL: https://curve.carleton.ca/system/files/etd/d7998649-b8e4-4181-84e6-47e800d58fa3/etd_pdf/85aa435a3f0c48556e981342a4e7fed0/brown-thebluelineonthinicepoliceuseofforceinthe.pdf Shelf Number: 146082 Keywords: Body-Worn Cameras Police Accountability Police Cameras Police Surveillance Police Use of Force Police Violence Police-Citizen InteractionsSocial Media |
Author: McKitten, Rhonda Title: Where's the State? Creating and Implementing State Standards for Law Enforcement Interactions With Youth Summary: n professions where adults are in regular contact with children - such as health care, education, and day care - the state is heavily involved in setting and enforcing clear standards. Law enforcement officers are the gatekeepers for the justice system. They determine who is arrested, who is not, and who enters into the juvenile justice system and these decisions can dramatically and permanently alter a youth's educational and professional opportunities. Given the magnitude and long-term impact of encounters between youth and law enforcement, there is no reason why law enforcement agencies and officers are not subject to the same levels of accountability, training and guidance. Details: Cambridge MA: Strategies for Youth, 2017. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 16, 2017 at: http://strategiesforyouth.org/sfysite/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SFY-Report_Where-Is-The-State_053117_web.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: http://strategiesforyouth.org/sfysite/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SFY-Report_Where-Is-The-State_053117_web.pdf Shelf Number: 146200 Keywords: Police Education and TrainingPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Costello, William A., Jr. Title: The New Walking Beat: A Model Assessment Tool for Using Social Media to Enhance Community Policing Summary: Purpose: In recent years, social media has become a primary method and forum of interaction within communities. The theory and common practice of community policing requires law enforcement agencies to be engaged with all segments of the community in their efforts to preserve the peace and maintain public safety. The purpose of this applied research project is threefold. First, it describes the ideal components of an effective social media campaign in the context of community policing. Second, it assesses the Austin Police Department's (APD) social media outreach using these ideal type components. Third, based on the assessment, it provides recommendations for improving the APD's social media outreach so that the department's emphasis on community policing is maximized. A review of the literature identified three key components of an effective social media campaign in the context of community policing. These components include building community partnerships through social media, integrating social media with problem solving and integrating social media policies and procedures. Methodology: The literature identified the components of an effective social media campaign in the context of community policing. These components are used to construct a model assessment tool. This tool is used to assess the Austin Police Department's social media campaign in the context of community policing in conjunction with document analysis and semi-structured interviews to form a case study. Findings: The Austin Police Department's social media outreach adequately uses social media to enhance its community policing mission. The implementation of more formalized policies and procedures and adequately equipping the department with more trained personnel, dedicated finances and current technology to maintain an up to date and 24/7 social media presence is necessary as the department continues to grow. Details: San Marcos, TX: Texas State University, 2015. 151p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed June 26, 2017 at: https://digital.library.txstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10877/5868/CostelloWilliam.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://digital.library.txstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10877/5868/CostelloWilliam.pdf?sequence=1 Shelf Number: 146378 Keywords: Community PolicingPolice and the MediaPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPublicity CampaignsSocial Media |
Author: Thompson, Ian Title: The Impact of Procedural Justice Training on First Year Constables' Interactions with Citizens: A Randomized Controlled Trial Summary: Procedural justice (PJ) training for police has previously involved changing officer attitudes and behaviours by teaching officers about procedural justice, its benefits (Rosenbaum & Lawrence 2011; Skogan et al. 2015), the use of a procedural justice script during an interaction (Mazerolle et al. 2013), and by providing interpersonal skills training as a means of changing officer behaviour (Wheller et al. 2013). This research utilises a unique procedural justice knowledge and skills-based training programme designed to provide officers with information about the desirability of procedural justice combined with a skill set that enables officers to build a range of abilities for use in the practical application of procedural justice in the everyday operational environment. It is the first to examine the effectiveness of a procedural justice training programme under randomized controlled trial (RCT) conditions through real-time mentor officer observations. In June 2016, 56 graduating police officers were matched into pairs with one from each pair randomly selected to undergo a day and a half training programme. Over the next eight weeks each of these 56 officers were rated in their use of procedural justice by their mentor training officer for each police-public interaction they conducted. Research data was obtained using three validated survey instruments with excellent response rates (>96%) and a purpose-designed electronic rating tool. The research findings confirmed that the training had a significant positive effect on two variables immediately after the intervention, though when measured eight weeks after the intervention the effect had decayed. These results were at the statistically significant level (p=0.005) with medium effect sizes. Analysis of the total number of interactions conducted also found that though there were no significant differences in how First Year Constables (FYC) dealt with different types of incidents, when aggregated the intervention FYC group acted in a more procedurally just way than the control group. This finding is important as it relates to changes in behaviour in the experimental group rather than attitudinal changes. Overall, police who undertook the training were more procedurally just than those who didn't. The research argues for the introduction of this programme to police recruit training to embed procedural justice as a philosophy and business as usual. Details: Oxford, UK: Fitzwilliam College, 2016. 103 p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed July 1, 2017 at: http://www.crim.cam.ac.uk/alumni/theses/Ian%20Thompson.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.crim.cam.ac.uk/alumni/theses/Ian%20Thompson.pdf Shelf Number: 146489 Keywords: Police Training Police-Citizen InteractionsProcedural Justice Recruit Training |
Author: American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts Title: No Tape, No Testimony: How Courts Can Ensure the Responsible Use of Body Cameras Summary: In January 2015, the Chicago Police Department launched a pilot program requiring its officers to use body-worn cameras. The program began in the wake of public outcry over violence by Chicago police officers against civilians, and a police official explained that it sought to "rebuild[] trust with the residents we're sworn to serve." In July 2016, an officer wearing one of these cameras killed Paul O'Neal, a Black teenager who allegedly stole a car and crashed it into a police cruiser. After Mr. O'Neal fled on foot, the officer fatally shot him in the back. In theory, Mr. O'Neal's final moments should have been recorded by the officer's body camera, and the recording should now be available to assist a court, a jury, or the public in deciding whether the shooting was justified. But no such video exists. The camera worn by the officer who killed Mr. O'Neal was reportedly not turned on until after the fatal shot had been fired. This incident, and others like it, have been cited as cautionary tales about how the value of body cameras can be undermined if the police cannot or will not ensure their consistent use. But police departments are not the only institutions capable of assuring the effective use of body-worn cameras. Courts can do it too. For three reasons, courts can and should encourage the police to record, when practicable, their investigative encounters with civilians. 1. Videos of police-civilian encounters have shaken public confidence in the capacity of legal proceedings to separate fact from fiction. Time and again, cases have been headed for an incorrect result - such as the wrongful prosecution of a civilian or the wrongful exoneration of a police officer - until videos surfaced that contradicted officers' versions of events. Meanwhile, there is growing evidence that witness testimony, on which courts must often rely when video is absent, can be quite flawed when used as the exclusive means of resolving disputes between police officers and civilians. Thus, when video evidence of a police-civilian encounter does not exist, legal proceedings may be less likely to get the right answer or to be respected by the public. 2. Police body-worn cameras present a viable and valuable supplement to witness testimony. These cameras are quickly becoming part of the 21st-century police uniform, with a recent survey of 70 law enforcement agencies finding that 95% of respondents had either implemented or had committed to implementing body camera programs. Body cameras can be critical to uncovering the truth when the facts of a police-civilian encounter are contested. There is also evidence that, when body cameras are consistently worn and activated, they can deter misconduct or violence from happening in the first place. 3. Courts have both a distinct interest in and a unique means of encouraging police officers to record their encounters with civilians. Courts have an interest in conducting legal proceedings that are fair, that avoid wrongful convictions and other catastrophic outcomes, and that efficiently resolve disputes. Given those interests, and given that videos of policecivilian encounters can make the difference between just and unjust results, courts should encourage, when practicable, the recording of police-civilian encounters. Rather than leave this task to police departments, whose disciplinary practices are necessarily inconsistent, courts should provide this encouragement by using tools uniquely at their disposal: jury instructions. This report proposes a model jury instruction that encourages the recording of police-civilian encounters by empowering juries to impose evidentiary consequences for unreasonable or bad faith failures to record. This instruction would tell the jury that, if it finds that the police unreasonably failed to create or preserve a video of a police-civilian encounter, it can devalue an officer's testimony and infer that the video would have helped the civilian. If the jury finds that the case involves bad faith, such as the outright sabotage of body cameras, then it should be instructed to disregard officer testimony altogether. The tools that courts can use to craft this instruction already exist. Several courts now use jury instructions to encourage the recording of custodial interrogations and drunk-driving field tests; they can and should craft similar rules for body cameras. These measures can help prevent wrongful convictions, accurately resolve allegations of police misconduct, and enhance public trust in the justice system's capacity to get it right when confronted with police-civilian violence. Details: Boston: ACLU of Massachusetts; Berkeley, CA: University of California, Berkeley School of Law Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, 2016. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 2, 2017 at: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/SLTPPC_ACLU_BodyCameras_Final.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/SLTPPC_ACLU_BodyCameras_Final.pdf Shelf Number: 147015 Keywords: Body-Worn Cameras Law Enforcement Technology (U.S.) Police Accountability Police Behavior Police Technology Police-Citizen Interactions Police-Community Relations Surveillance Video Technology |
Author: Bandiero, Anthony M. Title: Implementation Issues and Policy Implications of Body-Worn Cameras in Routine Police Encounters With Citizens Summary: This study investigates the impact body-worn cameras (BWCs) will have on police-citizen encounters. In an era of increasing surveillance, both private and public, what role should BWCs play? Further, what legislation and institutional safeguards must be put in place to protect privacy and prevent BWCs from becoming a tool to surveil marginalized communities? The implementation of BWCs appears a forgone conclusion in many communities where police relations are tenuous. Specifically, the presence of BWCs can help eliminate excessive force by encouraging pro-social behavior on behalf of both police officers and citizens. Additionally, BWCs can even play a role in reducing lawful uses of force because if a citizen, initially bent on non-compliance with an officer's commands, realizes that the encounter is being recorded, they are likely to change their behavior for the better. This study concludes that BWCs should be supported with the following limitations: BWC videos must not be considered a public record, and therefore susceptible to general public record's requests. BWC videos will record areas where people will have a reasonable expectation of privacy and these intrusions should not be generally available, except under certain pre-authorized circumstances. Additionally, BWCs must not transition into a mass surveillance tool for police. Therefore, this study recommends strict purge requirements for videos that are not applicable to an investigation. Details: Cambridge, MA: Harvard University, 2016. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed September 8, 2017 at: https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/33797278 Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/33797278 Shelf Number: 147161 Keywords: Body-Worn CamerasPolice AccountabilityPolice SurveillancePolice-Citizen Interactions |
Author: Cathcart, Katrina Title: Adapting to the Presence of the Body-Worn Camera in Policing: A Qualitative Assessment of Officer and Citizen Perspectives on Policy and Practice Summary: Research associated with the implementation of the body-worn camera by law enforcement agencies has focused primarily on follow-up analysis of its use subsequent to agency implementation or during controlled trials. This paper contributes to the body of literature through consideration of policy and implementation of the device as it relates to operator and citizens directly. The study employs qualitative methods, applying a phenomenological approach to obtain the meanings assigned by the participants to their lived experiences. Samples were drawn from a city located in southern Colorado, providing the communicated perspective of officers employed within the police agency and the citizens who reside in its respective jurisdiction. The research further considers law enforcement efforts to develop organizational policy on the use of the body-worn camera through the lens of the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework. The IAD framework explores the perception of complex social phenomenon through consideration of smaller, practical functions. This study also examined the contemporary interaction between the police and the citizen, applying communicated perspectives to the theory of deference exchange. This theory is driven by the consideration of socially driven contextual variables that may impact the police-citizen interaction. Communicated findings provide an essential viewpoint for future policy development and implementation of policing technology. Participant interviews reflected substantial input on the impact of the body-worn camera (BWC) on the relationship between the police and citizens. Specific perspectives were communicated in regard to the mission of the BWC, citizen's perceptions of the police, the impact of the BWC on citizen complaints, and the impact of the BWC on police use of force. Details: Colorado Springs: Colorado State University, 2017. 118p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed September 8, 2017 at: https://dspace.library.colostate.edu/bitstream/handle/10976/166671/Cathcart_uccs_0892D_10246.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://dspace.library.colostate.edu/bitstream/handle/10976/166671/Cathcart_uccs_0892D_10246.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Shelf Number: 147162 Keywords: Body-Worn Cameras Camera Technology Cameras Law Enforcement Technology Police Accountability Police Surveillance Police Use of Force Police-Citizen Interactions |
Author: Grasso, Jordan C. Title: Whose Interests Are At Heart?: Understanding Police Subculture and Officer Perceptions of Body-Worn Cameras in San Diego County Summary: Police body-worn cameras have been implemented across the country in hopes of providing transparency and accountability of law enforcement officers. This research explores whose interests are being served by the use of body-worn cameras by law enforcement officers in San Diego County while also looking into how body-worn cameras are addressing the militaristic subculture of the institution of law enforcement. Current literature focuses on police subculture, the Age of Ferguson, and the benefits and limitations of body-worn cameras. Critical Race Theory and Foucault's theory of the panopticon are used to inform the findings. Data was triangulated through interviews, ride-along observations, and primary document analyses. Findings suggest that police perceptions and use of body-worn cameras reinforced a militaristic subculture due to the lack of overall resources and training as well as the continued use of discretion. Details: San Marcos, CA: California State University San Marcos, 2017. 97p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed September 8, 2017 at: https://csusm-dspace.calstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10211.3/191153/GrassoJordan_Spring2017.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://csusm-dspace.calstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10211.3/191153/GrassoJordan_Spring2017.pdf?sequence=1 Shelf Number: 147163 Keywords: Body-Worn Cameras Camera Technology Cameras Law Enforcement Technology Police Accountability Police Surveillance Police Use of Force Police-Citizen Interactions |
Author: Yukon Government Title: Sharing Common Ground. Review of Yukon's Police Force : Year One Progress Report Summary: Over the past year, Yukoners from many different backgrounds and perspectives have come together in a dedicated and forward-looking effort to respond to the needs and concerns of our communities. Individuals and organizations, First Nations, police, advocacy groups, academics and government have all made vital contributions to moving forward with a new vision for policing in Yukon. Following eight months of dialogue with citizens, and with the advice of an Advisory Committee and a team of First Nation representatives, the co-chairs of the Review of Yukon's Police Force, submitted a final report entitled Sharing Common Ground to the Minister of Justice in January 2011. This progress report outlines the achievements of the many people and organizations who have contributed to the implementation of these recommendations over the first year of Sharing Common Ground. The co-chairs, representing Government of Yukon, First Nations and "M" Division RCMP, put forward 33 recommendations that provided a blueprint for establishing a new relationship between Yukon citizens and their police. The changes they called for were intended not only to fill gaps that citizens identified, but also to build on the many existing strengths that were acknowledged during the Review. Relationships are recognized as a cornerstone of trust. As relationships form and grow, those involved gain a greater understanding and appreciation for each other and come to understand how the others think and react and why they behave as they do. As relationships are strengthened, each party learns about motivations and limitations the other party faces, and most importantly, what goals, objectives and needs they have in common. The recommendations in Sharing Common Ground all add value in themselves by addressing specific needs and concerns raised by our communities. But perhaps even more importantly, as individuals and groups share these concerns and identify issues of common concern, solutions are developed and implemented in collaboration, and opportunities for these relationships to form and for understanding and trust to grow are created. A key and recurring theme during the Review was that follow-up was necessary in order to inform citizens and governments on implementation progress. This progress report outlines the achievements of the many people and organizations who have contributed to the implementation of these recommendations over the first year of Sharing Common Ground. Details: Whitehorse: Yukon Government, 2012. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 25, 2017 at: http://www.policereview2010.gov.yk.ca/pdf/Sharing_Common_Ground_Implementation_One_Year_Update-_May_2012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Canada URL: http://www.policereview2010.gov.yk.ca/pdf/Sharing_Common_Ground_Implementation_One_Year_Update-_May_2012.pdf Shelf Number: 147446 Keywords: Police AdministrationPolice DepartmentsPolice LegitimacyPolice ReformPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Yukon Government Title: Sharing Common Ground. Review of Yukon's Police Force : Final Report on Implementation Summary: The public expects that police officers will act with integrity and that their conduct will be above reproach at all times. From time to time, police services fall short of this expectation. This can be due to the result of a single act by a police officer that offends public sensibility or through a more general decline in the quality of service over time. When either or both occurs, it erodes the public's trust in its policing service. In these situations, there must be independent, transparent and accessible processes that hold individual members and the organization accountable. During this Review, the Co-Chairs and members of the Advisory Committee heard that some Yukon citizens do not have trust and confidence in "M" Division. This is particularly the case in First Nation communities, and with vulnerable citizens and individuals leading high-risk lifestyles. High profile incidents at the Vancouver International Airport and in other communities in British Columbia, and incidents that took place in Yukon, have shaken the public's confidence in the RCMP. In Yukon, two incidents have focussed public attention on the RCMP: a situation where two off-duty RCMP members were charged and later found not guilty of sexual assault; and the circumstances experienced by Raymond Silverfox in the holding cells at the Whitehorse detachment in the hours prior to his death. While these high-profile incidents have caused many citizens to question how the RCMP operates in the territory, Yukon First Nations citizens in particular have concerns rooted in their relationship with the RCMP and based on personal experience or hearsay. These concerns did not arise or develop recently, but they have been heightened by recent events. We have heard many accounts of policing excellence, including stories of RCMP members going above and beyond their normal duties. The purpose of the Review is to improve the quality of policing services for all citizens in the territory. First Nations and non-First Nations citizens raised concerns that some members of the community have been subject to discrimination and cultural insensitivity. Citizens, particularly those who work directly with women in crisis, raised concerns about the RCMP's response to calls for assistance in situations involving domestic violence and sexualized assault. Citizens brought forward concerns about being treated with indifference or disrespect when interacting with the RCMP. This was particularly evident in submissions from individuals in vulnerable situations - acutely intoxicated persons and offenders with mental health and cognitive disorders such as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). A number of citizens also noted their frustrations, suspicions and lack of knowledge about the process for making a complaint against the RCMP. Even some individuals who work in the justice system were unaware of the complaint process Terms of Reference and process It was within this context that the Yukon Minister of Justice established the Review of Yukon's Police Force. The Review was Co-Chaired by a representative of the Council of Yukon First Nations; the Commanding Officer of RCMP "M" Division; and the Deputy Minister, Department of Justice, Government of Yukon. With the assistance of members of an Advisory Committee, the Co-Chairs spoke directly with over one thousand citizens of the territory to gain a better appreciation of their concerns with the RCMP and to build a process for restoring and maintaining public confidence in Yukon's police force. Terms of Reference - Terms of Reference 1: Consider measures and make recommendations to better ensure that Yukon's police force is responsive and accountable to the needs of Yukon citizens; - Terms of Reference 2: Review how public complaints relating to the RCMP in Yukon are currently dealt with and to make recommendations on any required improvements; - Terms of Reference 3: Determine the skills that Yukon officers require in order to provide policing services in Yukon communities and make recommendations to enhance training, including the potential for Yukon-based training; - Terms of Reference 4: Review the services provided by the RCMP to citizens who are in vulnerable positions, including victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, as well as individuals who are arrested and detained in custody; - Terms of Reference 5: Identify and build upon successes and best practices in the delivery of policing services to Yukon; and - Terms of Reference 6: Review and make recommendations on how best to implement in Yukon the existing RCMP policy on external investigations and reviews. The Co-Chairs and Advisory Committee members participated in public meetings across the territory. Meetings were also held with justice workers and social service providers who have regular contact with the RCMP. A special effort was made to engage First Nation citizens in the Review process. We recognized that many individuals might be reluctant to speak openly in a public forum about their experiences so we relied on third parties to arrange meetings and provide comments to us in writing. We also reached out to RCMP members, staff and volunteers, as well as former RCMP members living in the territory, to ensure that they had the opportunity to provide their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of living and working in the north and their recommendations for moving forward. Details: Whitehorse: Yukon Government, 2014. 124p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 25, 2017 at: http://www.policereview2010.gov.yk.ca/pdf/Sharing_Common_Ground_Final_Report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Canada URL: http://www.policereview2010.gov.yk.ca/pdf/Sharing_Common_Ground_Final_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 147447 Keywords: Police Administration Police DepartmentsPolice LegitimacyPolice ReformPolice-Citizen Interactions Police-Community Relations |
Author: Anzalone Liszt Grove Research Title: Seattle Police Community Survey Summary: As part of the consent decree between the Justice Department and the city of Seattle, a scientific poll conducted by national polling firm Anzalone Liszt Grove Research was filed today with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The poll, which was commissioned by the federal monitor, measures community attitudes towards the Seattle Police Department (SPD) and found that SPD's performance ratings continue to improve. According to the poll, the number of people who approve of SPD has increased to 72 percent, up from 60 percent in 2013 and 64 percent in 2015. Much of that improvement is among African Americans (49 percent approval in 2013 to 62 percent now) and Latinos (54 percent in 2013 to 74 percent now). At the same time, SPDs disapproval rating has decreased from 34 percent in 2013 to 20 percent in 2016, and fewer people are reporting troubling interactions between officers and Seattle residents. The poll follows similar surveys conducted in 2013 and 2015. "Constitutional, community-oriented policing strengthens public trust," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "The encouraging signs of improved community-police relations in Seattle, including in communities of color, show what can happen when residents and officers engage in the tough, vital work of rebuilding trust and solving problems. We look forward to working with Seattle as it continues to implement police reform and enhance public trust." "Public trust is a necessary foundation for lasting and effective police reform," said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes of the Western District of Washington. "The good news is that this most recent survey shows continued positive trends among many Seattle residents. The survey results showing increased approval of SPD, and fewer reported incidents of excessive force and bias policing are especially encouraging in light of the high-profile incidents and difficult community-police relationships in other parts of the country. That said, it is important to recognize the continued differences in attitudes and experience that the survey shows in communities of color here in Seattle. As part of the consent decree driven reform process, the hard work of identifying and addressing any unwarranted disparate impacts on these communities must continue. I am grateful for the continued dedication of so many SPD officers and community members - including the work of the Community Police Commission and other community organizations - to fostering an environment of openness, mutual trust and respect. The work is hard but absolutely essential to the life of our city." Anzalone Liszt Grove Research conducted 700 live cellphone and landline telephone interviews with adults 18 and older in Seattle, with an additional 95 interviews among Latinos and 105 interviews among African Americans. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 2015. 9p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 2, 2017 at: https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/904866/download Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/904866/download Shelf Number: 0 Keywords: Police Legitimacy Police-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations Police-Minority Relations Public Attitudes |
Author: Fontaine, Jocelyn Title: Mistrust and Ambivalence between Residents and the Police: Evidence from Four Chicago Neighborhoods Summary: Violence in Chicago has been national news as shootings and homicides have increased over the past year. Total homicides in 2016 reached levels the city has not experienced since the late 1990s (University of Chicago Crime Lab 2017); meanwhile, homicides in other large US cities have been declining or remaining steady (Freidman, Grawet, and Cullen 2016). Chicago residents have been demanding reforms to the ways police treat and interact with the public; this issue, which has been a persistent one particularly for residents of high-crime neighborhoods with heavy police presence, has been given renewed visibility after the release of video showing the killing of Laquan McDonald by a Chicago police officer. A subsequent US Department of Justice investigation of the Chicago Police Department revealed the department has problems with use of force and accountability that contribute to a lack of community trust in the department (US Department of Justice and US Attorney"s Office 2017). These issues are no doubt related: community trust in the police is an important contributor to effective crime control. While this brief is not intended to weigh in on what caused the most recent crime spike in Chicago, it does present findings that show the fractured relationship between residents of high-crime neighborhoods and the police that serve those communities. The data are based on surveys collected before the recent crime spike from residents and officers living or working in four Chicago neighborhoods that have had consistently high crime rates relative to other parts in the city. Because of the sampling methodology used for this study, our findings provide new insights on a topic that has received much empirical scrutiny: the criticality of police-citizen relationships. This brief discusses the level of mutual mistrust between residents (including those recently involved with the criminal justice system) and police officers in Chicago's 5th, 10th, 15th, and 25th police districts. Drawn from surveys of both officers and residents, the data demonstrate ambivalence between the police and the residents they serve. While the results are generally sobering, we find some potential for repairing the mistrust and pathways for building stronger police-community relationships. This brief proceeds in four sections. First, we discuss the importance of strong police-resident relationships; then, we outline the study methodology and the demographic characteristics of the sampled groups. Next, we present key findings on residents' perceptions of procedural fairness of police and support for officer behavior and actions, residents' perceptions of unreasonable stops, residents' willingness to participate in crime control, and police officers' perceptions of community cooperation and community trust. A final section summarizes the key findings and discusses the implications of our findings for police-community relationships and crime control, which are most relevant for the people living in the neighborhoods we studied and executive staff and patrol officers in the Chicago Police Department. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2017. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 6, 2017 at: https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/92316/2017.07.31_legitimacy_brief_finalized_0.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/92316/2017.07.31_legitimacy_brief_finalized_0.pdf Shelf Number: 148042 Keywords: HomicidesNeighborhoods and CrimePolice LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsViolent Crime |
Author: Wilson, Dean Title: The Station Study Report. Victoria Police and Victims of Crime: police perspectives and experiences from across Victoria Summary: This report presents the findings gathered from interviews with over 200 operational Victoria Police members. For the first time this research details police attitudes and practices in relation to seeking to provide support to victims of crime while also meeting the other demands and obligations required by their role as serving Victoria Police officers. The findings and recommendations presented in this report are focused upon recognising much of the work and practice that occurs across Victoria on a daily basis that goes largely unrecognised by Victoria Police and the Victorian community more generally, as much of the good work done by police is rarely seen or acknowledged. The release of these findings is particularly timely, only a few years after the implementation of the Victims' Charter, at a point at which Victoria Police and the Victorian community can reflect upon the extent to which service delivery standards have translated into best practice. There is significant innovation and work being undertaken in community-specific ways across Victoria in relation to victim support. There are also a range of areas in which practices and processes that have recently been implemented require rethinking in light of the lived experience of police officers working on the ground to implement these practices and protocols. The recommendations proposed in this report reflect the findings of our research and are intended to contribute towards enhancing and enriching police-victim interaction and victim experiences of the criminal justice system more generally. Details: Clayton, Vic. Faculty of Arts, Monash University, 2011. 124p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 27, 2017 at: http://artsonline.monash.edu.au/gender-and-family-violence/files/2016/04/The-Station-Study-Final-Report-2.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://artsonline.monash.edu.au/gender-and-family-violence/files/2016/04/The-Station-Study-Final-Report-2.pdf Shelf Number: 148502 Keywords: Police-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolicingVictim ServicesVictims of Crime |
Author: Braga, Anthony A. Title: The Impact of Body-Worn Cameras on Complaints Against Officers and Officer Use of Force Incident Reports: Preliminary Evaluation Findings Summary: SUMMARY - The Boston Police Department collaborated with Northeastern University to develop a randomized controlled trial of its pilot implementation of 100 body worn cameras on patrol officers in 5 police districts and plainclothes officers in the Youth Violence Strike Force. - The Northeastern research team randomly allocated 281 officers into treatment (camera wearers) and control groups from these assignments. The selected officers worked the day and first half shifts and were actively providing police services to Boston residents. - The randomization procedure generated treatment (140 officers) and control (141 officers) groups that were equivalent in terms of officer sex, race, age, years on the job, shift, assignment, prior complaints, and prior use of force reports. All treatment officers were trained on the body worn camera policy and the use of the technology. - At the commencement of the pilot program, 100 of the 140 officers trained on the use of body worn cameras were assigned to wear the cameras. Over the course of the one-year intervention period, 21 officers stopped wearing the cameras due to promotions, assignment changes, medical incapacitation, resignation, and retirement. A total of 121 of the 140 treatment officers wore cameras during the pilot program. - The preliminary findings of the randomized controlled trial suggest that the placement of body worn cameras on Boston Police officers may generate small benefits to the civility of police-citizen civilian encounters. Relative to control officers, treatment officers received fewer citizen complaints and generated fewer use of force reports. - Statistical analysis revealed that the impact of body worn cameras on complaints was small but statistically-significant at a less restrictive statistical threshold. The results suggest a reduction of one complaint per month for 140 treatment officers relative to 141 control officers. The analysis indicated body worn cameras generated a small reduction in officer use of force reports that was not statistically-significant, suggesting no meaningful difference between the treatment and control groups. - These preliminary results are not final and should be interpreted with caution. The evaluation team will continue to collect data and pursue supplemental analyses to ensure that these findings are robust to different tests and model specifications. The final report will present completed analyses of the impact of body worn cameras on citizen complaints and officer use of force reports as well as analyses of impacts on police proactivity, lawfulness of police enforcement actions, and police-community relations. Details: Boston: Northeastern University, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 2018. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 31, 2018 at: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5086f19ce4b0ad16ff15598d/t/5a563546ec212d4f5bf29527/1515599174343/BPD+BWC+RCT+preliminary+impact+report.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5086f19ce4b0ad16ff15598d/t/5a563546ec212d4f5bf29527/1515599174343/BPD+BWC+RCT+preliminary+impact+report.pdf Shelf Number: 148946 Keywords: Body-Worn Cameras Camera Technology Cameras Law Enforcement Technology Police Accountability Police Surveillance Police Use of Force Police-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community relations |
Author: Trinkner, Rick Title: Expanding 'Appropriate' Police Behavior Beyond Procedural Justice: Bounded Authority &and Legal Legitimation Summary: This paper expands previous conceptualizations of appropriate police behavior beyond procedural justice. The focus of the current study is on the notion of bounded authority - i.e. respecting the limits of one's power. Work on legal socialization shows how citizens come to acquire three dimensions of values that determine how authorities ought to behave: (a) neutral, consistent and transparent decision-making; (b) interpersonal treatment that conveys respect, dignity and concern; and (c) respect for the limits of rightful authority. Using survey data from a nationally representative sample of US adults, we show that concerns over bounded authority, respectful treatment, and neutral decision-making combine to form a strong predictor of police and legal legitimacy. Legal legitimacy is also associated with greater compliance behavior, controlling for personal morality and perceived likelihood of sanctions. Our conclusions address some future directions of research, particularly in the extension of procedural justice theory. Details: Unpublished Paper, 2016. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2846659 Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2846659 Shelf Number: 149226 Keywords: Legal SocializationPolice BehaviorPolice LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsProcedural Justice |
Author: Hickman, Kishon C., Sr. Title: From Behind the Lens: Police Officer Perceptions as Body-Worn Cameras are Introduced Into the New York City Police Department Summary: In 2014, the U.S. District Court ordered the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to test the use of body-worn cameras (BWCs) after finding that their stop, question, and frisk practices violated the rights of some minority New Yorkers. The ruling in Floyd v. City of New York (2013) mandated the recording of future interactions to determine if behavior would be influenced. A total of 54 volunteer officers wore a BWC for a 1-year period and were assigned to six precincts, all selected due to the high frequency of stop, question, and frisk reports prepared by patrol officers. This research examined patrol officer perceptions of the BWC from the lens of the NYPD's two-officer patrol car. The study revealed unique access to 54 volunteer officers and their non-camera-wearing patrol partners, as they recorded citizen interactions during this pilot period. Further, this study examined the extent officers were open to the adoption of BWCs, providing some of the first-ever evidence for or against claims of increased transparency, accountability and improvements in both officer and citizen behavior during encounters. The respondents' demographic data were analyzed to determine any relationship with particular viewpoints toward the BWC. The results suggest that patrol officers are in favor of the adoption of a BWC program, and that the BWC had little to no effect on their patrol partnerships. Results also suggest that officers felt comfortable wearing BWCs, and that regardless of their age, gender, years of police experience or years partnering, the existence of the BWC made for better police service in New York City. Details: Rochester, NY: St. John Fisher College, 2017. 163p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed February 23, 2018 at: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1301&context=education_etd Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1301&context=education_etd Shelf Number: 149230 Keywords: Body-Worn CamerasCamerasPolice AccountabilityPolice SurveillancePolice TechnologyPolice-Citizen InteractionsStop and Frisk |
Author: Development Services Group Title: Interactions Between Youth and Law Enforcement: Literature Review Summary: Police-youth contact consists of any face-to-face interaction between a youth and one or more law enforcement officers, including sworn officers serving in municipal police departments; sheriff's departments; state police; and special jurisdiction agencies such as transit, park, and university police (Hyland, Langton, and Davis 2015). Contact can be youth-initiated or police-initiated and may occur in programmatic settings, such as police-led programs (e.g., police athletic leagues), or through day-today interactions in community and school settings (Hurst 2007; Goodrich, Anderson, and LaMotte 2014). Some interactions also occur when youths are victims of crime. As gatekeepers to the justice system, police-youth contact can result in informal solutions such as programs and services that divert youth away from system involvement, or arrest and further entry into the criminal and juvenile justice systems (Worden and Myers 2000; Brown, Novak, and Frank 2009; Goodrich, Anderson, and LaMotte 2014). Such decisions during contact with youth can shape the options available to other juvenile justice decision makers in the system (Liederbach 2007). Police-youth contact occurs often and is most frequent for youths between the ages of 18 and 24 (Eith and Durose 2011). Despite the importance and prevalence of such interactions, limited research has been dedicated to understanding the dynamics of encounters between police and youth (Brown and Benedict 2002; Thurau 2009). Though official police data provides useful context for understanding the prevalence of police-youth contact, the data does not provide information on police-youth interactions in terms of the nature of the incidents or how youth behaviors affect the actions of police officers, and vice versa (Skogan and Frydl 2004; Mastrofski, Snipes, and Supina 1996). Most research focuses on factors that influence the decisions made after juveniles have been arrested (Allen 2005) or youth attitudes toward police (Brick, Taylor, and Esbensen 2009; Flexon et al. 2016; Hagan, Shedd, and Payne 2005; Hardin 2004; Brunson and Weitzer 2009; Wu, Lake, and Cao 2015). While most researchers agree that age and race are factors that consistently influence youth attitudes toward police, there is also no consensus on other factors (e.g., gender, social class) that influence youth attitudes toward the police or when such factors begin to influence police-youth interactions (Brown and Benedict 2002). There has also been little research on how youth behaviors and decision-making influence police-youth contact (Brunson and Weitzer 2011), or on how officers' concerns for community safety and their own safety influence these interactions. This literature review will discuss the research relevant to interactions between police and youth. Topics in this review include the prevalence of police-youth interactions, factors that influence such interactions, the role of law enforcement in the juvenile justice system, and the outcome evidence of programs developed to help improve police-youth encounters. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2018. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2018 at: https://www.ojjdp.gov/mpg/litreviews/Interactions-Youth-Law-Enforcement.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.ojjdp.gov/mpg/litreviews/Interactions-Youth-Law-Enforcement.pdf Shelf Number: 149414 Keywords: Evidence-Based ProgramsPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolice-Youth Interactions |
Author: Watts, Brad Title: Evaluability Assessment of the NAFI Youth and Police Initiative Training, Final Report Summary: This report details the results of an Evaluability Assessment of the Youth-Police Initiative (YPI) training program conducted by the Center for Human Services Research with support from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The purpose of this evaluability assessment (EA) was to gauge the YPI program's readiness for evaluation and provide recommendations and technical assistance to prepare for an outcomes-based evaluation. - A five-task EA model originally developed for criminal justice programs guided the project's research methodology. The five tasks are 1) study the program history, design, and operation; 2) watch the program in action; 3) determine the capacity for data collection; 4) assess the likelihood that the program will reach its goals and objectives; and 5) show why an evaluation will or will not help the program and its stakeholders. - The YPI program model brings together youth and police to provide training on how to interact with each other and resolve conflicts. The approach has much in common with literature on attitude toward police and police legitimacy and has some roots in conflict resolution theory. - The YPI program has evolved during a decade of operation from a police-training model to a youth-oriented approach. Program design and approach quickly evolved from a police-oriented training for recent academy graduates (after the first two rounds of implementation) to a youth-oriented program within a community-based setting. There has been some ongoing variation in the details of implementation, which could challenge efforts to evaluate the program. - The YPI program has demonstrated capacity to collect data directly from participants. Pre- and post-training surveys have been collected from youth and police participants, and the YPI program has engaged in a pilot of longer-term follow-up surveys during this study. - Past data collection has not always been consistent. The program has used varying data collection forms. As part of the study, new data collection forms utilizing fieldtested measures of attitude change have been created and implemented. - The original stated goals of the YPI program are broad and ambitious, but may be difficult to achieve. Research on similar programs suggests that it is possible to change the attitudes and behaviors of individuals, but difficult to alter community-level impacts such as outcomes related to community violence or overall rates of conflict between youth and police. - Observation of YPI program training sessions revealed that implementation mostly matches the program model. The sessions were small (14 youth, 9 officers), focused on developing youth presentation and leadership skills, and used hands-on scenarios and interactions to build relationships between police and youth over a short period of time. - YPI program data suggests that improvement in attitude has occurred amongst participating youth. Data from existing surveys was analyzed to determine if changes occurred in the desired or expected ways over time. The change in youth ratings suggests that it should be possible to measure attitude-based outcomes in a future evaluation. - Analysis of past data found no change in police attitudes. However, it should be noted that police officers generally gave the program good ratings for helping to build trust, developing positive relationships, and helping them to see youth in a more positive light. Evidence on attitude change amongst police officers participating in the YPI program was limited by the small number of surveys available. - YPI program staff and other stakeholders are interested in evaluation. The benefits of a future evaluation include continuous program improvement, the ability to provide robust evidence to interested communities and police departments, and the possibility of developing into an "evidence-based" program model. Major Recommendations - The program goals and logic model should be revised to reflect a focused set of attainable outcome goals. Many of the YPI program's original goals are ambitious but may be difficult to achieve. Suggested goals that are more tightly aligned with program activities include changing participants' attitudes, improving ability of participants to handle youth-police interactions, creating a positive training experience, reducing negative youth-police interactions, and reducing criminal involvement among youth participants. - New data collection forms and protocol should be implemented. During the study new forms were created and piloted with measures related to the suggested goals and outcomes. It is also recommended that the YPI program create and maintain a consistent database of all survey responses that will help support future evaluation efforts. - Outcomes should be measured over a longer period of time. In addition to new forms for pre/post training data collection, new draft follow-up questionnaires were also created to capture medium-to-long-term outcomes. It is recommended that these follow-up surveys be conducted with both youth and police participants approximately threemonths after the training sessions are completed. Additionally, future evaluation efforts could be aided by the collection of crime data reports on youth participants for a period of several months after program participation. Details: Albany, NY: CENTER FOR HUMAN SERVICES RESEARCH UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK. 2017. 74p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 15, 2018 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/251113.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/251113.pdf Shelf Number: 149478 Keywords: Juvenile MentoringPolice LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolice-Juvenile RelationsYouth Programs |
Author: Wasserman, Howard M. Title: Police Misconduct, Video Recording, and Procedural Barriers to Rights Enforcement Summary: The story of police reform and of "policing the police" has become the story of video and video evidence, and "record everything to know the truth" has become the singular mantra. Video, both police-created and citizen-created, has become the singular tool for ensuring police accountability, reforming law enforcement, and enforcing the rights of victims of police misconduct. This Article explores procedural problems surrounding the use of video recording and video evidence to counter police misconduct, hold individual officers and governments accountable, and reform departmental policies, regulations, and practices. It considers four issues: 1) the mistaken belief that video can "speak for itself" and the procedural and evidentiary problems flowing from that mistaken belief; 2) the evidentiary advantages video provides police and prosecutors; 3) procedural limits on efforts to enforce a First Amendment right to record, such as qualified immunity and standing; and 4) the effects of video on government decisions to pursue criminal charges against police officers and to settle civil-rights suits alleging police misconduct. Details: Miami: Florida International University, 2017. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Florida International University Legal Studies Research Paper No. 17-48: Accessed March 23, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3086092 Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 149554 Keywords: Body-Worn CamerasPolice AccountabilityPolice MisconductPolice-Citizen InteractionsVideo Recordings |
Author: Morin, Rich Title: Behind the Badge: Amid protests and calls for reform, how police view their jobs, key issues and recent fatal encounters between blacks and police Summary: Police work has always been hard. Today police say it is even harder. In a new Pew Research Center national survey conducted by the National Police Research Platform, majorities of police officers say that recent high-profile fatal encounters between black citizens and police officers have made their jobs riskier, aggravated tensions between police and blacks, and left many officers reluctant to fully carry out some of their duties. The wide-ranging survey, one of the largest ever conducted with a nationally representative sample of police, draws on the attitudes and experiences of nearly 8,000 policemen and women from departments with at least 100 officers. It comes at a crisis point in America's relationship with the men and women who enforce its laws, precipitated by a series of deaths of black Americans during encounters with the police that have energized a vigorous national debate over police conduct and methods. Within America's police and sheriff's departments, the survey finds that the ramifications of these deadly encounters have been less visible than the public protests, but no less profound. Three-quarters say the incidents have increased tensions between police and blacks in their communities. About as many (72%) say officers in their department are now less willing to stop and question suspicious persons. Overall, more than eight-in-ten (86%) say police work is harder today as a result of these high-profile incidents. At the same time that black Americans are dying in encounters with police, the number of fatal attacks on officers has grown in recent years. About nine-in-ten officers (93%) say their colleagues worry more about their personal safety - a level of concern recorded even before a total of eight officers died in separate ambush-style attacks in Dallas and Baton Rouge last July. The survey also finds that officers remain deeply skeptical of the protests that have followed deadly encounters between police and black citizens. Two-thirds of officers (68%) say the demonstrations are motivated to a great extent by anti-police bias; only 10% in a separate question say protesters are similarly motivated by a genuine desire to hold police accountable for their actions. Some two-thirds characterize the fatal encounters that prompted the demonstrations as isolated incidents and not signs of broader problems between police and the black community - a view that stands in sharp contrast with the assessment of the general public. In a separate Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults, 60% say these incidents are symptoms of a deeper problem. A look inside the nation's police departments reveals that most officers are satisfied with their department as a place to work and remain strongly committed to making their agency successful. Still, about half (53%) question whether their department's disciplinary procedures are fair, and seven-in-ten (72%) say that poorly performing officers are not held accountable. Details: Washington, DC: Pew Research Center, 2017. 97p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 26, 2018 at: https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/01/06171402/Police-Report_FINAL_web.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/01/06171402/Police-Report_FINAL_web.pdf Shelf Number: 149577 Keywords: Deadly ForcePolice AccountabilityPolice ReformPolice Use of ForcePolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Minority Relations |
Author: Kenny, Daryl Evan Title: A Force for Good: Exploring the future of non-crime policing Summary: Crime is promoted by the government as being the primary task of the police, yet such a focus marginalizes the extraordinary prominence and relevance of many non-crime policing activities. This research highlights the breadth and complexity of those duties, filling a gap in the literature by exploring the possible future of non-crime policing. The research draws on extensive literary sources and utilizes quantitative data covering eight years of public calls made to the Staffordshire Police. The research includes qualitative data obtained from thirteen semi-structured interviews with individuals who have extensive policing experience. The research found that public demand for policing declined over the reviewed period, with staffing levels in Staffordshire dropping and government funding falling drastically. There were marked increases in 'concern for safety' incidents, 'suicides' and cases involving individuals suffering mental health crises. The research explored policing from a historical perspective drawing on European and British history, ancient and modern, in order to help shine a light on prospective future developments. The research suggested that policing is torn between those who feel that non-crime matters are important and those who think that policing should be largely crime-focused. Concerns were raised about the on going politicization of policing, the extended police hierarchy and the impact of neo-liberalism on non-crime demand. Non-crime policing appears to be moving incrementally towards pluralization and privatisation, though it could also help initiate a more unified, internationalized policing service built around human rights. All futures remain open and it is up to all of us to decide what that future will ultimately be. Details: Portsmouth, UK: University of Portsmouth, 2016. 183p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed April 3, 2018 at: https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/portal/files/7009801/DCrimJ_Thesis_Daryl_Kenny_265705._FINALv1.2..pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/portal/files/7009801/DCrimJ_Thesis_Daryl_Kenny_265705._FINALv1.2..pdf Shelf Number: 149665 Keywords: Police OfficersPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolicing |
Author: Amnesty International Netherlands Title: Police and Minority Groups Summary: In 2016, PHRP finalized the third paper of the short paper series on Police and Minority Groups. Police have a duty to protect people against crime, and this includes protection against crime motivated by discrimination. They are furthermore obliged not to commit any acts of discrimination themselves in carrying out their law enforcement duties. However, in many instances law enforcement officials fail in both regards: they can sometimes have the role of the perpetrator, actively discriminating for example by means of ethnic profiling, harassment, or through the excessive use of force against certain groups, or they fail to effectively protect people from crimes motivated by discrimination ("hate crimes") or to investigate such crimes. Any such conduct has damaging consequences. In a specific situation, it leads to a violation of the human rights of the person(s) concerned. On a wider scale, it leads to the loss of confidence in police by minority groups, fostering a climate of mutual mistrust or even hostility that can be self-reinforcing. There are, however, solutions and ways to address these issues, and good practices can be found in numerous countries and contexts to improve the relationship between police and minority groups. The PHRP team looked at a variety of European countries, to outline and analyse some of the most common issues as well as to introduce possible solutions and examples of good practice on how to counter the problem. To that end, the paper addresses some general considerations about the relationship between police and minority groups as well as specific issues that are common concerns in the interaction between police and minority groups, namely hate crimes, ethnic profiling and preventing and addressing discriminatory police misconduct. Details: Amsterdam: Amnesty International, 2016. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Police and Human Rights Programme - Short paper series No. 3: Accessed April 4, 2018 at: https://www.amnesty.nl/actueel/short-paper-series-no-3-police-and-minority-groups Year: 2016 Country: Netherlands URL: https://www.amnesty.nl/actueel/short-paper-series-no-3-police-and-minority-groups Shelf Number: 149684 Keywords: Minority GroupsPolice MisconductPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolice-Minority Relations |
Author: Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission Title: Audit of Victoria Police's oversight of serious incidents Summary: o determine how effectively Victoria Police oversights serious incidents involving its officers, IBAC audited more than 140 oversight files closed by Victoria Police during the 2015/16 financial year. The audit examined Victoria Police's oversight of serious incidents resulting in death and serious injury following police contact. The audit identified that there are aspects of Victoria Police's oversight process that are concerning and which could be improved. When a person dies or is seriously injured following an interaction with police, Victoria Police conducts an oversight of the incident and any subsequent investigation. Victoria Police's oversight process seeks to identify whether the serious incident was preventable or whether improvements could be made to police policies or practices to prevent similar incidents from occurring. Victoria Police also examines whether the investigation of the death or serious injury met the standards expected for handling serious incidents. Victoria Police conducts an oversight in response to the following serious incidents: a death or serious injury resulting from contact between police and the public a death or serious injury to a person in police custody an attempted suicide by a person in police custody an incident involving the discharge of a firearm by police an escape from custody any serious vehicle collision involving police. This report presents the findings of IBAC's audit of Victoria Police oversight files (known as C1-8 files). The audit assessed whether Victoria Police's oversights were thorough and impartial and met the standards required of such reviews. IBAC also examined relevant Victoria Police policies, conducted data analysis, and reviewed case studies. IBAC has made recommendations for Victoria Police to improve its oversight of serious incidents which Victoria Police has accepted. IBAC will monitor how Victoria Police implements these recommendations. The audit is part of an ongoing program of audits that IBAC conducts on how Victoria Police handles complaints. These audits help Victoria Police build capacity to prevent corrupt conduct and police misconduct by identifying areas of improvement around complaint handling. IBAC's audits also identify good practice that could be considered more broadly by Victoria Police. In doing so, audits help build public confidence in the integrity of Victoria Police's processes and in IBAC's independent police oversight role. Details: Melbourne: The Commission, 2018.62p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 6, 2018 at: http://www.ibac.vic.gov.au/docs/default-source/research-documents/audit-of-victoria-police-oversight-of-serious-incidents.pdf?sfvrsn=2 Year: 2018 Country: Australia URL: http://www.ibac.vic.gov.au/docs/default-source/research-documents/audit-of-victoria-police-oversight-of-serious-incidents.pdf?sfvrsn=2 Shelf Number: 149710 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice BehaviorPolice MisconductPolice PerformancePolice Use of ForcePolice-Citizen Interactions |
Author: Doob, Anthony N. Title: Understanding the Impact of Police Stops Summary: Imagine that technology existed such that the police could, electronically, identify and track everyone and every motor vehicle in the city and that this information were stored electronically and available to the police, as required, for solving crime. Even if such information was not admissible as evidence, one could easily see its possible value in solving crime. If a home were broken into, one only would have to search a data base to find out who had been in the neighbourhood. If a pedestrian were hit by a car that did not remain at the scene of the accident, one would only need to see what vehicles had been at that scene around the time of the accident to narrow down the possible suspects considerably. If a person were found to be using or in possession of drugs, one would only need to see whom that person had been in close contact with in recent times to identify a fairly small group of suspects as the source of those drugs. If a person were thought to be a member of a gang, it would be easy to find out whom that person associated with on a regular basis. We don't live in such a society. Obviously the information that the police have about the non-criminal activities of ordinary citizens is much more limited than that described in the previous paragraph. But what if it turned out we did live in the world described in the previous paragraph and people suddenly expressed the desire no longer to live in a world with constant and complete police scrutiny of their ordinary activities? One could imagine the suggestion would be made that not allowing police the kind of surveillance described in the previous paragraph would limit their ability to solve crime. We raise this hypothetical scenario for a particular reason: There is no point in arguing whether complete or highly detailed information about the day-to-day movements or meetings that Canadians have might be useful to the police in solving crime. At a more mundane level, we see on an almost daily basis that footage from 'security' cameras is now routinely used to solve crime in a manner not too different from that described above. Our second example comes closer to the issue of police stops. Imagine that there were no controls whatsoever on the power of the police to stop pedestrians and motorists and ask them to identify themselves. Even if, in law, citizens were not required to identify themselves or to answer any questions, one could argue that maintaining whatever information was obtained could be useful if a crime took place in that neighbourhood or someone associated with the person who had been stopped was suspected of some wrongdoing. That this information could potentially be useful is not the point. The question that needs to be raised in both of these examples is a much more complex one: What might be the 'costs' and 'benefits' to society of these kinds of data gathering programs? Even these two hypothetical scenarios are missing something crucial: comparison groups. The question, in most public policy areas, is not whether there are some successful outcomes from a particular procedure, but whether there are better outcomes overall than there might be under some other procedure. For example, in each of the hypothetical scenarios described above, it might be that deployment of resources in some quite different way or a decision to address some quite different problem would serve the community better than the scenarios described. Or such procedures as described earlier might help solve crime but would lessen cooperation with the police on important matters. Comparison groups or procedures typically are not employed adequately when assessing possible policy choices, but in reality the need for a 'comparison' is usually important. In a discussion about police equipment (e.g., body worn cameras), not only might one want to know whether they affect police or citizen behaviour (implying a comparison with how police or citizens behave without the device), but a serious policy analysis should include an analysis of alternative uses of the resources that would be required for the purchase and use of the devices. An example of the inappropriate use of implied comparisons is when changes in police strength or police tactics are implemented after an unusual (e.g., serious, violent) incident. When police, understandably, change their approach to policing a neighbourhood that experienced an unusual incident or high concentration of serious incidents, they sometimes infer that any subsequent return to 'normal' levels of crime is 'caused' by changes they made in their presence in the neighbourhood. Without adequate comparison areas (e.g., areas that experienced a 'spike' that did not result in changes in policing), such causal inferences simply aren't defensible. The issues become more complex when one moves closer to reality. One fact about crime that noone questions is that it is not evenly (or even randomly) distributed across people, groups of people, or neighbourhoods in our society. Young males, for example, are disproportionately more likely to be involved in a variety of different kinds of crime than other people. People who live in certain kinds of neighbourhoods are more likely to commit offences than people in other neighbourhoods. But some neighbourhoods themselves appear to have characteristics that make them more likely to be the sites for crime above and beyond the characteristics of the individuals who live in them. In this context, a policing perspective that did not consider any other concerns could justify focusing surveillance resources on certain neighbourhoods or types of people (e.g., young males). The problem is that there almost always are other concerns, and concerns that could easily have the effect of undermining the crime control goal of proactive policing activities, such as police stops. This report examines some of the more reliable research that has been carried out on issues broadly related to 'street stops' of ordinary citizens. It makes the assumption that stops can have more than one effect and that some of these effects might, broadly speaking, be favourable and others unfavourable. Hence this report is more than an attempt to answer the question of whether street stops have a short term effect on local crime. We are not claiming to provide an exhaustive review of the literature that summarizes all of the research on issues related to street stops. Were we to do so, we would spend considerable resources reviewing and discarding inadequate research papers. Instead we are relying on Criminological Highlights, a research information service, produced by the Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies of the University of Toronto. The papers summarized in this information service not only have been reviewed by reputable social science journals, but also by our editorial board (currently of about 11 people), which has read and evaluated each paper that is summarized in Criminological Highlights. The one page summaries of articles we cite are attached to this report and are an integral part of it. Most importantly, these summaries make it easy for readers to evaluate the information on which our conclusions are based. Details: Toronto: University of Toronto, Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies, 2017. 90p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 6, 2018 at: http://criminology.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/DoobGartnerPoliceStopsReport-17Jan2017r.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Canada URL: http://criminology.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/DoobGartnerPoliceStopsReport-17Jan2017r.pdf Shelf Number: 149726 Keywords: Crime HotspotsPolice CrackdownsPolice Policies and PracticesPolice SurveillancePolice-Citizen InteractionsRacial Profiling in Law EnforcementStop and FriskStop and Search |
Author: Adelman, Judith Title: Study in Blue and Grey: Police Interventions with People with Mental Illness: A Review of Challenges and Responses Summary: Police throughout North America are responding to a significant number of 911 calls involving people who have a mental illness. In the vast majority of incidents, such calls are resolved without incident. However, sometimes the results are the death or injury of the police officer, the person who is ill, and/or another person. When this happens it has prolonged negative effects on the individuals and communities involved. When lives are lost, they cannot be reclaimed. Whether the result is injury or death, it has longstanding implications for the persons with mental illness, the family, police, and to all who survive the incident. In October 2000, the BC Chief Coroner issued a report following an inquest. A man who was distressed and suffering from a mental illness began acting violently in the emergency department of a BC hospital. The police were called and as a result of the police action, the man was killed. The Coroner made a number of recommendations to various governments Ministries. One of the Coroner's many recommendations was that police be provided training with respect to dealing with people with a mental illness in a non-confrontational manner. Because people are so complex and situations can vary so significantly, it may not be possible to get to the point where there are no injuries or deaths. However, the common vision requires that we look for ways to reduce injury and death by improving the responses of the police and mental health systems while recognizing already-existing, effective programs that make a difference. Currently, there are a number of key reform initiatives in various locations in North America. This paper is intended to build on that work by providing relevant information regarding these initiatives that would enable the partners within the mental health and criminal justice systems here in BC to plan more effectively, and to improve their system of response to people with mental illness who are in crisis. The specific objectives of the project are to: - Find out what kind of training is offered to police in different jurisdictions to determine the common program elements, and to attempt to identify the most effective components - Review the literature to determine what service delivery models are being used by police in various jurisdictions to intervene in crises - Determine the impacts of the various programs: for example, whether they reduce injuries, are helpful to people with mental illness and to police etc. - Examine recommendations from reviews of police actions - Determine key aspects and key strategies for implementation; that is, those key factors that contribute to the establishment of effective intervention programs This report relies on published research and reports, as well as interviews with individuals who work for or with police departments, including mental health professionals. It also includes information gained from Coroner's reports and interviews with individuals who participated in inquiries. Part One of the report looks at the nature of the problem. It begins in Section A by looking at why more people with a mental illness are coming into contact with the police, describing a number of factors that have contributed to this trend, including changes in the mental health delivery system, changes within the police force and the move towards 'community policing.' Then, in Section B, the report looks at some of the factors that create barriers to effective police response to persons with mental illness. Next, Section C looks at two key issues that have resulted from this state of affairs: criminalization and injury or death of persons with mental illness (as well as serious personal consequences for the police officers involved). The report then examines the factors that have caused police to change their practices. In Part Two, we look at solutions. Section A of Part Two looks at different models of police programs that were developed to assist individuals who are in psychiatric crisis, and identifies the common issues that each program addresses in various ways. Section B looks at available outcome research, including the relative strengths and weaknesses of the models. In Part 3 we look at conclusions and recommendations for action in British Columbia Details: Vancouver: Canadian Mental Health Association, 2003. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 9, 2018 at: https://cmha.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/policereport.pdf Year: 2003 Country: Canada URL: https://cmha.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/policereport.pdf Shelf Number: 149740 Keywords: Mentally Ill PersonsPolice Services for the Mentally IllPolice TrainingPolice-Citizen Interactions |
Author: Police Executive Research Forum Title: Operational Strategies to Build Police-Community Trust and Reduce Crime in Minority Communities: The Minneapolis Cedar-Riverside Exploratory Policing Study Summary: The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), and the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) designed, implemented, and evaluated a three-anda-half-year project that took place in the Cedar-Riverside area of Minneapolis that explored a new approach to policing in minority communities. The project's approach is built on the foundational concepts of procedural justice and legitimacy. The Cedar-Riverside neighborhood provided a unique laboratory for testing the approach in a challenging, real-world setting. Cedar-Riverside has the largest population of East African (primarily Somali) immigrants in the United States, largely resulting from the influx of refugees entering the U.S. in the 1990s. Many residents still speak their native language and follow traditional culture and customs from their homeland. Furthermore, residents' perceptions of government and particularly the police have been tainted by the corruption and abuse these refugees witnessed or experienced in their native Somalia and other countries. Fear and misunderstanding between East African residents and the criminal justice system in Minneapolis (especially the police) have been and continue to be major challenges. The objective of this project was to test the idea that crime prevention and enforcement efforts of police departments are strengthened when the police actively strive to improve their relationship with the community by using every interaction as an opportunity to demonstrate civil, unbiased, fair, and respectful policing. Given the diversity and unique challenges of Cedar-Riverside, it is believed that if the concepts of procedural justice and legitimacy can be successfully implemented there, they can be applied in a broad range of other communities throughout the United States. Initially conceived as a police-community project only, it became apparent early on that to fully implement and test the principles of procedural justice and legitimacy, other elements of the Minneapolis justice system would need to be included as well. MPD's partners in this effort included not only the Cedar-Riverside community, but also the Minneapolis City Attorney's Office, Hennepin County Attorney's Office, and Hennepin County Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation (probation). In addition, BJA and PERF brought in two nationally-recognized consultants to advise on the project: Dr. George Kelling, co-author of the "Broken Windows" model and renowned police researcher, and Dr. Tom Tyler, Professor of Law and Psychology at Yale Law School and a leading advocate for applying the principles of procedural justice to policing. This collaborative team designed, implemented, and evaluated evidence-based crime reduction tactics in the Cedar-Riverside area, resulting in a system-wide prototype that we believe can be replicated in other areas Details: Washington, DC; PERF, 2017. 96p. Source: Internet Resource: Critical Issues in Policing Series: Accessed April 12, 2018 at: http://www.policeforum.org/assets/MinneapolisCedarRiverside.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: http://www.policeforum.org/assets/MinneapolisCedarRiverside.pdf Shelf Number: 149790 Keywords: Evidence-Based PolicingImmigrant CommunitiesPolice LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolice-Minority Relations |
Author: Hart, Bill Title: Confidence and Caution: Arizonans' Trust in the Police Summary: National surveys, as well as an Arizona poll commissioned for this report, indicate that most Americans do trust police. But a closer examination of the relationship between police and public finds it to be remarkably complex, resting as it does on a fundamental ambivalence that both sides bring to it. Police, on one hand, are sworn to "serve and protect" the public, but in doing so regularly must discipline and compel some of them. The public, on the other hand, must obey officers and rely on them; but many also acknowledge that they sometimes resent and even fear the police. This report addresses the issue of trust in police in three ways: reviewing national and Arizona-focused research literature; analyzing the results of 10 focus groups across the state; and providing the findings of a random-sample opinion poll of all Arizona adults. Details: Phoenix: Morrison Institute for Public Policy, School of Public Affairs, College of Public Programs, Arizona State University, 2007. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 18, 2018 at: https://morrisoninstitute.asu.edu/sites/default/files/content/products/ConfAndCaution-AzTrustInPolice.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: https://morrisoninstitute.asu.edu/sites/default/files/content/products/ConfAndCaution-AzTrustInPolice.pdf Shelf Number: 117091 Keywords: Police LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Hardy, Steven Title: Street involved drug use, social dynamics and interactions with police in Ottawa Summary: Homeless populations are frequently associated with drug consumption. Drug use by homeless people is more visible leading to the assumption that homeless or street involved populations use drugs more frequently or differently than other segments of the population. In this paper, I challenge this idea and consider how homeless and street involved populations consume drugs and how they understand their drug consumption. In 15 semi-structured, open-ended interviews I explored how homeless and street involved men consume drugs and how they view their drug use. Their drug use is within the broader societal context that impacts their understandings and views of drug consumption. Using Peta Malins' definition of the "junkie", I explore the impact of this idea on how drugs are consumed by homeless and street involved populations. Drawing on the idea of subjectivities, this paper looks at how these individuals understand what it means to be a "junkie" and how they understand their own drug consumption in response. Police have an impact on the daily lives of street involved drug users. This paper explores how police interact with street involved drug users and how street involved drug users understand these interactions. Finally, I consider how the "junkie" subjectivity impacts interactions between street involved users and police. Details: Ottawa: Carleton University, 2017. 139p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed April 26, 2018 at: https://curve.carleton.ca/system/files/etd/24a686ce-eeb5-491c-a514-93574703aabb/etd_pdf/7a795ab822b8c41077f62cb17b54ddc3/hardy-streetinvolveddrugusesocialdynamicsandinteractions.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Canada URL: https://curve.carleton.ca/system/files/etd/24a686ce-eeb5-491c-a514-93574703aabb/etd_pdf/7a795ab822b8c41077f62cb17b54ddc3/hardy-streetinvolveddrugusesocialdynamicsandinteractions.pdf Shelf Number: 149900 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug OffendersHomeless PersonsPolice-Citizen Interactions |
Author: United States Conference of Mayors Title: Community Conversations and Other Efforts to Strengthen Police-Community Relations In 49 Cities Summary: Following tragic shootings in Baton Rouge, Falcon Heights, and Dallas that rocked the nation, on July 13 in the White House, President Obama had a four-hour conversation with mayors, law enforcement officials, the faith community, civil rights leaders and activists about ways to keep people safe, build community trust, and ensure justice for all Americans. For nearly four hours they discussed: - Ways that all sides of our communities - activists, police, local officials - can work together to protect both the peace and first amendment rights at protests. - How we can effectively police neighborhoods ravaged by violence, improve law enforcement hiring practices, and make sure we're not asking our police to do too much. - How, when tragedies do occur, we can act in a way that honors all members of our communities. President Obama is encouraging all Americans - no matter who they are or where they live - to do whatever they can to foster these conversations and find solutions for their communities. He asked The U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities to help make these conversations occur - in 100 cities in 30 days. Our organizations agreed to do this and have been working with the White House to encourage mayors and other local officials to convene community conversations on race relations, justice, policing and equality. The response has been overwhelming. One hundred and five cities have told our two organizations that community conversations and other activities have occurred and/or are planned. This report is a compilation of the information on these activities that mayors in 49 cities in 30 states have sent to the Conference. It demonstrates that mayors took the President's challenge seriously and that many important efforts are underway in our cities. Details: Washington, DC: United States Conference of Mayors, 2016. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 3, 2018 at: https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/nwitimes.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/2c/52c4ddd2-39d8-5605-b2a7-b0d0db50f98c/57ab5c69b6ad2.pdf.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/nwitimes.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/2c/52c4ddd2-39d8-5605-b2a7-b0d0db50f98c/57ab5c69b6ad2.pdf.pdf Shelf Number: 150029 Keywords: Community PolicingPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Coventry, Garry Title: 'Sudanese refugees' Experiences with the Queensland Criminal Justice System: report to the Criminology Research Advisory Council Summary: This report represents the outcomes of an 18 month study of Sudanese Australians interactions with the criminal justice system in Queensland. The study was conducted across three sites; Townsville, Brisbane, and Toowoomba. The research was structured to address six major aims which focused on the experiences of Sudanese Australians particularly in relation to their interactions with the Queensland Police Service (QPS). This study used a multimethodological approach and focused on four key approaches to obtain data in order to address the aims: 1) A critical analysis of Australian print media was conducted to ascertain how Sudanese Australians are constructed and how these representations influence community attitudes and government policies; 2) Queensland police were interviewed to gain their perceptions about interactions with Sudanese Australians; 3) Attempts were made to examine quantitative data from police databases to ascertain the extent to which Sudanese are represented in the criminal justice system in terms of whether they were perpetrators or the victims of crime; 4) Finally the voices of Sudanese Australians were harnessed through focus group interviews and surveys from a representative sample of young people, elders and women across the three research sites. The media analysis produced a number of key findings. First, media reportage about Sudanese people has changed its focus over the time period covered in this analysis. There was a dramatic increase in media reportage in 2007. This is attributable to a large number of stories about the Sudanese problem around issues relating to crime, problems associated with refugee integration, youth gangs, and cultures of violence. Second, the trends in reportage changed since 2007 with an equivalence of stories reporting Sudanese as perpetrators as well as victims of crime. However despite a higher number of positive stories about the successes of Sudanese people is still reportage which portray Sudanese youth in particular as threats to law and order. The data from the focus groups conducted with the QPS differ to the outcomes of the media analysis. Police perceived Australian-Sudanese people pose no greater problem with relation to criminal activity than any other ethnic group. However police argued that they did encounter some problems during the early stages of integration in Queensland with a few individuals. One paradox arising from the police interviews was that while police stated that there were some problems they did point to a range of organisational responses to the nonproblem with particular emphasis on lack of knowledge of the legal system, particularly road laws. Certainly evidence from elsewhere, such as Victoria (Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission [VEOHRC], 2009), indicates tensions between police and Sudanese Australians that was not evident in Queensland police perspectives. One positive perspective from some police was that they were willing to be proactive by engaging with emerging communities rather than waiting for problems to arise. Details: Canberra: Criminology Research Advisory Council, 2015. 126p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 3, 2018 at: http://crg.aic.gov.au/reports/1415/38-0809-FinalReport.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Australia URL: http://crg.aic.gov.au/reports/1415/38-0809-FinalReport.pdf Shelf Number: 150033 Keywords: Immigrant Communities Migrants Police-Citizen InteractionsRefugees Sudanese |
Author: McCluskey, John D. Title: Assessing the Effects of Body-Worn Cameras on Procedural Justice in the Los Angeles Police Department Summary: This paper explores variations in procedural justice delivered in face to face encounters with citizens before and after the implementation of body worn cameras (BWC). The paper draws on recent advances in the measurement of procedural justice using systematic social observation of police in field settings in the Los Angeles Police Department. Data collected on 555 policecitizen encounters are examined in bivariate and multivariate models exploring the primary hypothesis that BWC affects procedural justice delivered by police directly and indirectly. Results indicate that significant increases in procedural justice during police-citizen encounters were directly attributable to BWCs effect on police behavior as well as indirect effects on citizen disrespect and other variables. The implications for policy include explicit measurement and monitoring of procedural justice or elements such as officer discourtesy in departments adopting BWC. Further research questions such as more detailed examination of citizens' behavior changes under BWC are also considered in the context of the findings. Details: Department of Criminal Justice, Rochester Institute of Technology Justice & Security Strategies, Inc., 2018. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 10, 2018 at: http://bwctta.com/sites/default/files/Files/Resources/1%20Procedural%20Justice%20CRIM%20%2010%2017%202017.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: http://bwctta.com/sites/default/files/Files/Resources/1%20Procedural%20Justice%20CRIM%20%2010%2017%202017.pdf Shelf Number: 150151 Keywords: Body-Worn Cameras Police Accountability Police Technology Police-Citizen InteractionsProcedural Justice |
Author: Patterson, Colin Vincent Title: NYPD Application of Stop, Question, and Frisk: Effects on Citizens Attitudes towards the Police and Police Community Relations Summary: Between 2004 and 2012, the New York City Police Department conducted more than 4.4 million stop, question, and frisks on predominately Black and Hispanic males. The purpose of this quantitative, multiple regression correlational study was to examine the effect of Stop, Question, and Frisk on citizens attitudes towards the police of citizens of New York City who resided in high crime neighborhoods. This study measured the effects of Stop, Question, and Frisk in the dimensions of cooperation, specific trust, and general attitudes toward the police. This study was completed by conducting an anonymous online survey consisting of 52 questions in English, delivered by Survey Monkey Targeted Audience Collector to 110 participants, both male and female 18 years of age or older. To address the research questions, linear regressions were used to explore the relationships between race, trust, and cooperation. The results of the regression for research question one on trust was statistically significant, suggesting that there was a difference in the level of trust with police between Black or Hispanic and Other races. The regression for research question two on cooperation was not statistically significant, suggesting that there was not a difference in the level of cooperation with police between Black or Hispanic and other races. The results of the study indicate that the participants' reason for not trusting the police, was due to the perceived disrespect they felt was portrayed towards them by police officers they had interacted with. However, although they did not trust the police they were willing to cooperate with the police. Lack of trust between the police and the citizens they serve may negatively impact police community relations. The results may be different in a time-lag longitudinal study. More research is needed to determine if racial disparity in the level of trust in the police exists while simultaneously examining the level of cooperation among a similar population sample in other high crime communities across the United States of America. Details: San Diego, California: Northcentral University, 2017. 170p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 11, 2018 at: https://search.proquest.com/docview/1973128645?pq-origsite=gscholar Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://search.proquest.com/docview/1973128645?pq-origsite=gscholar Shelf Number: 150154 Keywords: Police LegitiimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsStop and FriskStop and Search |
Author: New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board Title: Tasers: An Evaluation of Taser-Related Complaints from January 2014 Through December 2015 Summary: Across the United States, conducted energy devices, commonly known as "Tasers," are increasingly becoming a policing tool. 1 The New York City Police Department ("NYPD") has historically distributed Tasers on a limited basis, but as of early 2016, hundreds of new Tasers have been issued throughout the Department. As a result, the Civilian Complaint Review Board ("CCRB") can now begin to monitor the NYPD's Taser practices, including how officers are trained, the relevant contents of the NYPD Patrol Guide, and the patterns of police Taser conduct drawn from CCRB complaint data. When used properly, the Taser can be an effective weapon. Some reports on past experiences in New York City and across the country suggest that Tasers may pose health concerns and may be vulnerable to overuse. There has been limited discussion of the NYPD's guidance on when to use the weapon. Until 2015, few NYPD officers carried Tasers, and those who did were either senior officers or part of specialized commands. The NYPD has adopted and is implementing practices for Taser use. This issue brief seeks to share two years of CCRB complaint data, current NYPD guidance and practices as a baseline for tracking Taser use as it relates to CCRB complaints. The scope of the Report includes how Tasers are being used by the NYPD in Taser-related CCRB complaints from 2014 through 2015. Part I of the issue brief provides a short overview of the Taser, including its history, gradual adoption by the NYPD, and the NYPD's Taser policies and trainings. 2 Part II summarizes CCRB complaint data on Taser-related complaints from 2014 and 2015. Part III outlines current NYPD Guidance and identifies best practices. Part IV highlights next steps important for tracking and monitoring Taser use among NYPD officers. Details: New York: The Civilian Complaint Board, 2016. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 24, 2018 at: http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/ccrb/downloads/pdf/policy_pdf/issue_based/20161023_taser-report.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/ccrb/downloads/pdf/policy_pdf/issue_based/20161023_taser-report.pdf Shelf Number: 150362 Keywords: Citizen ComplaintsConducted Energy DevicesPolice MisconductPolice-Citizen InteractionsStun GunsTasers |
Author: New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board Title: Worth a Thousand Words: Examining Officer Interference in Civilian Recordings of Police Summary: Today, the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), the nation's largest independent police oversight entity, released a new report revealing insights into officer interference with civilian recordings of police interactions. The report, - Worth a Thousand Words: Examining Officer Interference with Civilian Recordings of Police,‖ reviews complaints filed against members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and is among the first analyses in the country of this type of misconduct. - Technology has greatly increased civilians' ability to record and share video of police encounters-as is their First Amendment right. This has increased transparency and debate about safe and fair policing. As these recordings become more prevalent, our police force must be prepared for the profound ways that video will shape police practices,‖ said CCRB Chair Maya D. Wiley. -This report is a step in that direction. It shows how New York City Police Department officers have interfered with civilian recordings of police activity and provides important recommendations for Patrol Guide revisions and improved officer training to help officers better understand and respect this First Amendment right. The report is a quantitative and qualitative analysis of three years of CCRB complaints in which civilians reported that officers had interfered with their ability to record police activity. Over this period, 257 complaints-less than two percent of the 15,006 CCRB complaints closed over three years-included allegations of officer interference with civilian recordings. These 257 complaints included 347 allegations that directly addressed officer interference with civilian recordings of police activity. That interference included verbal interference like directing civilians to stop recording; physical interference like knocking a recording device out of a civilian's hands; blocking recordings like physically obstructing a civilian's camera view of a scene; and intimidation like threatening to arrest or detain a civilian for recording an interaction. Verbal interference accounted for 24 percent of these complaints, while physical interference accounted for 46 percent of the complaints. Thirty percent of these complaints included allegations of both verbal and physical interference. In issuing its dispositions on allegations of recording interference during the past three years, the CCRB found in: - Twenty-eight percent of the allegations that the misconduct occurred (substantiated); - Forty-two percent of the allegations that not enough evidence was available to determine whether misconduct occurred (unsubstantiated); - Eleven percent of the allegations that the conduct occurred but was lawful (exonerated); and - Six percent of the allegations that the misconduct did not occur (unfounded). CCRB Executive Director Jonathan Darche said, -Interference in civilians' recordings of police activity impedes the Board's ability to make fact-based determinations about alleged misconduct and is a disservice to all involved in an investigation-officers and civilians alike. More video from more sources improves the Board's ability to determine if an allegation of misconduct happened, didn't happen, or happened but was lawful under the circumstances. In addition to urging the NYPD to more fully engage with community organizations on this issue, the Board recommends adding a new section to the NYPD Patrol Guide with more comprehensive language that better outlines the obligations of officers and civilians. This guidance should do the following: - State that members of the public are permitted to record officer activity in public and private settings, provided that the recording party has a legal right to be present; - More clearly define what constitutes -interference with a civilian's right to record and explain what types of prohibited conduct hinder a civilian's ability to record; - Reiterate that civilians are not permitted to record if doing so interferes with police activity or jeopardizes the safety of officers or members of the public; - Instruct officers to redirect recording civilians, when necessary, to a position that will not interfere with police activity, rather than tell civilians to stop recording; and - Emphasize that members of service are, under most circumstances, not permitted to search or seize recording devices without a warrant and are prohibited from ever deleting recordings or destroying or damaging the devices themselves. This report underscores a need for members of the public to be aware of their First Amendment right to record police activity, which is only limited by a specific set of conditions. At the same time, analysis of police interference highlights the need for clearer guidance for NYPD officers on how they respond to civilian recordings of interactions so that police respect civilians' First Amendment liberties while ensuring the safety of the officers and civilians involved in an interaction. Details: New York: The Complaint Review Board, 2017. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 24, 2018 at: http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/ccrb/downloads/pdf/20172806_report_recordinginterference.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/ccrb/downloads/pdf/20172806_report_recordinginterference.pdf Shelf Number: 150363 Keywords: Citizen ComplaintsPolice AccountabilityPolice MisconductPolice-Citizen InteractionsVideo Recordings |
Author: Liddell, Marg Title: Evaluation of the Walking Alongside Program (WAP) Summary: This report on the evaluation of the Flemington and Kensington Community Legal Centre's (FKCLC) Walking Alongside Program (WAP) presents findings on the extent to which the outcomes of the program have fulfilled its objectives to date. The WAP is a socio-legal support program for young people of Sudanese and other African migrant/refugee backgrounds pursuing police accountability through often long-running legal actions. It was developed as an adjunct to the FKCLC's Police Accountability Project (PAP)in recognition of its client group's vulnerability and need for ongoing support. The outcome objectives this evaluation set out to measure include enhanced legal, health and educational outcomes; enhanced police accountability; improvements in health and well-being; enhanced community capacity, safety and resilience; reduction in social exclusion and barriers to justice; and whether the WAP is an effective model for replication. A qualitative approach to the evaluation was taken involving interviews and case file analysis. Academic and policy literature on the themes of hope, social exclusion, wellbeing, and community capacity was reviewed as these represent important aspects of the migrant/refugee resettlement experience. While the complexity and overlap of these concepts is acknowledged in the literature, a general consensus emerges about their core meanings, as we discuss. We also consider the literature on therapeutic jurisprudence since this principle underpins the FKCLCs approach to its work. The assumption is that legal processes and interactions can have both harmful and helpful consequences. The FKCLC clearly sees its role as remedying any harmful effects and promoting access to justice for individuals and communities in the inner west region of Melbourne and beyond. These themes are central to the WAP and highlight the important role this kind of program plays to ensure that migrants and refugees in the Flemington and Kensington area (and elsewhere) are welcomed, supported and treated as equal members of our multicultural society. That is not, however, to downplay or disregard the rich diversity within and between communities. The emphasis on participant-driven evaluation in the literature cautions against adopting predetermined constructs or measures. We acknowledge, therefore, that the construct 'refugee youth' itself "can mask the diverse ways in which a young person from a refugee background experiences the world" (Brough et al. 2003: 195): as a young black person, man, woman, migrant, refugee, African, Somalian, Sudanese, Nuer, Dinka, Shilluk, for example. The literature highlights the need to allow and encourage interviewees to give voice to their own experience, rather than impose preconceived measures upon them. Also that in-depth narrative accounts provide a rich source of qualitative data about both individual and shared experience. We prepared interview questions that were designed to elicit and capture narrative accounts of the views and experiences of WAP participants, their family members, and support professionals. Thematic content analysis of the qualitative data provided the basis for this evaluation. A total of thirteen interviews were conducted. The very low take-up rate for interviews with WAP participants - only four were possible - reflects these young people's vulnerability, disengagement, and the difficulty gaining access to this group. Some of the professionals interviewed referred to a period of six to nine months needed to gain their trust. This timeframe extended beyond that available for the evaluation. Interview data was therefore supplemented by analysis of twenty WAP files, which enabled the researchers to obtain a broader picture of the role of the youth engagement officers (YEOs) as well as a view on whether the overall objectives of the WAP had been met. Difficulties also arose in locating family members to interview, with only one coming forward. Eight professionals were interviewed: three from FKCLC, and five support professionals who worked with the same group of young people or with other disengaged youth in the Western region. Although the sample was small, data from the file analysis and individual interviews indicated that most of the objectives of the WAP were being met. Frequent accolades of the YEO, both past and current, related especially to their unconditional care and positive regard for the young people and their families, and their ability to work collaboratively with other services to provide holistic case management. Interviews with professionals reflected a deep understanding of the WAP client group and many referred to this group's vulnerability and disengagement from family, community and the service system. The professionals commented on the value of the PAP and the WAP and the importance of the notion of 'walking alongside' people engaged in protracted human rights litigation. All professionals indicated that the YEO was able to undertake tasks that they were often unable to, due to the flexibility of the YEO's role in providing unlimited and unconditional support, regardless of the client's situation. They believed that, without the YEO, many of the young people would not have pursued or continued with their police accountability cases. The advocacy role of the YEO was pivotal in raising awareness of the plight of the people linked to both the WAP and the PAP. This was reinforced with examples of over-policing and discrimination. While there were criticisms of police there were also comments that some police engaged positively with African young people in inner west Melbourne. The overwhelming view expressed was that more police needed to understand and be prepared to engage in an appropriate and respectful manner with African migrants/refugees. WAP participants interviewed indicated the value of the program, with reference to the YEO's ability to stick with them or "hang in there" with young people "no matter what." Participants felt that this helped the young people combat a sense of helplessness and to feel empowered, more confident to pursue their rights. For some this had translated into an ability to advocate for themselves and others, leading their peers in ways to effectively respond to police and to become model responsible citizens. Testament to the YEO's commitment was that WAP clients maintained and/or resumed contact with them. Support and interpretation of court proceedings by the YEO enabled the legal and non-legal proceedings to be brought together and this reduced the stress for the WAP clients. This was important for not just the FKCLC staff but for other staff working with the WAP clients. All those interviewed, including the WAP clients, felt that there was value in the WAP concept being replicated in other community legal centres. They felt that as well as human rights and police accountability cases it could be extended to support people involved in criminal and civil litigation. This was reinforced in comments that the YEO was able to provide systemic advocacy and be inclusive and collaborative in her work with a range of services, both legal and non-legal. Without the WAP the participants felt that "things would return to the way they were" and this would mean a reduction in police accountability. It would also mean that young people would have no place to go when they felt that they were being targeted or discriminated against. All interviewees referred to there being insufficient funding and time for the current YEO position. All thought that the funding should be extended as this would give the YEO greater capacity to assist more young people, as well as advocate for change in the way that young people are dealt with in legal, criminal and civil proceedings. While the data sets were small, sufficient information emerged to determine that the WAP objectives were being met, and to support the recommendation that the program be continued and extended. Recommendations From the findings of this evaluation, we recommend the following: 1. The Youth Engagement Officer (YEO) should be funded to cover more days of the week - currently the position is funded for three days. 2. Consideration should be given to employing an additional YEO. 3. The funding for the Walking Alongside Program (WAP) should be extended to include more time: - to work with police to improve the collaborative relationships between police and the young people being supported by the WAP - while this is currently being undertaken by the Chief Executive Officer of the Flemington Kensington Community Legal Centre (FKCLC) there is clearly a role for a YEO in this process; - to be able to provide support to more people over more days of the week; - to make improvements to the internal procedures in managing the cases; - so that collection of information from the point at which the Youth Engagement Officers commences contact with the Police Accountability Program and vice versa can be documented and internal file sharing and file management can be streamlined. 4. Consideration should be given for FKCLC to take a leadership and advocacy role to assist other Community Legal Centres to undertake legal and non-legal advocacy work. This could include: - Human rights and public interest litigation - Criminal and civil litigation. This emphasis should be on the collaborative role of the YEO to facilitate, support and advocate for program participants' access to the range of services required to meet their wider social and emotional needs. 5. FKCLC and the YEO should use these findings to continue to raise awareness, as Higgs (2013) suggests, of: - the value of giving young people hope to develop pathways away from behaviours that are harmful to themselves and others; - the need to recognise and acknowledge injustices that many young people experience and work to remedy these to improve their overall well-being; - the need to establish more inclusionary practices so that young people can feel part of a community of care, within the broader community. 6. Recognising that the FKCLC has helped clients to become advocates and peer leaders, we recommend this model be expanded to train other young people as mentors to work alongside the YEO and the community. 7. While the study was small there were sufficient comments on police behaviour to suggest that police training be enhanced to include anti-bias training. A recent example of six young African men being asked to leave an Apple store suggests that such bias is a wider community problem. 8. Further qualitative research (such as life narratives and participant observations- see Fangen 2010) is required to explore and raise awareness of the problems African youth and their families encounter in settling in a new country, given the traumatic experiences they have often faced in their home country. Details: Melbourne: RMIT University, 2015. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 31, 2018 at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Diana_Johns/publication/304269475_Evaluation_of_the_Walking_Alongside_Program_WAP/links/576b612808aef2a864d211ae/Evaluation-of-the-Walking-Alongside-Program-WAP.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Australia URL: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Diana_Johns/publication/304269475_Evaluation_of_the_Walking_Alongside_Program_WAP/links/576b612808aef2a864d211ae/Evaluation-of-the-Walking-Alongside-Program-WAP.pdf Shelf Number: 150413 Keywords: Asylum SeekersMigrantsPolice AccountabilityPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPolice-Juvenile RelationsRefugees |
Author: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. New York Advisory Committee Title: The Civil Rights Implications of "Broken Windows" Policing in NYC and General NYPD Accountability to the Public Summary: The New York Advisory Committee (Committee) submits this report, "The Civil Rights Implications of "Broken Windows" Policing in NYC and General NYPD Accountability to the Public," as part of its responsibility to advise the Commission on Civil Rights issues within New York State. Beginning in Fall 2016, the Committee set out to review the effects of New York Police Department (the "NYPD") low level offense enforcement practices on individuals of color, with a particular emphasis on youth, as well as the accountability structures and oversight mechanisms governing the NYPD. The Committee held two days of public briefings on these issues in New York City on March 20 and March 21, 2017. Testimony was provided to the Committee by 27 persons on 11 panels. The presenters were academics, government officials and advocates with particular expertise on the matters covered by this report. The Committee also held interviews with senior leadership of the NYPD on February 13, February 15 and December 19, 2017 to garner the NYPD's perspective. This report summarizes important information from the presenters' testimony, written submissions, publicly available information, and interviews with senior leadership of the NYPD. The report provides recommendations based on the information received. The Advisory Committee trusts the Commission and the public will find the material in this report informative. Details: Washington, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 2018. 173p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 1, 2018 at: http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/2018/03-22-NYSAC.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/2018/03-22-NYSAC.pdf Shelf Number: 150428 Keywords: Broken Windows PolicingCivil Rights AbusesPolice AccountabilityPolice LegitimacyPolice-Citizen InteractionsRacial Disparities |
Author: Rosenbaum, Dennis P. Title: Community-based Indicators of Police Performance: Introducing the Platform's Public Satisfaction Survey Summary: The National Police Research Platform is seeking to advance knowledge of policing by looking both inside and outside of police agencies. The external question addressed by the Platform is, "How well are departments performing during their encounters with the public?" Hence, we are field testing alternative community survey methods as tools to evaluate the quality of policing on the streets. Public satisfaction surveys have been developed by the Platform team to achieve several goals. First, there is a need for validated measures of police-civilian encounters that can be used as standardized benchmarks or indicators of organizational excellence at the local, regional and national levels. Second, these methods are designed to generate timely feedback regarding police performance that can be used by local agencies to assist them in building smarter, evidence-based learning organizations. Third, these methods will address the growing public demand to have a voice in government services. Creating a visible mechanism for community input will go a long way toward building trust, transparency, and legitimacy. Police organizations that have strong community support understand the need to meet public expectations. In the 21st century, community stakeholders expect the police to reduce crime and be fair and sensitive to the needs of persons they encounter. The public and policy makers also expect better systems of accountability for police behavior. Finally, in today's economic environment, police executives are seeking "smarter" and more efficient methods of policing, relying on better evidence to achieve organization goals and garner public support for police initiatives. To achieve these goals police executives will need to be responsive to a new "information imperative" and work with researchers to "measure what matters" to their constituents. To achieve organizational effectiveness in crime reduction, Compstatlike systems have been adopted to measure police performance in assigned areas using traditional crime indicators such as arrests, crime incidents, clearances and calls for service. To achieve the newer goal of fairness and equity in police performance, however, experts have argued that data systems will need to incorporate new measures of the quality of police activity. Furthermore, in separate surveys of employees as part of the National Police Research Platform, eight out of 10 police officers reported that their agency is "more interested in measuring the amount of activity by officers (e.g. number of tickets or arrests) than the quality of their work." Details: Washington, DC: U.S. National Institute of Justice, National Police Research Platform, 2011. 11p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 3, 2018 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/733761/11089087/1299437174827/Public+Satisfaction.pdf?token=i2OZS7uynBF8WFqFCl2191rK3LA%3D Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/733761/11089087/1299437174827/Public+Satisfaction.pdf?token=i2OZS7uynBF8WFqFCl2191rK3LA%3D Shelf Number: 150448 Keywords: Police EffectivenessPolice PerformancePolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Krinitsky, Nora C. Title: The Politics of Crime Control: Race, Policing, and Reform in Twentieth-Century Chicago Summary: "The Politics of Crime Control: Race, Policing, and Reform in Twentieth-Century Chicago" is a political history of urban policing that examines the integral role of crime control in the governance of modern American cities. It does so through a case study of policing and reform in Chicago from the interwar decades through the post-World War II years, a period that saw massive changes including African American migration, immigration, industrialization, and labor unrest. Crime control served as the central political proxy through which city leaders, reformers, and law enforcement officers attempted to achieve urban order, and in so doing, constructed modern social and racial hierarchies. These officials and reformers contributed to the construction of the coercive state, a state apparatus that prioritized social order as the primary mode through which to express state legitimacy and exercise state power. In the context of early twentieth- century Chicago, coercive state strategies worked in tandem with Progressive reformers and anti-crime activists to establish and reinforce spatial boundaries and to reify and redefine social hierarchies. Local police discretion represented the primary coercive state tool for addressing urban disorder, as well as one of the most intransigent and opaque modes of state power, especially in the service of defining and reinforcing racial hierarchy. The immediate, discretionary interactions between police and city residents served as one of the primary sites of racial formation in these decades, and elicited investigation, critique, and proposals for reform from myriad urban communities, other state institutions, and municipal reform organizations. Policing, therefore, represented the very intersection of coercive state power, municipal politics, racialization, and efforts for reform. Details: Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 2017. 409p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed June 6, 2018 at: https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/138491 Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/138491 Shelf Number: 150460 Keywords: Police-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations Police-Minority Relations Urban Areas and Crime Urban Policing |
Author: Holihen, Katie Title: Park Ridge's Success Story on Going Beyond Crisis Intervention Team Training: Building Whole-Community Responses to Mental Health Summary: As community-based mental health services go unfunded or lack sufficient resources, the safety net for people with mental illness has been essentially eliminated. At the community level, emergency rooms and law enforcement have become the new front doors to what remains of our mental health system, operating as the first point of contact for people in crisis or with chronic mental illness. As such, there is a pressing need for education and collaboration between these parties, as well as with the larger community. Specifically, in regards to law enforcement, agencies need to examine how to best manage officers' increasingly frequent contact with individuals with mental illness, including how to interact with them in a safe and compassionate way. Lack of training can quickly lead to the misinterpretation of intent of individuals in crisis, which, as seen in several high-profile officer-involved shootings across the country, could be the difference between life and death. Make no mistake, law enforcement as a profession has advanced considerably in its response to calls for service involving people with mental illness, in part because of the implementation of specialized police responses (SPR),1 which fall primarily into two categories: (1) the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Model, which was founded by the University of Memphis and was first implemented in Memphis, Tennessee,2 and (2) law enforcement and mental health co-responder teams, which was pioneered in Los Angeles County, California. As a cornerstone program for improving responses to people in crisis, the CIT Model, also known as the Memphis Model, and its affiliated training have been implemented in hundreds of police jurisdictions nationwide. Developed in the late 1980s, the CIT Model works to improve both officer and community safety by providing officers with relevant training and to reduce reliance on the criminal justice system by building stronger links within the mental health system. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2018. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 11, 2018 at : https://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-w0856-pub.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-w0856-pub.pdf Shelf Number: 150818 Keywords: Community Oriented PolicingCommunity ParticipationCrisis InterventionMental Health ServicesMentally Ill PersonsPolice and the Mentally IllPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Elliott, Vivian Title: Lessons to Advance Community Policing: Final Report for 2014 Microgrant Sites Summary: COPS Office Microgrant Initiative to support law enforcement in implementing innovative community policing projects. This program aims to provide small-grant seed funding (up to $100,000) to state, local, and tribal law enforcement to develop and test programs and strategies in a real-world setting and to help spur innovation within law enforcement agencies and across the profession. While these microgrant projects are smaller than other federally funded grant programs, they offer the benefit and flexibility of allowing law enforcement agencies to implement innovative initiatives that they would otherwise not have the resources to undertake. In 2014, the Microgrant Initiative sought to fund new projects under four major categories: (1) Building trust with communities of color; (2) Implementing cutting-edge strategies to reduce violence; (3) Countering violent extremism; and (4) Protecting vulnerable populations. The following 10 awards were funded: -- City of Chicago, Illinois - The Gang School Safety Team Program -- City of Los Angeles, California - The Leveraging Innovative Solutions to Enhance Neighborhoods Program -- City of Park Ridge, Illinois - Beyond CIT: Building Community Responses to People with Mental Health Problems -- City of Reno, Nevada - The 360 Blueprint Program -- Colorado Springs (Colorado) Police Department - The Assisting Elders Program -- El Paso County (Texas) Sheriff's Department - Teens and Police Service Academy -- North Las Vegas (Nevada) Police Department - Making North Las Vegas a Better Place to Live Initiative -- Seattle, Washington Police Foundation Seattle - Neighborhood Policing Plan Project -- Texas Department of Public Safety - Interdiction for the Protection of Children -- University of Wisconsin at Madison - The First 45 Days Initiative To assist agencies in capturing and documenting promising practices resulting from their microgrant projects, the COPS Office created the role of microgrant coordinator and provided funding to CNA to fill that role. CNA maintained regular contact with the microgrant sites to capture lessons learned and successes from their projects and to assist, as needed, with the implementation of their projects through technical assistance and guidance. These promising practices are captured and shared in this report. Details: Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2018. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2018 at: https://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-w0848-pub.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-w0848-pub.pdf Shelf Number: 151231 Keywords: Community-Oriented PolicingPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Tsuruoka, Sonia Title: Arlington, TX: A Community Policing Story; A Guide for Law Enforcement and Community Screenings Summary: This guide is designed as a tool for law enforcement and community groups to facilitate screenings and discussions of the 28-minute Not In Our Town film Arlington, TX: A Community Policing Story. Produced in collaboration with the COPS Office, the film follows the Arlington Police Department as it navigates its own series of tragedies: a gang-related death and officer-involved shooting death of two teens and the deaths of five officers ambushed in the neighboring city of Dallas, Texas. Discussion of these tragedies provides law enforcement leaders, criminal justice practitioners, academic researchers, and community advocates around the country with an opportunity to challenge and subsequently reimagine the landscape of the criminal justice system. This guide provides discussion questions and tips for organizing internal law enforcement agency and community screenings, information about procedural justice and legitimacy, and supplemental resources. Used together, the film and guide can help agencies work together with personnel and community members to initiate conversations about trust building, procedural justice, and institutional legitimacy in order to improve relationships between police and the communities they serve. Details: Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2018. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2018 at: https://ric-zai-inc.com/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-P367 Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://ric-zai-inc.com/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-P367 Shelf Number: 151232 Keywords: Community-Oriented PolicingMediaPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Ohio Task Force on Community-Police Relations Title: Final Report Summary: The Ohio Task Force on Community-Police Relations was formed by Governor John Kasich on December 12, 2014, to address the fractured relationships that exist between some communities and the police dedicated to serving them. The Task Force was formed after the tragic deaths of Tamir Rice in Cleveland and John Crawford III in Beavercreek. The deaths of these two Ohioans along with a number of other events from across the country served as the impetus for the creation of the Task Force. These events collectively, and the protests and public reaction that followed, also serve as a reminder of the difficult past that many people, have experienced with law enforcement. While these events from across the country are not indicative of the overwhelming majority of outstanding law enforcement professionals, they demonstrate the need for all of us to work together in order to move forward. The charge of the Task Force was threefold: 1. To explore the cause of fractured relationships that exist between some law enforcement and the communities they serve; 2. To examine strategies to strengthen trust between communities and law enforcement in order to resolve the underlying causes of friction; 3. To provide the Governor with a report including recommendations about best practices available to communities. The overarching goal of the work of this Task Force is to ensure the safety and security of Ohio's citizens. This basic tenet applies equally to the dedicated men and women of law enforcement as well as every citizen of this state. Communities are best able to thrive when their residents feel safe. One of the most effective ways to ensure that communities are safe is for law enforcement and citizens to work together to solve and prevent problems. There are ample examples of this type of collaborative effort in many communities across this state. While the Task Force was formed in response to several tragic events in our state, it would be irresponsible to paint all law enforcement officers in a negative light. This state is overwhelmingly served by outstanding law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day to ensure our safety. They deal daily with difficult and dangerous situations and are in many instances the best part of a person's worst day. It takes a special person to be a good law enforcement officer. One goal of this report is to provide support to officers in order to enhance tools, training and the understanding they need and deserve to keep them and their fellow citizens safe, and to aid in enhancing their relationships with the communities they serve. At the end of each day, we want our law enforcement officers and the public to be able to go home to their families. It is also important to listen to the concerns of our citizens, and to be informed by their collective experiences. Input for the development of this report comes from Ohio citizens and experts in the field. The public was asked to provide input in a variety of ways. A listening tour consisting of four public forums was held at the following venues: Cleveland State University; Central State University; University of Toledo and the University of Cincinnati. A public website was created to allow citizens to provide comments. Additionally, the hashtag #beheardohio was created in order to allow the public to participate through social media. Details: Columbus: The Task Force, 2015. 629p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 29, 2018 at: https://publicsafety.ohio.gov/otfcpr/links/ohtfcpr_final_report.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://publicsafety.ohio.gov/otfcpr/links/ohtfcpr_final_report.pdf Shelf Number: 135787 Keywords: Community Policing Police-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Hyland, Shelley Title: Body-Worn Cameras in Law Enforcement Agencies, 2016 Summary: Presents data on body-worn camera (BWCs) use and non-use in general-purpose law enforcement agencies for 2016. Data from agencies with BWCs include number acquired, deployment, policy coverage, access to footage, and obstacles to use. For agencies without BWCs, data include alternate types of recording devices, primary reasons for not obtaining BWCs, and consideration of BWCs in the next 12 months. Highlights: - In 2016, 47 percent of general-purpose law enforcement agencies in the United States had acquired body-worn cameras (BWCs). - The main reasons (about 80 percent each) that local police and sheriffs' offices had acquired BWCs were to improve officer safety, increase evidence quality, reduce civilian complaints, and reduce agency liability. - Among agencies that had acquired BWCs, 60 percent of local police departments and 49 percent of sheriffs' offices had fully deployed their BWCs. - About 86 percent of general-purpose law enforcement agencies that had acquired BWCs had a formal BWC policy. Details: Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2018. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 9, 2018 at: https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/bwclea16.pdf Year: 208 Country: United States URL: https://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=6426 Shelf Number: 153890 Keywords: Body-Worn Camera PolicyBody-Worn CamerasCivilian ComplaintsLaw Enforcement Agency LiabilityLaw Enforcement Technology Officer SafetyPolice AccountabilityPolice Surveillance Police-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Title: Police Use of Force: An Examination of Modern Policing Practices Summary: The relationship between law enforcement and many communities in the U.S. is fraught and challenging, particularly for those who experience violent crimes coupled with intensive police presence and surveillance. A number of recent developments suggest a renewed commitment to resolving this issue. For the first time in decades, the country has witnessed ubiquitous and sustained protests by young people, communities of color, and other impacted populations in cities all across the country. Further, in hope of fostering better community-police relationships, many law enforcement and city officials around the country have started implementing reform strategies to allay communities' concerns about actual or perceived unfair and unequal policing. Reform advocates often acknowledge the positive steps that some jurisdictions are undertaking, but reported cases of excessive force remain a national concern. Furthermore, the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the fundamental rights of both law enforcement and the communities they serve, whose rights are protected under the Fourth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments. While allegations that some police force is excessive, unjustified, and discriminatory continue and proliferate, current data regarding police use of force is insufficient to determine if instances are occurring more frequently. The public continues to hear competing narratives by law enforcement and community members, and the hard reality is that available national and local data is flawed and inadequate. A central contributing factor is the absence of mandatory federal reporting and standardized reporting guidelines. Former FBI Director James Comey stated that: Not long after riots broke out in Ferguson [in 2014], I asked my staff to tell me how many people shot by police were African-American in this country. I wanted to see trends. I wanted to see information. They couldn't give it to me, and it wasn't their fault. Demographic data regarding officer-involved shootings is not consistently reported to us . . . [b]ecause reporting is voluntary, our data is incomplete and therefore, in the aggregate, unreliable. Until recently, data on officer-involved shootings were extremely rare; moreover, the data that are available is most frequently compiled by grassroots organizations, nonprofits, or media sources.5 Data are not only lacking regarding fatal police shootings, but data regarding all use of force are scant and incomplete: Data on lower level uses of force, which happen more frequently than officer-involved shootings, are virtually non-existent. This is due, in part, to the fact that most police precincts don't explicitly collect data on use of force, and in part, to the fact that even when the data is hidden in plain view within police narrative accounts of interactions with civilians, it is exceedingly difficult to extract. Without accurate data on police use of force, allegations by community members and actions by law enforcement not only sow distrust among communities and the police, making policing more dangerous, but also jeopardize public safety. Research consistently shows that positive relationships between community members and law enforcement are essential for safer communities. Citizens are more likely to aid in crime reduction and partner with police if they believe that law enforcement are engaging in equitable treatment and are impartial towards all. Communities are calling for greater transparency and accountability on the part of the police. Similarly, law enforcement officials are calling for better data on current practices, and instituting policies aimed at reducing bias and improving community relationships. All citizens in every community in this country live subject to police enforcement practices, and therefore benefit from effective, constitutionally sound police practices. Against this backdrop, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission) investigated rates of police use of force; questioned whether rates and instantiations of that use of force violate the civil rights of persons of color, persons with disabilities, LGBT communities, and low-income persons; and evaluated promising or proven policies and practices worth replicating to minimize unnecessary use of force and the perception and reality of discrimination in police use of force. The Commission held a briefing on April 20, 2015, on police practices and the use of deadly force in the U.S. The panels consisted of community leaders and police reform advocates, law enforcement and court officials, scholars, and legal experts. These experts convened to discuss the longstanding and emergent causes of the recent police-involved fatal shootings of people of color and other disadvantaged populations. Since 2015, several of the Commission's state advisory committees have also investigated police practices, and testimony and findings from their briefings are incorporated throughout the report. No single solution stands out as an immediate fix to the complex problem of police unauthorized use of force. After examining the literature and data available regarding police use of force in Chapters 1-3, the Commission highlights the following findings and recommendations, discussed in full in Chapter 4: Highlighted Findings: Police officers have the difficult and admirable job of providing crucial services to the communities they protect and serve. Their job sometimes puts them in harm's way and may require the use of force. Accordingly, police officers must operate with the highest standards of professionalism and accountability. Every community resident should be able to live, work, and travel confident in an expectation that interactions with police officers will be fair, operate consistent with constitutional norms, and be guided by public safety free from bias or discrimination. Unfortunately, today, too many communities are not confident in that expectation and do not trust fair police-community interactions. Communities have demanded reforms to foster better community-police relations and to prevent unjustified and excessive police uses of force. Accurate and comprehensive data regarding police uses of force is generally not available to police departments or the American public. No comprehensive national database exists that captures rates of police use of force. The best available evidence reflects high rates of use of force nationally, and increased likelihood of police use of force against people of color, people with disabilities, LGBT people, people with mental health concerns, people with low incomes, and those at the intersections of these groups. Lack of training and lack of funding for training leave officers and the public at risk. Critical training areas include tactical training, de-escalation techniques, understanding cultural differences and anti-bias mechanisms, as well as strategies for encounters with individuals with physical and mental disabilities. Repeated and highly publicized incidents of police use of force against persons of color and people with disabilities, combined with a lack of accurate data, lack of transparency about policies and practices in place governing use of force, and lack of accountability for noncompliance foster a perception that police use of force in communities of color and the disability community is unchecked, unlawful, and unsafe. Details: Washington, DC: The Commission, 2018. 230p. Source: Internet Resource: Briefing Report: Accessed January 23, 2019 at: https://www.usccr.gov/pubs/2018/11-15-Police-Force.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.usccr.gov/pubs/2018/11-15-Police-Force.pdf Shelf Number: 154381 Keywords: Deadly ForcePolice AccountabilityPolice BrutalityPolice Decision MakingPolice MisconductPolice Use of ForcePolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relationships |
Author: Jannetta, Jesse Title: Oakland Stakeholder Perspectives of Homicide and Shooting Scene Response Summary: This report explores how stakeholders involved in homicide and shooting scenes in Oakland, California perceive their interactions with law enforcement and community partners. This study draws on interviews with shooting survivors, family members of homicide victims, Oakland Police Department officers, and community service providers and partner staff. It found that survivors and family members desired interactions with law enforcement officers and community partners that aligned with procedural justice principles, but they did not always perceive that they received it. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2019. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 7, 2019 at: https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/99612/oakland_stakeholder_perspectives_of_homicide_and_shooting_scene_response_3.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United States URL: https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/99612/oakland_stakeholder_perspectives_of_homicide_and_shooting_scene_response_3.pdf Shelf Number: 154503 Keywords: Crime ScenesCriminal InvestigationsGun ViolenceHomicidesPolice-Citizen InteractionsProcedural Justice |
Author: Janetta, Jesse Title: Responding to Homicide and Shooting Scenes: A Review of Procedural Justice Practice in the US Summary: This report summarizes findings from a national review of practice regarding police interactions with the community at shooting and homicide scenes. Based on interviews and focus groups with police personnel and community partners representing nine jurisdictions across the nation, this review concludes that procedurally just conduct at shooting scenes requires departments to establish a uniform vision of community engagement, build capacity and training infrastructure to ground procedural justice concepts and practices in the department, and forge authentic partnerships with community leaders and community-based agencies before, during, and after such events. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2019. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 7, 2019 at: https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/99613/responding_to_homicide_and_shooting_scenes_a_review_of_procedural_justice_practice_in_the_us_2.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United States URL: https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/99613/responding_to_homicide_and_shooting_scenes_a_review_of_procedural_justice_practice_in_the_us_2.pdf Shelf Number: 154504 Keywords: Crime Scenes Criminal Investigation Gun Violence Homicides Police Response Police-Citizen InteractionsProcedural Justice |
Author: Jannetta, Jesse Title: Procedural Justice in Homicide and Shooting Scene Response: Executive Summary Summary: This document summarizes findings from the literature review, practice review, and interviews conducted in Oakland by the Urban Institute (Urban) and the Urban Peace Institute (UPI) under the "Oakland Procedural Justice Principles for Police Officers" cooperative agreement with the City of Oakland. The work under this cooperative agreement is intended to inform Oakland's efforts to improve policies and practices related to the police department's management, response, and activities at shooting and homicide scenes, and to develop and implement procedural justice and related trainings for proactive and investigative police units. This document draws upon and synthesizes findings presented in more detail in documents devoted to the literature, practice review, and interviews conducted by our team. It presents findings on common issues, promising practices, and possible operational approaches to improving responses to shooting and homicide scenes in Oakland, organized by the four components of procedural justice. It then presents guiding principles for efforts to improve responses to homicide and shooting scenes using a procedural justice framework. Police play a critical role in reducing community violence, but their legitimacy can be undermined by a lack of community trust, particularly in high crime communities where intervention is needed most. Mistrust of law enforcement is especially acute among young men of color, especially those living in neighborhoods afflicted by crime and disorder associated with gang activity (Kennedy 2009; Liberman and Fontaine 2015). The absence of trust reduces the public's willingness to report crime, engage with law enforcement on crime control efforts, and abide by the law, since trust is a fundamental component of police legitimacy (Bradford et al. 2014; Tyler and Jackson 2014; Resig and Lloyd 2009; Sunshine and Tyler 2003). Because the investigative process relies heavily on key witnesses from the community, it is important that detectives engage in practices that are geared at maintaining legitimacy and cultivating trust. Procedural justice provides an operational framework for building police legitimacy and repairing relationships in communities affected by gun violence. Findings from a broad array of studies find a statistically significant relationship between procedural justice and police legitimacy, and that procedural justice carries greater weight than other variables (Hinds and Murphy 2007; Murphy 2005; Tyler 2003; Tyler and Fagan 2008). There is less evidence that shows that officers can deliberately create more legitimacy by being procedurally just. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2019. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 7, 2019 at: https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/99611/procedural_justice_in_homicide_and_shooting_scene_response_executive_summary_0.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United States URL: https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/99611/procedural_justice_in_homicide_and_shooting_scene_response_executive_summary_0.pdf Shelf Number: 154505 Keywords: Crime ScenesCriminal InvestigationsGun ViolenceHomicidesPolice ResponsePolice-Citizen InteractionsProcedural Justice |
Author: Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Title: New Era of Public Safety: A Guide to Fair, Safe, and Effective Community Policing Summary: The Leadership Conference Education Fund today launched a new campaign, "New Era of Public Safety" featuring groundbreaking tools to increase trust, fairness, justice, and mutual respect between police departments and the communities they serve. The campaign guidebook and toolkit offer community-centered policy solutions to equip U.S. communities and police departments with best practices and recommendations for adopting 21st century policing models, including tools for advocacy. The campaign launch will include a Washington, D.C. kickoff event, featuring leading voices in activism, law enforcement, and journalism. "Repeated instances of police brutality and misconduct have shaken our nation," said Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Education Fund. "These incidents have deepened our distrust in law enforcement and reinforced the belief that all people are not policed equally. With this comprehensive guide and toolkit, we hope to renew trust in our nation's law enforcement by providing tools to put communities first as they work to keep everyone safe." True public safety requires that communities and police departments work together, and solutions should be driven by each community, working with the departments that serve them. The Education Fund's "New Era of Public Safety" campaign, report, and toolkit provide more than 100 recommendations to reform policing. These recommendations outline a road map for 21st century policing that equips law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve with the knowledge and tools they need to keep communities safe. Report recommendations include: End "broken windows policing" and other models that emphasize quantity over quality. Maintain and optimize a range of community partnerships. Tailor policing strategies to meet the needs of specific neighborhoods. Encourage communities to participate in the development and delivery of community policing training. Ensure officers inform community members of their rights to refuse or revoke consent and to document it. Develop stand-alone policies for fair and objective interactions with specific groups. Collect, analyze, and publicly report data relating to bias-based policing. The Education Fund also named Dallas, Texas and Minneapolis, Minnesota as inaugural jurisdictions to implement "New Era" recommendations. These pilot projects will provide local advocacy and strategic partnerships for organizations and activists to implement best policing practices through issue-centered campaigns. The Education Fund will launch the campaign at an event on March 28 at 5:00 p.m. ET at the Eaton Hotel in Washington, D.C. The event will feature remarks from Education Fund President & CEO Vanita Gupta, and a panel discussion moderated by the Washington Post's Wesley Lowery, and featuring Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson; Center for Policing Equity Co-Founder and President Phillip Atiba Goff; and Judith Browne Dianis, executive director of Advancement Project. The event will be live-streamed here, with a chance for online viewers to submit their questions. A collaborative assembly of community advocates and law enforcement served as contributing authors throughout the process. They include: Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP; the Policing Project at NYU School of Law; Ron Davis, partner, 21CP Solutions, LLC, and former director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ); Scott Thomson, chief of the Camden County Police Department, and president of the Police Executive Research Forum; and Sue Rahr, executive director, Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. These experts provided key insights into the development of the report. Andrea Ritchie and Wesley Ware contributed to the concept and content for the toolkit. Julio A. Thompson also provided significant and invaluable contributions to the report. Details: Washington, DC: Author, 2019. 416p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 16, 2019 at: https://policing.civilrights.org/ Year: 2019 Country: United States URL: https://policing.civilrights.org/ Shelf Number: 155431 Keywords: Civil RightsCommunity PolicingPolice LegitimacyPolice ReformPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsPublic Safety |
Author: Phoenix Police Department Title: Officer Involved Shooting Review: 2009-2014 Summary: Background: In May of 2018, Phoenix Police reached the total number of OIS for all of 2017 (21). Proactive steps to examine and address this disturbing spike were begun, to include increased training, releasing a publicly available OIS Data Showcase/Dashboard, and requesting that City Council grant permission to commission a study. The National Police Foundation, an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organization was chosen to conduct the study. By the end of 2018, there had been 44 Phoenix Police OIS, 37 of these suspects were armed with firearms; 35 total suspects were injured, and 22 were fatally injured. Details: Phoenix, AZ: Author, 2019. 184p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 4, 2019 at: https://www.phoenix.gov/policesite/Documents/shooting_review.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United States URL: https://www.phoenix.gov/policesite/Documents/shooting_review.pdf Shelf Number: 155617 Keywords: Deadly Force Officer-Involved Shootings Police Legitimacy Police Use of Deadly Force Police-Citizen Interactions |