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Date: August 17, 2024 Sat
Time: 2:54 am
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Results for police performance
85 results foundAuthor: Victoria. Office of Police Integrity Title: Early Intervention Systems for Police Agencies Summary: This research paper examines the use of early intervention systems as a tool for improving police performance and reducing police misconduct. The paper defines early intervention systems and discusses their uses, components, effectiveness and limitations. Details: Melbourne: Office of Police Integrity, 2009(?). 20p. Source: OPI Research Paper No. 1 Year: 2009 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 117384 Keywords: Police MisconductPolice Performance |
Author: Gaines, Larry Title: Police Response to Burglar Alarms Study: San Bernardino County. Summary: From the report: "The purpose of this white paper is to examine the issues and problems associated with police departments' policies and responses to false burglar alarms, especially in San Bernardino County. False alarms have become a major issue for police departments in that they consume substantial resources without resulting in an equivalent impact on crime or public safety." Details: San Bernardino, CA: Center for Criminal Justice Research, Department of Criminal Justice, California State University, 2007. 22p. Source: Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 116377 Keywords: BurglaryPolice Performance |
Author: Deloitte MCS Ltd. Title: The National Workforce Modernisation Programme: Evaluation of the Demonstration Sites: Final Report Summary: The Workforce Modernisation Programme (WFM), run by the National Improvement Agency (NPIA), aims to help the police service improve the quality of service it delivers to the public whilst delivering value for money. The program is operating within the wider context of policing reform and workforce reform within other sections. In the summer of 2007, nine forces volunteered to become demonstration sites to test the principles and methodology established by the WFM program. Over the course of the past two and a half years, these forces have initiated 15 WFM projects. The scope of these projects covers all four of the core policing capabilities, namely: response; investigation; neighbourhood; and intelligence. This report presents an independent evaluation of the WFM pilot sites. The report summarizes the findings from the evaluation, identifying the impact the program had across a balanced scorecard consisting of four quadrants: performance; efficiency, capacity and utilization; stakeholder and customer perceptions; and HR measures and staff perceptions. Details: London: Home Office and the National Policing Improvement Agency, 2010. 120p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 118768 Keywords: Law Enforcement (U.K.)Police PerformancePolice Reform (U.K.) |
Author: Davis, Robert C. Title: Measuring the Performance of the Dallas Police Department: 2008-2009 Results Summary: Based on the results of four surveys carried out in 2008-2009, this report describes the state of policing in Dallas, Texas. These surveys collected data on the opinions of randomly selected Dallas residents, people who had a recent contact with an officer of the Dallas Police Department (DPD), DPD officers, and retail business owners in Dallas. The surveys are part of an evaluation of the Caruth Police Institute at Dallas, an initiative to improve the quality of policing in the DPD by promoting staff development, bringing together community and national resources to solve DPD problems, and instituting effective police strategies and practices. The wave of surveys reported here will act as a benchmark against which to assess the success of the Caruth Police Institute in enhancing the capacity of the DPD to better serve the citizens of Dallas. Details: Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2009. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 10, 2010: http://192.5.14.110/pubs/technical_reports/2009/RAND_TR730.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 116666 Keywords: Police PerformancePolice TrainingPolicing (Dallas, Texas) |
Author: Ogilvie, James M. Title: Impact of Police Numbers on Crime Summary: The purpose of this report is to provide a review of the literature exploring the impact of police resourcing levels (i.e.: staff numbers) and deployment/activities on crime, measured through recorded crime, cleared or resolved crime, apprehension or arrests and/or prosecutions. Research examining the relationship between police numbers and crime has produced conflicting findings. While most studies have found that there is no discernable relationship, several studies suggest that police contribute to reduced crime levels through deterrence, although reductions have been found to vary on the basis of crime type. The review draws no clear conclusions about how the deployment of police (i.e., how they spend their time) impacts on crime. Both police activity and criminal activity are mutually interactive, making any connection between police numbers and crime difficult to explain. The review of the literature supports six broad conclusions: 1. Police employment and crime rates are reciprocally related, meaning that changes in either variable may have flow-on effects to the other. 2. There is evidence to support the assumption that increased crime levels lead to increased police numbers. 3. Theoretical and methodological problems in the study of police strength and crime have contributed to the conflicting results across studies. 4. There is no consistent body of evidence to support the notion that increasing police numbers is an effective method of reducing violent crime. 5. While the most consistent finding across studies is that increasing police numbers has no effect on crime levels, recent studies suggest that increased police numbers are associated with reductions in crime rates for specific crimes. 6. The effects of increased police numbers has been found to vary across a number of factors, including crime types, police activities, organisational structures and environmental demands, and the social characteristics of places. The findings outlined in this report have several implications for modelling the effects of police numbers and activities on crime. Foremost, a broader range of explanatory variables should be considered to parameterise more sophisticated and ecologically valid simulation models of police processes. Additional empirical research is required to disentangle the complex relationships between police numbers, deployment, and activities on recorded crime rates and apprehensions. This research should form the basis of future simulation modelling efforts. Details: Mt. Gravatt, Australia: Griffith University, Justice Modelling @ Griffith, 2008. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 15, 2010 at: http://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/208027/Impact-of-Police-Numbers-on-Crime-2008-Report.pdf Year: 2008 Country: International URL: http://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/208027/Impact-of-Police-Numbers-on-Crime-2008-Report.pdf Shelf Number: 119977 Keywords: Police OfficersPolice PerformancePolicing |
Author: Beale, Roger Title: New Realities: National Policing in the 21st Century. Federal Audit of Police Capabilities Summary: The world has changed dramatically over the last twenty years. For Australian policing, many of those changes were crystallised in six short years between 1999 and 2005. These remarkable years saw the United Nations (UN) INTERFET operation commence in East Timor, the terrible events of September 11 2001, the two Bali bombings, the Marriott and Jakarta Embassy bombings, the Afghanistan and Iraq interventions and the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands. Each had, or led to, an important Australian policing component. Since then Australia has seen massive and complex domestic terrorism investigations and trials – its first since those which flowed from the 1979 Hilton bombing which led to the establishment of the AFP. The growth in the importance of the internet for the economy, and society, was underscored by the Millenium Bug concern of the year 2000 and then underlined by the dot com share market crash of 2001. The first E-security National Agenda was introduced in 2001. The first AFP arrests under new Commonwealth law for child pornography conveyed over the internet took place in 2005. The UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime came into force in the year 2000. In 2003 the Australian government announced a major initiative on human trafficking and people smuggling. In 2004 Australia ratified these UN instruments aimed at criminalising offences committed by organised criminal groups, combating money laundering and facilitating international cooperation in the fight against transnational organised crime. Also in 2004 Australian, Fijian and New Zealand police combined in an operation that led to the identification and raiding of the biggest illegal drug factory ever discovered in the Southern Hemisphere. The bulk of its product was likely destined for Australian and New Zealand streets. The year 2001 saw the collapse of HIH, one of Australia’s largest corporate failures, at considerable cost to thousands of ordinary Australians. By 2005 concerns were being expressed about the legality of the behaviour of the Australian Wheat Board in relation to the payment of bribes to the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein. Both of these events would in time lead to extensive criminal inquiries. More importantly they symbolised the extent to which everyday Australians are now exposed through their share ownership and superannuation investments to corporate wrongdoing, and to the care that Australian companies must take to obey the law in their international dealings. These six remarkable years underlined for policing that the global changes accelerating over the previous two decades brought with them very significant local Australian consequences. These changes impacted all levels of policing – but particularly national policing. They demanded new approaches by the Commonwealth, and across the Federation, as Commonwealth, State and Territory law enforcement agencies responded. At the epicentre of these changes was the Australian Federal Police (AFP). It responded in a remarkably short time to develop highly effective abilities in counter terrorism, a capability to provide widely praised international deployments to support the restoration of law and order and bolster civil governance, to take a firm lead on the policing of Australia’s airports and protection of aviation, and integrate protection services for Australia’s leaders and key institutions, while growing its international network and maintaining its role in serious crime and community policing. The AFP is acknowledged to have made an important contribution to the strengthening of ties between Australia and Indonesia after the events in East Timor when traditional close diplomatic and military relationships were strained. There have been some controversies and criticisms, and it is clear that the pace of change has outstripped the capacity of some internal systems, but it has been an overwhelmingly successful transition from the fringe to the centre of government. For most of this period Commissioner Mick Keelty, APM, led the AFP. Details: Melbourne: Allen Consulting Group, 2009. 263p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 6, 2010 at: http://www.ag.gov.au/www/agd/rwpattach.nsf/VAP/(4CA02151F94FFB778ADAEC2E6EA8653D)~Federal+Audit+of+Police+Capabilities-dec09.pdf/$file/Federal+Audit+of+Police+Capabilities-dec09.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Australia URL: http://www.ag.gov.au/www/agd/rwpattach.nsf/VAP/(4CA02151F94FFB778ADAEC2E6EA8653D)~Federal+Audit+of+Police+Capabilities-dec09.pdf/$file/Federal+Audit+of+Police+Capabilities-dec09.pdf Shelf Number: 120376 Keywords: Police PerformancePolice ReformPolicing (Australia) |
Author: Vollaard, Ben Title: Performance Contracts for Police Forces Summary: In 2003, the government will enter into performance contracts with each of the 25 regional police forces. The performance contracts establish a direct link between meeting a number of quantitative performance targets and financial incentives. A major improvement in police performance is necessary to meet the objective of 20 to 25 percent less criminal and disorderly behavior by 2006. A closer look at the performance contracts learns that they may not be the most appropriate policy instrument to achieve this objective. The nature of police work does not allow for advance planning of outputs. The police consist of professionals who need a high degree of discretion to do their work. The targets invite adverse behavioral effects. Management could become focused on 'meeting the numbers' rather than on delivering results. Because of the wide variety in police tasks and the low measurability of quality, there is a wide gap between performance measures and results. The financial incentives make it worse, by forcing a yes/no decision based on weighing multiple, non discrete performance measures. Moreover, the targets are likely to be off since the government does not have the information to set them at the right level. Less financial resources for poorly performing forces also adversely affect citizens. They cannot choose between providers of police services as in the case of hospitals or schools. Experiences in Australia and the United Kingdom suggest an alternative approach. They focus on benchmarking of police forces without direct financial incentives. Both countries have invested many years in improving the quality and comparability of police data as well as methods for fair comparisons between forces. Based on these comparisons, police forces are hold accountable. Consequently, the police are being forced to develop a clear picture of the effects of their approach in terms of the region's specific problems. The Dutch government could follow a similar approach. A system of peer review and customer satisfaction surveys can be instrumental in assessing a force's performance and in providing ideas for improvement. Critical assessment of performance data by knowledgeable people is a necessary ingredient to a policy of holding the police accountable to results. It stimulates a culture of experimenting, data collection and analysis, and singling out and sharing best practices. Such a change is necessary to bring about the desired improvement in police performance. Details: The Hague: CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, 2003. 119p. Source: Internet Resource: CPB Document No. 31: Accessed February 9, 2011 at: http://www.cpb.nl/sites/default/files/publicaties/download/performance-contrasts-police-forces.pdf Year: 2003 Country: Netherlands URL: http://www.cpb.nl/sites/default/files/publicaties/download/performance-contrasts-police-forces.pdf Shelf Number: 120728 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice PerformancePolicing (Netherlands) |
Author: U.S. National Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics Title: A Dialogue Between the Bureau of Justice Statistics and Key Criminal Justice Data Users Summary: In 2008 the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) convened a multidisciplinary workshop for professionals who use justice statistics. BJS asked participants — representatives from academia, court systems, victim advocacy, and law enforcement communities — to provide feedback about how they use BJS statistical information and to recommend ways that BJS could optimize the value of the data it collects and publishes. Four senior level researchers presented papers at the workshop, including: Current Issues in Victimization Research and the NCVS’s Ability to Study Them, by Lynn A. Addington; The Need for a National Civil Justice Survey of Incidence and Claiming Behavior, by Theodore Eisenberg and Henry Allen Mark; Improving Police Effectiveness and Transparency National Information Needs on Law Enforcement, by Brian Forst; and Understanding Violence Against Women Using the NCVS: What We Know and Where We Need to Go, by Karen Heimer. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2008. 156p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 28, 2008 at: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/duw.cfm Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/duw.cfm Shelf Number: 121542 Keywords: Crime StatisticsCriminal CourtsCriminal Justice StatisticsPolice PerformanceVictimization SurveysViolence Against Women |
Author: Sakiyama, Mari Title: Clearance Rates in Nevada, 1998-2009 Summary: Clearance rates provide one indication of law enforcement’s ability to apprehend criminal suspects. When clearance rates decline, it raises concerns about police performance. Nationally, in 2009, about 22% of all Part I crimes that were known to the police were cleared (FBI, 2010). Part I crimes include murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. There are two distinct ways that crimes are cleared. First, a crime can be cleared when “a law enforcement agency has identified the offender, there is enough evidence to charge him, and he is actually taken into custody” (DPS, 2009; p. 63). In addition to offenses cleared by arrest, a crime can be cleared through exceptional means. An offense may be exceptionally cleared when some elements beyond law enforcement control precludes formal charges against an offender due to the death of the offender (e.g., suicide, double murder, justifiably killed by police or citizen); the victim’s refusal to cooperate with the prosecution after the offender has been identified; or the denial of extradition because the offender committed a crime in another jurisdiction and is being prosecuted for that offense. Unless otherwise noted, clearance rates discussed in this report include crimes cleared by both arrest and exceptional means. This state data brief describes patterns of clearance rates in Nevada and compares them to national trends. It examines questions about the trend in clearance rates, differences in clearance rates for particular types of offenses, as well as jurisdictional differences in clearance rates across Nevada’s counties. The limitations of the data and this study are also addressed. Details: Las Vegas, NV: University of Nevada - Las Vegas, Center for the Analysis of Crime Statistics, 2010. 4p. Source: Internet Resource: State Data Brief: Accessed May 18, 2011 at: http://www.unlv.edu/centers/crimestats/SDBs/Clearance%20Rates/Clearance%20Rates%20v4.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.unlv.edu/centers/crimestats/SDBs/Clearance%20Rates/Clearance%20Rates%20v4.pdf Shelf Number: 121742 Keywords: ArrestsClearance Rates (Nevada)Police InvestigationsPolice Performance |
Author: Tyler, Tom R. Title: Procedural Justice, Police Legitimacy and Cooperation With the Police: A New Paradigm for Policing Summary: Policing involves potentially one of the most coercive interactions between the State and its citizens. Consequently, understanding the role of legitimacy is a vital issue for modern policing. But what does ‘legitimacy’ mean for policing and from where does it derive? This briefing paper examines these questions, providing an incisive and accessible summary of the key international research findings. Details: Nathan, Qld: ARC Centre of Excellence in Policing and Security, 2011. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Briefing Paper: Accessed July 20, 2011 at: http://www.ceps.edu.au/files/file/Tina%20Murphy%20Briefing%20Paper.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.ceps.edu.au/files/file/Tina%20Murphy%20Briefing%20Paper.pdf Shelf Number: 122121 Keywords: Police LegitimacyPolice PerformancePolice ReformPolicing |
Author: Wisler, Dominique Title: Police Governance: European Union Best Practices Summary: This publication focuses on best practice within the European Union in the areas of: community policing, auditing internally the police, assessing performance, complaint mechanism against the police, and independent control authority in data protection. Details: Geneva, Switzerland: DCAF - Democratic Control of Armed Forces, COGNITA, 2011. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on February 3, 2012 at http://www.dcaf.ch/content/download/55498/838039/file/ProconEU_Best_Practices_PoliceGovernance.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Europe URL: http://www.dcaf.ch/content/download/55498/838039/file/ProconEU_Best_Practices_PoliceGovernance.pdf Shelf Number: 123932 Keywords: Community Policing (Europe)Complaints Against the PolicePolice Performance |
Author: Ipsos MORI, Scotland Title: Best Value in the Police: Research report for Audit Scotland and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland Summary: Ipsos MORI was commissioned by Audit Scotland (on behalf of the Accounts Commission for Scotland) and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland, to conduct an independent review of the pilot Best Value Audit and Inspections of Police. The research covered the following themes: attitudes towards joint audit and inspection; the set up and overview process; the on-site audit and inspection process; the audit and inspection team; and the audit and inspection report. The review was conducted through in depth interviews with chief constables, senior police officers and elected members in pilot police forces and authorities, as well as with national stakeholders. Additionally, a workshop was held with members of the audit and inspection teams. All fieldwork was carried out between February and April 2010. Details: Edinburgh: Audit Scotland, 2010. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 6, 2012 at: http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/docs/best_value/2010/bv_100823_police_evaluation.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/docs/best_value/2010/bv_100823_police_evaluation.pdf Shelf Number: 123994 Keywords: Costs of Criminal JusticePolice PerformancePolicing (Scotland) |
Author: Spohn, Cassia Title: Policing and Prosecuting Sexual Assault in Los Angeles City and County: A Collaborative Study in Partnership with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office Summary: We use quantitative data on the outcomes of sexual assaults reported to the LAPD and the LASD, detailed quantitative and qualitative data from case files for a sample of cases reported to the two agencies, and interviews with detectives and with deputy district attorneys to pursue five objectives: 1) to document the extent of case attrition and to identify the stages of the criminal justice process where attrition is most likely to occur; 2) to identify the case complexities and evidentiary factors that affect the likelihood of attrition in sexual assault cases; 3) to identify the predictors of case outcomes in sexual assault cases; 4) to provide a comprehensive analysis of the factors that lead police to unfound the charges in sexual assault cases; and 5) to identify the situations in which sexual assault cases are being cleared by exceptional means. We also identify the themes that emerged from our interviews with officials in each agency and with sexual assault survivors. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 2012. 535p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 7, 2012 at https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/237582.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/237582.pdf Shelf Number: 124016 Keywords: Clearance RatesPolice InvestigationsPolice PerformanceProsecutionSexual Assault (Los Angeles) |
Author: Mason, Mark Title: Analysis of Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Activity Based Costing (ABC) Data: Results from an Initial Review Summary: This report summarises analysis into activities undertaken by Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) while on active duty, and explores whether these activities match the Home Office guidance on the role of PCSOs. The report is based on findings from a snapshot analysis of PCSO Activity Based Costing (ABC) data from 2006/07. ABC data are collected from each force over a two-week period every year. The data used in this analysis are therefore representative at the national level. However, ABC data may yield different results between and within forces due to differences in local priorities and variations in how individual activities are recorded. Grouping similar or related activity codes into meaningful categories will help mitigate the effects of any local variations in recording. Analysis of Activity Based Costing data found that despite local variation in the amount of time spent on individual activities, PCSO activity corresponds well to Home Office role guidance, with PCSOs spending the majority of their time being highly visible within the community, dealing with minor offences and supporting front-line policing. Details: London: Home Office, 2008. 3p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report 8: Accessed March 2, 2012 at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/horr08.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/horr08.pdf Shelf Number: 124334 Keywords: Police BehaviorPolice PerformancePolicing (U.K.) |
Author: Abela, Graham John Title: Early Identification of Police Leadership Potential in Alberta Police Services Summary: This dissertation explored the early identification of leadership potential within municipal policing in the province of Alberta. The municipal members of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police participated in this mixed methods sequential exploratory research design consisting of two phases. Phase 1 consisted of a number of face-to-face interviews which were analyzed using Creswell’s (2009) method for analyzing qualitative interviews. The results of Phase 1 formed the basis for an E-Survey deployed in Phase 2 of this research, which included the utilization of a modified Thurstone Scale. The results of Phase 1 and Phase 2 were combined and four criteria were identified by participants in their identification of early leadership potential: a) five identified indicators of leadership potential, b) leadership potential as seen by others, c) leadership potential as seen from within, and d) leadership potential as perceived by leaders. These four criteria established the foundation for the development of the Police Leadership Potential Model. When the criteria are used in conjunction with one another, it describes the exemplar junior officer with leadership potential in Alberta. The Police Leadership Potential Model may have utility in succession planning, and human resource practices within the Alberta municipal police sector. Details: Calgary, Alberta: University of Calgary, Graduate Division of Educational Research, 2012. 176p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed March 29, 2012 at: http://www.policecouncil.ca/reports/Abela%20Identifying%20Police%20Leaders.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Canada URL: http://www.policecouncil.ca/reports/Abela%20Identifying%20Police%20Leaders.pdf Shelf Number: 124766 Keywords: Police Administration (Alberta, Canada)Police AdministratorsPolice LeadershipPolice Performance |
Author: Great Britain. Home Office Title: Focus on the Victim: Summary Report on the ASB Call Handling Trials Summary: During 2011, the Home Office worked with eight police force areas to trial a new approach to handling antisocial behaviour calls from the public and then manage their cases. The aim was to improve the ability of forces to identify victims most at risk and to respond appropriately with their local partners. The trials represent a 'bottom-up' effort to shift practitioners' focus to protecting victims and communities, rather than just logging types of antisocial behaviour. This summary report explains the five key principles to call-handling and case-management and how the trial forces adapted them to suit their local circumstances. It summarises the results and lessons learned from the trials. The report includes annexes with sample call-handler question-sets, information-sharing agreement between the police and local agencies and case studies. Details: London: Home Office, 2012. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 10, 2012 at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/crime/asb-focus-on-the-victim?view=Binary Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/crime/asb-focus-on-the-victim?view=Binary Shelf Number: 124917 Keywords: Anti-Social Behavior (U.K.)Police PerformancePolicingVictims of Crime |
Author: Telep, Cody W. Title: What is Known about the Effectiveness of Police Practices? Summary: Over the past two decades there have been a number of reviews of the policing evaluation literature focused on the question of what police can do to most effectively address crime and disorder. The 1997 Maryland report to Congress on “What works, what doesn’t, what’s promising” devoted a chapter to police effectiveness (Sherman, 1997), as did the 2002 book version of the report (Sherman & Eck, 2002). Founded in 2000, the Campbell Collaboration Crime and Justice Coordinating Group (see http://campbellcollaboration.org/crime_and_justice; Farrington & Petrosino, 2001) has now published over 25 systematic reviews on a variety of criminal justice topics, many of which are relevant to the question of what works in policing. The National Research Council Committee to Review Research on Police Policy and Practices published a 2004 volume on the policing literature, devoting a chapter to police strategies to reduce crime, disorder, and fear of crime (see also Weisburd & Eck, 2004). More recently, Lum and colleagues (2011) have developed the Evidence-Based Policing Matrix (see http://policingmatrix.org) to display visually the characteristics and results of the most rigorous police evaluation research. The Office of Justice Programs in the Department of Justice also recently launched a new online initiative (see http://crimesolutions.gov) to highlight what programs in law enforcement (and criminal justice more generally) are effective and promising. Our goal in this paper is not to simply replicate what has already been accomplished in these prior chapters and articles, although we will devote space to reviewing the collective wisdom from these earlier reviews. Instead, we hope to build upon and synthesize these reviews to categorize strategies and tactics based on what police should be doing, what they should not be doing, and what we know too little about to make informed recommendations. Additionally, based on the limited available data, we will discuss how current policing policies and practices match up with effective practices from the research literature. That is, are police doing what they should be doing? In doing so, we will pay particular attention to the strategies and tactics of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and assess how well these line up with empirical evidence on police effectiveness in addressing crime and disorder. We will first briefly review the sources of research evidence we consulted for this review. We then turn to our review of what police should be doing, what police should not be doing, and what we currently know too little about (but which police are currently engaging in). We cover a broad span of police strategies, focusing in particular on a number of innovations in policing that have developed over the past 20 to 30 years (see Weisburd & Braga, 2006). After reviewing the research evidence, we discuss the implications for policing and compare what we know about what strategies police are currently using to what we know is most effective, focusing in particular on strategies in the NYPD. Details: Paper Prepared for “Understanding the Crime Decline in NYC” funded by the Open Society Institute, 2011. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 11, 2012 at: http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/Telep_Weisburd.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/Telep_Weisburd.pdf Shelf Number: 124928 Keywords: Police PerformancePolice Policies and PracticesPolice Programs |
Author: Stephens, Darrel W. Title: Strategic Communication Practices: A Toolkit for Police Executives Summary: Strategic Communication Practices: A Toolkit for Police Executives was developed to help police executives communicate more effectively with their communities and organizations. It addresses the changes in the news media and how that has affected the way people obtain information. It is designed to provide greater insight into communications strategies and planning. It will provide examples of strategic communications plans and how police have used various communications tools to more effectively reach their community. It is a companion piece and builds on the 2010 Major Cities Chiefs Association/COPS Office white paper – Key Leadership Strategies to Enhance Communication. Details: Washington, DC: Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice, 2011. 128p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 15, 2012 at http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/Publications/e081129395_Strategic-Comm-Practices-Toolkit_rev.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/Publications/e081129395_Strategic-Comm-Practices-Toolkit_rev.pdf Shelf Number: 124946 Keywords: CommunicationsPolice AdministratorsPolice PerformancePolice-Community Relations |
Author: Great Britain. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary Title: Policing in Austerity: One Year On Summary: In spring 2011 Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) carried out an inspection into the preparedness of forces and authorities across England and Wales to make savings over the four years of the spending review period (2011/12–2014/15). We provided an independent commentary on the estimated scale of the challenge, and on how forces and authorities planned to meet it. The results were published in Adapting to Austerity. In this report we shine a light on whether forces and authorities have achieved their goals for the Year 1 of the spending review, and on how they now plan to meet the remaining challenge as they enter Year 2 (2012/13). Our review contains data and analysis which enables the public, their elected representatives and the police to see how their force compares with others. HMIC found that: Forces are balancing their books by cutting the workforce and reducing their spending on goods and services; The front line is being protected, although not preserved; The nature of the front line is changing; Service to the public has largely been maintained; but There are some concerns around sustainability. Details: London: HMIC, 2012. 86p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 7, 2012 at: http://www.hmic.gov.uk/media/policing-in-austerity-one-year-on.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.hmic.gov.uk/media/policing-in-austerity-one-year-on.pdf Shelf Number: 125497 Keywords: Costs of Criminal JusticeExpenditures in Criminal JusticePolice Administration (U.K.)Police Performance |
Author: Davis, Robert C. Title: Selected International Best Practices in Police Performance Measurement Summary: Historically, police agencies have measured their performance against a very restricted set of crime-focused indicators, such as crime rates, arrests, and response times. However, modern police officers must be prepared to take on a wide variety of roles, from problem-solver to counselor and provider of first aid, among many others. Therefore, performance measures should be multidimensional to capture the complexity inherent in modern policing. In this era of tight budgets and deep cuts in municipal services, local officials have prioritized police performance improvement and the collection of measurable evidence to justify budget requests. Police departments also benefit from measuring performance; the results can help officials monitor department operations, promote adherence to policies and strategic plans, and detect patterns of bias or misconduct. By defining what is measured, executives send a signal to their command about what activities are valued and what results are considered important. Performance measures can also help track the progress of individual officers, the efficient use of funds, and many other indicators of organizational health. This report describes some of the key considerations involved in designing measures to evaluate law enforcement agencies. It also includes a framework for measuring performance and a detailed review of some international best practices. Details: Santa Monica, CA: Center on Quality Policing, RAND, 2012. Source: Technical Report: Internet Resource: Accessed August 13, 2012 at http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/technical_reports/2012/RAND_TR1153.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/technical_reports/2012/RAND_TR1153.pdf Shelf Number: 126023 Keywords: Evaluative StudiesPolice PerformancePolice Policies and PracticesPolicing |
Author: Wilson, Jeremy M. Title: A Performance-Based Approach to Police Staffing and Allocation Summary: Much attention has been given to police recruitment, retention, and, in this economic context, how to maintain police budgets and existing staffing positions. Less has centered on adequately assessing the demand for police service and alternative ways of managing that demand. To provide some practical guidance in these areas, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) provided support to the Michigan State University (MSU) School of Criminal Justice to review current staffing allocation experiences and existing approaches to estimating the number of sworn staff a given agency requires. This guidebook summarizes the research conducted by the MSU team. It highlights the current staffing allocation landscape for law enforcement agencies and provides a practical step-by-step approach for any agency to assess its own patrol staffing needs based upon its workload and performance objectives. Additionally, it identifies some ways beyond the use of sworn staff that workload demand can be managed, and discusses how an agency’s approach to community policing implementation can affect staffing allocation and deployment. This guidebook will be particularly useful for police practitioners and planners conducting an assessment of their agency’s staffing need, and for researchers interested in police staffing experiences and assessment methods. This guidebook has a companion document, entitled Essentials for Leaders: A Performance-Based Approach to Police Staffing and Allocation, which may be of particular interest to police executives and policymakers who are concerned about both police-staffing allocation and efficiently providing quality police service in their communities. Details: East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University, 2012. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 9, 2012 at: http://news.msu.edu/media/documents/2012/10/1f1186b6-b4f5-4fc8-93e8-b228893295ce.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://news.msu.edu/media/documents/2012/10/1f1186b6-b4f5-4fc8-93e8-b228893295ce.pdf Shelf Number: 126901 Keywords: Police AdministrationPolice PerformancePolice Policies and PracticesPolice Recruitment and SelectionPolice StaffingPolicing (U.S.) |
Author: Alexander Weiss Consulting Title: Traverse City Police Workload Analysis Summary: In November 2010, Alexander Weiss Consulting was chosen to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the Traverse City Police. The scope of this study was defined as follows: • Evaluate City police services by benchmarking against other communities our size • Evaluate the overall management structure • Evaluate the number of police officers required to provide law enforcement services • Evaluate the police work schedule, including overtime to determine alternative schedules which may be more cost effective and productive • Evaluate the Detective Division operations, efficiency and workload to determine whether there are operational efficiencies that can be achieved • Evaluate the central records operations arrangement with Grand Traverse County • Evaluate the various support services in the public safety area to determine operational efficiencies and potential services provided by civilians vs. sworn officers • Evaluate cooperative police service delivery opportunities with adjacent government units • Outline procedures for implementing proposed alternatives including public safety services • Outline cost evaluations and savings of various alternatives. This report is based on several sources of information including: • Meetings with ad hoc advisory board • Comprehensive review of department data • Interviews with a range of departmental members including command staff and police officers • Observations of field operations • Meetings with representatives of employee groups • Interview with the Sheriff of Grand Traverse County • Focus group with key community stakeholders. Details: Evanston, IL: Alexander Weiss Consulting, 2012. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 28, 2013 at: http://www.alexanderweissconsulting.com/pdf/AWC_TraverseCItyFinalReport.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.alexanderweissconsulting.com/pdf/AWC_TraverseCItyFinalReport.pdf Shelf Number: 128154 Keywords: Police AdministrationPolice PatrolPolice PerformancePolice Resource AllocationPolice Workloads (Traverse City, Michigan) |
Author: Waggoner, Lauren B. Title: Police Officer Fatigue: The Effects of Consecutive Night Shift Work on Police Officer Performance Summary: Police officers frequently work long, irregular and fatiguing shifts, including night shifts. The effects of night shift work on both waking alertness and ability to sleep during the day may result in degraded police officer performance during operational tasks such as driving and decision making, especially in ambiguous and fast-paced situations. Such decrements in performance by police officers can have catastrophic effects on officers, police departments, municipal governments, and the public through increasing the risk of accidents and injuries. This study examined the effects of consecutive night shift work on police officer performance using a unique research design combining controlled laboratory measures of performance and police officers working actual night shifts in the field. Measures included simulated routine driving, psychomotor vigilance, and simulated deadly force decision making as well as subjective sleepiness. N=30 police patrol officers were studied on two separate occasions during their normal duty cycle: in the morning immediately following five consecutive night shifts, and at the same time in the morning following three days off duty. Mixed-effects analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed degraded simulated driving (F1,78=6.78; P=0.011), vigilance (F1,161=14.06; P<0.001), and increased subjective sleepiness (F1,84=96.99; P<0.001) following five consecutive night shifts on duty compared to three days off duty. Repeated measures ANOVA also showed significantly different false alarm rates (F1,53=4.82; P=0.033) with higher instances of false alarms occurring following the night shift condition, and sensitivity, or ability to detect a threat presented, (F1,53=5.94; P=0.018) with increased signal sensitivity seen during the control condition. Police officers experienced degraded simulated driving and psychomotor vigilance, impaired simulated deadly force decision making performance, and higher subjective sleepiness following consecutive night shifts on duty. These results indicate that police officers are suffering the effects of night shift work on operational performance, creating a safety risk for themselves and the public. Additionally, the success of this study, involving combined laboratory and field data collection, indicates that the study is a useful approach for investigating the relationship between shift work induced fatigue and operational performance. Details: Pullman, WA: Washington State University, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, 2012. 169p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed April 16, 2013 at: https://research.wsulibs.wsu.edu/xmlui/handle/2376/4273 Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: https://research.wsulibs.wsu.edu/xmlui/handle/2376/4273 Shelf Number: 128352 Keywords: Police Officer FatiguePolice PerformancePolice StressShift WorkWork Schedules |
Author: Sparrow, Malcolm K. Title: Crime Reduction as a Regulatory Challenge Summary: The police profession has much to gain by recognizing its kinship with a broad range of regulatory professions. Law-enforcement agencies, security and intelligence organizations, and social regulatory agencies all exist primarily to protect society from a variety of harms. Such harms include crime, pollution, occupational hazards, transportation hazards, corruption, discrimination, various forms of exploitation, food contamination, terrorism, and risks from unsafe commercial products. The core task for such organizations is to identify harms, risks, dangers, or threats of one kind or another, and then either eliminate them, reduce their frequency, mitigate their effects, prevent them, or suppress them; and, by so doing, provide citizens higher levels of safety and security. Agencies with risk-control tasks at the core of their mission are a special breed, and can learn a great deal from one another. They are fundamentally different from the other half of government, which provides citizens with services such as education, health care, welfare, or public transportation systems. Enforcement and regulatory agencies accomplish their task principally by constraining the behavior of citizens or industry. They deliver protection from harm primarily through the delivery of obligations, and they use the coercive power of the state to back up that delivery! They may, on occasions, restrict business practices, seize property, suspend licenses, and even deprive individuals of their liberty or life. Not surprisingly, given their use of such powers, these agencies are scrutinized and criticized more for their uses and abuses of power than for their uses and abuses of public funds. The price paid by society—in terms of governmental intrusion, loss of liberty, and imposed restrictions—has to be worth it in terms of risks reduced, harms prevented, or dangers mitigated. The vogue prescriptions used to improve governments’ performance over the last 30 years, largely imported from the private sector, have provided little instruction in relation to these distinctive risk-control tasks. The management guidance available has focused on customer service, business process improvement, and quality management,1 much less on the challenges of operational risk-control, behavior modification, compliance management, or the structuring of enforcement discretion around specific harm-reduction objectives. Risk-control agencies have been left to fend for themselves, to invent their own more particular brand of reforms, and to seek more specialized and relevant sources of inspiration. Details: Cambridge, MA: Regulatory Policy Program Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government Harvard Kennedy School, 2013. 18p. Source: Internet Resource: RPP-2013-10: Accessed May 30, 2013 at: http://www.hks.harvard.edu/var/ezp_site/storage/fckeditor/file/RPP_2013_10_Sparrow.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.hks.harvard.edu/var/ezp_site/storage/fckeditor/file/RPP_2013_10_Sparrow.pdf Shelf Number: 128878 Keywords: Police AdministrationPolice AgenciesPolice PerformancePolicing (U.S.) |
Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Home Affairs Committee Title: Leadership and Standards in the Police Summary: There are two sides to public perceptions of the police and to the image the police portray to us. Every day, thousands of officers show absolute commitment to their work and go beyond the call of duty to safeguard the public, prevent crime and catch criminals. The speedy and heroic response of officers to the brutal murder of Drummer Lee Rigby on 22 May is a spotlight on the kind of everyday excellence we have come to expect from the police service, attested to by many of our witnesses. This kind of crisis response underlines the deep-rooted faith accorded to the service by the public. Trust in the excellence of British policing is projected on the international stage—the desire to work with British police shown by our colleagues in Romania, on our recent visit to Bucharest, is just one example. We have no doubt that the British police service will continue to shine as one of the most impressive police forces in the world, while maintaining its civilian character and the principle of policing by consent. Behind the reputation, however, there are problems. There is a flip-side to public perceptions of the police prompted by examples of misconduct and criminality within their ranks, including a number of investigations which have come about as a result of historical police failings, such as Operations Yewtree and Elveden, and there is an undercurrent of discontent within the service itself, as reform and spending cuts affect the sense of worth of ordinary officers. The Government has begun a process of fundamental reform of the landscape of institutions that structure British policing. New institutions like the College of Policing and the National Crime Agency (NCA) will be crucial in cutting crime at reduced cost. As Keith Bristow, chief executive of the NCA, told us this is a chance to join up law enforcement, tackle threats more effectively and cut crime. We set out a simplified version of the new division of labour in policing in Annex I. At the same time, however, morale among many police officers has sunk to its lowest ebb in recent memory. A concatenation of crises risks damaging the quality of lawenforcement: public faith in policing has been tested by episodes such as the findings of the Hillsborough Panel Report, the “plebgate” incident, and the first dismissal of a chief constable in 30 years. At the same time, spending cuts have prompted a review of police pay and pensions and a freeze on recruitment which is slowing down efforts to promote diversity and renewal. In addition there has been the use of A19 to require the resignation of service officers with 30 or more years service. When we held our International Conference on Leadership and Standards in the Police on 14 January 2013, over a hundred ordinary officers travelled to London and others wrote to us, many with a message of warning about the future of policing. As many reminded us, policing is a vocation that can sustain officers through all kinds of trials, but there is a limit to what can be asked and waning police morale could have a direct effect on operational effectiveness. The visceral response of many officers to Tom Winsor’s Independent Review of Police Officers’ and Staff Remuneration and Conditions and the London march of more than 30,000 officers on 10 May 2012 were clear demonstrations of discontent. Nor can problems of integrity and morale be addressed easily in a “top-down” fashion. Although the police is a hierarchical organisation, chief constables do not issue orders to be followed to the letter by other officers. The independence of the office of constable means that “policy, law and other forms of direction are refracted through an enduring occupational culture”. Police actions derive from a mix of the professional instincts of officers, the directions of their superiors within a force, the directions of bodies such as the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the culture of policing—“police commonsense”. This means that leadership is spread widely across the police service and its ranks and a high degree of independence and responsibility remains with officers at all levels. Team leaders—sergeants and inspectors—have a powerful influence over the effectiveness and integrity of large numbers of officers, but there is little leadership training at sergeant and inspector level. As Nigel Lloyd put it, “whilst people need a driving license to drive and regular training for taser, firearms and unarmed defensive tactics, you can be in charge of a shift of police officers without any formal training whatsoever”. The police officer is the bedrock of enforcement of English Law: a servant of the Crown, sworn into the Office of Constable. The office entails personal responsibility for the protection of life and property, the prevention and detection of crime, the maintenance of law and order and the detection and prosecution of offenders. While the Government has great vision for the new landscape of policing a number of pieces of the policing puzzle are still missing. It is not yet clear what is happening with the Police IT Procurement Company, what exactly the College of Policing is responsible for and where integrity registers, such as the Chief Constables’ register of interests, will be held. The landscape of policing is being redrawn with great potential to benefit the public. However, amidst this change, the Government risks leaving behind one critical element— police officers themselves. For policing to be effective, change must command the support of police officers and build the capabilities of all officers as independent professionals. It must win the backing of police staff (who are not warranted police constables), who are ever-more integral to policing operations. It must also command the support of the public, whose faith in the police is fundamental to their effectiveness. For these objectives to be fulfilled, the Government must match its reform of the institutional landscape of policing with a renewal of the police themselves: a new emphasis on professionalism, integrity and individual responsibility. The College of Policing will be at the heart of that change. There are three areas where the College will be key to developing an effective service: a) Renewing public confidence by setting out a new code of professional conduct, removing grey areas, with inescapable sanctions for misconduct. b) Rebuilding flagging police morale by elevating the craft of policing to a modern profession with an emphasis on the independence and responsibility of each officer. c) Refashioning the make-up of the police force so that it really represents the public, so that the contract of trust which underlies effective policing can be restored. The College of Policing must create a police service more confident in the professional judgement and discretion of individual officers. To do so, it must unify policing standards for the first time, setting out clear metrics of competency and clear principles of good conduct, at every level from constable to chief constable. New national benchmarks must be laid out for recruitment, so that the same level of performance applies across the land. Partnerships with universities must be regularised and rolled out, so their insights can be shared across the service. Grey areas of conduct must be eliminated and a list of those who are struck off must be established to restore faith in officer integrity. Not only will this help the public to have confidence in the police, it must also improve police professional independence. The lack of clarity in conduct cases has led to a quagmire of complaints, which we described in our Report on the IPCC, leaving officers bogged down in standards cases. Too often, officers go through the motions of policing, following standard procedures to cover their backs, where a commonsense approach would be better. With new clarity set out in a code of ethics, and new confidence and authority from professional training, we expect that the College will empower officers to get on with their jobs. Details: London: The Stationery Office Limited, 2013. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Third Report of Session 2013–14: Accessed July 9, 2013 at: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/home-affairs/HC%2067-I%20Leadership%20Report%20FINAL.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/home-affairs/HC%2067-I%20Leadership%20Report%20FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 129332 Keywords: Police AdministrationPolice LegitimacyPolice PerformancePolice ReformPolice TrainingPolice-Community RelationsPolicing (U.K.) |
Author: Queensland. Department of Community Safety Title: Sustaining the unsustainable : Police and Community Safety review, final report. Summary: The Police and Community Safety Review (the Review) was initiated by the Minister for Police and Community Safety in late 2012. The Review commenced on 2 January 2013 against the background Queensland public sector reform and a restructure of the Queensland Police Service undertaken by the recently appointed Commissioner.The Terms of Reference for the Review are attached. The review was to cover the two departments within the Minister's portfolio i.e. the Queensland Police Service and the Department of Community Safety. It is to be noted the Department of Community Safety is comprised of a number of discrete operational agencies - the Queensland Ambulance Service, Queensland Corrective Services, the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (which incorporates the Rural Fire Service) and Emergency Management Queensland (which incorporates the State Emergency Service). The portfolio of Police and Community Safety has a combined budget of approximately $4 billion and more than 25,000 full-time equivalent staff. Given the size and complexity of the portfolio, the review team has taken the approach, in consultation with the Minister, to focus on interoperability across the portfolio and issues that impact on interoperability and good practice. Hence the review does not focus in detail on individual agencies, and instead is concerned with issues that prevent efficiencies, effectiveness and interoperability across the portfolio of Police and Community Safety. The Queensland Commission of Audit Report and the Callinan Review of the Crime and Misconduct Commission were also delivered during the course of the Review, as was The Malone Review into Rural Fire Services in Queensland 2013 (The Malone Review) on Rural Fire. In addition, the Queensland Government had commenced a review of the various air services contracted to several different Government agencies. The Review has been conducted independently of these initiatives, although the Review team has provided advice to the Minister on the outcomes of the Malone Review. The Review is only a review, not an Inquiry and hence had no powers to apply to its processes, such as calling for submissions and taking evidence. We relied solely upon the goodwill and cooperation of government agencies, employee representative groups, academics and other persons with a genuine desire to improve the delivery of front line services. For example, the Commissioner, South Australian Police provided a very comprehensive submission to the Review. Additionally, on 6 February 2013 the Minister for Police and Community Safety wrote to the Review team requesting the review team include in its final report a review of the 2013 flooding events, limited to the Review Terms of Reference. The Review team wrote to each agency and also received several representations although there was no general call for submissions. We sought to understand the strategic alignment of each agency as well as the level of interoperability. The Review team conducted interviews across the state with representatives from all of the portfolio agencies. The Review team either met with or conducted video conferences with several interstate and overseas agencies in Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia, South Australia and the Commonwealth agencies, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada. The team visited, Gatton, Cairns, Townsville, Mareeba, Emerald, Rockhampton, Logan, Gold Coast, Pine Rivers, Bundaberg and many districts within the Brisbane metropolitan area. In all, 265 interviews or meetings were conducted. During the course of conducting the Review, several submissions were made to the Public Sector Renewal Board and an Interim Report was delivered to the Minister on 27 March 2013. As sections of this report on each of the agencies were completed, they were sense checked wherever possible with members of the relevant agency and then released to government, as we were very much aware of the impending 2013-14 storm season. It is clear that over recent times most of the Department of Community Safety agencies have featured prominently in what have been a series of high profile natural disaster responses, criminal investigations, public order events and tragic fires. Some of these events have resulted in multiple deaths and/or injuries. It follows that the portfolio is a critical one for both the government and the Queensland community. It is a portfolio of agencies that is often at the centre of news stories and is therefore always high in profile. Details: Brisbane: Department of the Premier and Cabinet, 2013. 361p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 24, 2014 at: http://statements.qld.gov.au/Content/MediaAttachments/2013/pdf/Police%20and%20Community%20Safety%20Review%20Report.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://statements.qld.gov.au/Content/MediaAttachments/2013/pdf/Police%20and%20Community%20Safety%20Review%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 131795 Keywords: DisastersPolice AdministrationPolice PerformancePolicing |
Author: Great Britain. National Audit Office Title: Police Accountability: Landscape Review Summary: This report from the National Audit Office has identified a number of gaps in the Home Office's policing oversight framework, which could limit the public's ability to hold elected police and crime commissioners to account. However, even though it has been in place for only a year, the new framework has the potential to be an improvement on the system it has replaced. The Home Office introduced police and crime commissioners in November 2012 as a major reform to how police forces are governed. The Home Office set out an accountability framework for policing with the aim of balancing an increase in local autonomy with the Home Office's own need to obtain assurance that police forces are securing value for money from the funding it gives them. The NAO finds that gaps in this framework - such as the limited effectiveness of police and crime panels, and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary's lack of authority to carry out routine inspections of commissioners or their offices - could limit the degree of assurance the Home Office can take from the new accountability structure. Because police and crime panels, who scrutinize commissioners, lack powers to act on the information they receive, there are few checks and balances on commissioners between elections. The NAO report finds that the introduction of both commissioners, who hold chief constables to account, and police and crime panels, who do the same for commissioners, has increased the potential for local tensions. Nationally, six commissioners share a chief financial officer with their force, raising a potential conflict of interest. Shared chief financial officers might struggle to provide unfettered advice to both the chief constable and commissioner when they disagree. Those in the sector to whom the NAO spoke to believe that elected commissioners are potentially better able to hold police forces to account and drive value for money than the unelected police authorities they replaced. According to elected commissioners, so far there has been a significant increase in engagement with the public compared to the previous situation under police authorities. The NAO also reports that commissioners are not publishing all the data that the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 requires, limiting the public's ability to hold commissioners to account. Furthermore, being able to take performance data at only face value limits the public's ability to hold commissioners to account. The Home Office and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary are now working together to agree how to provide better information to the public. Details: London: The Stationery Office, 2014. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: HC 963, Session 2013-14: Accessed January 24, 2014 at: http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Police-accountability-Landscape-review.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Police-accountability-Landscape-review.pdf Shelf Number: 131796 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice PerformancePolice ReformPolice-Community RelationsPolicing |
Author: Koren, Dori Title: Social Networking for the Police Enterprise: An In-Depth Look at the Benefits, Requirements, and Challenges of Establishing a Social Networking Platform for Law Enforcement Summary: The emergence of social networking technologies has transformed the way people interact, develop social ties, exchange information, and organize their personal and professional lives. As a result, Enterprise Social Networking (ESN) platforms-which offer organizations a closed Facebook-like program to increase connectivity, reduce costs, and enhance productivity-are on the rise in both business and government. This report explores the benefits, requirements, and key challenges for implementing such a platform for the law enforcement and homeland security community. The judgments and findings are based on existing literature, extensive research, the evaluation of numerous software systems, and the consolidated perspective of 77 law enforcement leaders from 45 major agencies. Details: Major Cities Chiefs Association, 2013. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 17, 2014 at: https://www.majorcitieschiefs.com/pdf/news/social_networking_for_the_police_enterprise__final_version_101513.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://www.majorcitieschiefs.com/pdf/news/social_networking_for_the_police_enterprise__final_version_101513.pdf Shelf Number: 131937 Keywords: Police CommunicationsPolice EffectivenessPolice PerformancePolicingSocial Networking |
Author: Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission Title: Beyond Doubt: The experiences of people with disabilities reporting crime Summary: This research sought to examine whether police services in Victoria are delivered on an equal basis for people with disabilities who are victims of crime, compared to those without disability. Our study aimed to: - explore what factors have an impact - both positive and negative - on the initial contact between a person with disability and police when a crime is reported - gain a better understanding of the environments in which crimes against people with disabilities occur and how this affects the reporting process - identify what is and isn't working well across the justice system, including during reporting, interviewing, investigation and prosecution. The study focused on people with disabilities who have been victims of crimes against the person in the last two years in Victoria. These crimes include assault, sexual assault, indecent assault causing serious injury and family violence. We used a qualitative approach that included: - twenty-seven in-depth case study interviews with people who had experienced a crime, supported someone to report a crime or who worked in the justice system - twenty-four key informant interviews with those who have specialist knowledge of disability, crime victimisation and reporting - thirteen focus groups, involving 61 people, including with groups of police members, Independent Third Persons, people with disabilities, advocates, Auslan interpreters and people who provide care and support - reviewing submissions from a range of organisations and examining aggregate de-identified data from the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Department of Justice Victims Support Agency (VSA) - a confidential survey that asked respondents about their experience of crime, reporting crime and the police response. We received 63 responses, including 52 from people with disabilities and 11 from people who provide care and support for people with disabilities. In addition, the Commission undertook a legislative and policy review, reviewed relevant research and completed a comparative analysis of other jurisdictions to identify potential policy solutions. Details: Melbourne: Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, 2014. 159p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 28, 2014 at: http://www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au/index.php/our-resources-and-publications/reports/item/894-beyond-doubt-the-experiences-of-people-with-disabilities-reporting-crime Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: http://www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au/index.php/our-resources-and-publications/reports/item/894-beyond-doubt-the-experiences-of-people-with-disabilities-reporting-crime Shelf Number: 132784 Keywords: DisabilityHandicapped PersonsPolice PerformanceVictims of Crime |
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: Vila, Bryan Title: Developing A Common Metric For Evaluating Police Performance In Deadly Force Situations Summary: There is a critical lack of scientific evidence about whether deadly force management, accountability and training practices actually have an impact on police officer performance in deadly force encounters, the strength of such impact, or whether alternative approaches to managing deadly force could be more effective. The primary cause of this lack is that current tools for evaluating officer-involved shootings are too coarse or ambiguous to adequately measure such highly variable and complex events. There also are substantial differences in how key issues associated with police deadly encounters are conceptualized, even by subject matter experts, how agencies can or should train for them, and what officers should - or reasonably can - be held accountable for. As a consequence, trainers and policy makers have generally been limited by subjective or rough assessments of deadly force performance or how challenging a deadly force situation was. Our research addressed this problem by using a novel pairing of two well-established research methods, Thurstone scaling and concept mapping. With them, we developed measurement scales that dramatically improve our ability to measure police officer performance in deadly force encounters. We expect that these metrics will make it possible to better evaluate the impact of management and training practices, refine them, and make assessment of accountability more just and reasonable. Details: Final Report to the U.S. Department of Justice, 2014. 178p. Source: Accessed September 29, 2014 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/247985.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/247985.pdf Shelf Number: 133476 Keywords: Deadly ForcePolice AccountabilityPolice DiscretionPolice EducationPolice MisconductPolice PerformancePolice Use of Force (U.S.) |
Author: Svoboda, Eva Title: The search for common ground: Police, protection and coordination in Timor-Leste Summary: Despite only recently celebrating its tenth anniversary as an independent nation, Timor-Leste has had an extensive experience of international engagement, with two military interventions and five UN missions over the course of less than 13 years. This study examines the evolution of policing in UN missions in Timor-Leste between 1999 and 2012, highlighting their impact on the development of the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) and the PNTL's relationship with the Timorese military, the Timor-Leste Defence Force (F-FDTL). The report focuses particularly on the violence that flared up in the country in April-June 2006, and examines the coordination mechanisms and actors involved in the response. Key findings: - Improvements are needed if international and national police in transitional settings are to provide an effective and reliable service for people affected by violence and crime. - Fragmentation, lack of clarity and language issues undermined the performance of UN police as well as the development of the PNTL throughout the 13 years of international missions. - The failure to take into account the legacy of the liberation struggle, and the prestige veterans of that struggle hold within Timorese society, hampered efforts to promote the independence and integrity of the PTNL. Details: London: Overseas Development Institute, Humanitarian Policy Group, 2013. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: HPG Working Paper: Accessed October 9, 2014 at: http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/8783.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Asia URL: http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/8783.pdf Shelf Number: 133621 Keywords: Police PerformancePolicing (Timor-Leste)ViolenceViolent Crime |
Author: Jackson, Brian A. Title: Police Department Investments in Information Technology Systems: Challenges Assessing Their Payoff Summary: The potential effects of information technology (IT) systems on police productivity will be driven, in part, by the match between the technology and police activities. In modern policing, how information is used for reactive response to incidents is significantly different from proactive and community-policing activities, so we expect the effects of IT to be quite different. The authors developed a logic model of police functions to guide examination of the different expected effects of IT on productivity. The logic model helped guide a statistical analysis in an effort to identify productivity and budgetary effects of different IT investments in police departments. However, even the best available data were insufficient to break down police agencies use of the technology at a sufficient level of granularity to provide meaningful results. Future efforts to assess the effects of IT systems on law enforcement performance can benefit from the results of the logic modeling and exploratory analysis. Specifically, it is important to collect data not just on department acquisition of IT systems, but also on how the systems are used and the activities that the use is intended to support. In considering potential productivity improvement from IT use, analysts need ways to measure relative levels of effort devoted to different police functions because the role of IT as a force multiplier means that its benefits will be driven, in part, by the force available to multiply. Details: Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2014. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Assessed November 3, 2014 at: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR500/RR569/RAND_RR569.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR500/RR569/RAND_RR569.pdf Shelf Number: 133942 Keywords: Crime AnalysisInformation Technology (U.S.)Police PerformancePolice ProductivityPolicing |
Author: Northern Ireland Criminal Justice Inspection Title: Policing and Community Safety Partnerships: A review of governance, delivery and outcomes Summary: Although PCSPs have delivered successful projects and events at a local level, the absence of reliable performance indicators limited the assessment of their overall impact. Working relationships with community partners were more successful than those with statutory agencies and police accountability meetings were most successful when operating in an open and transparent manner. At the end of the current four-year cycle, the efficiency and viability of PCSPs should be reviewed against baseline performance measures. The contribution made by Police and Community Safety Partnerships (PCSPs) in Northern Ireland to improving community safety in local areas and addressing concerns around policing issues, has been examined in an independent inspection report published today (4 December 2014). The report by Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI) which looked at governance, performance and accountability, found a lack of reliable performance information meant it was difficult to establish the overall impact of PCSPs. It also identified that current governance arrangements were too bureaucratic and that on average 43% of the $5.5m funding provided annually to PCSPs, was being spent on administration costs. Details: Belfast: Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland, 2014. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 15, 2015 at: http://www.cjini.org/CJNI/files/aa/aacda6ac-11fa-4d0a-944a-4ba2cd4eed28.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.cjini.org/CJNI/files/aa/aacda6ac-11fa-4d0a-944a-4ba2cd4eed28.pdf Shelf Number: 134410 Keywords: PartnershipsPolice AccountabilityPolice PerformancePolice-Community Relations (Northern Ireland) |
Author: Engel, Robin S. Title: Effectiveness vs. Equity in Policing: Is a Tradeoff Inevitable? Summary: Engel and Eck make the case that modern policing methods make it possible to increase both "effectiveness" and "equity" at the same time. The authors note that policing agencies and criminal justice researchers have long followed a framework established in 1968 by legal scholar Herbert Packer, which presumes that for every effort police make at increasing effectiveness, they must reduce their efforts at being fair and equitable. The best example of how this formula has been used in the last 20 years is the evolution of the 'stop, question, and frisk' practices, employed by police departments in cities like New York. Engel and Eck assert that modern policing methods like problem-oriented policing can be designed to take both effectiveness and equity into account, creating crime reduction while increasing fairness and police-community relations. Engel and Eck suggest that departments use scientific evidence to measure both their effectiveness at reducing crime and also the equity of policing in their communities. They provide the example of the City of Cincinnati, which instituted reforms after a federal investigation and a racial bias lawsuit was filed against police. These reforms included the creation of the Community Police Partnering Center, and a strategic focus within the Cincinnati Police Department to implement a number of problem-solving projects that involved community members from the beginning. These practices have led to a reduction in crime and an increase in police legitimacy in Cincinnati, the authors said. Details: Washington, DC: Police Foundation, 2015. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Ideas in American Policing, no. 18: Accessed March 4, 2015 at: http://www.policefoundation.org/sites/g/files/g798246/f/201502/PF_IIAP_EngelandEck_Jan2015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.policefoundation.org/sites/g/files/g798246/f/201502/PF_IIAP_EngelandEck_Jan2015.pdf Shelf Number: 134742 Keywords: Police EffectivenessPolice PerformancePolice Problem-SolvingPolice Reform (U.S.) |
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: Griffiths, Curt Taylor Title: Policing in Winnipeg: An Operational Review Summary: This document represents the results of an Operational Review of the Winnipeg Police Service. The purpose of this review was to examine and evaluate the core activities of the WPS and to develop recommendations that will improve the effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery. More specifically, the review involved an in-depth examination of the use of overtime in the WPS, the potential for civilianization of positions in the service, staffing, deployment, the response to calls for service, and the activities of investigative units. The review was informed by best practices in police management and operations, and multiple data sources were used in the review, including field observations of patrol, interviews with patrol members and senior police personnel, quantitative data on overtime and from Computer-Aided Dispatch, and a survey of selected investigative units. These analyses were conducted within a framework that considered the environment in which the WPS delivers services and responds to community demands and expectations. The components of this review are set out in chapters, beginning with a discussion surrounding the context of policing in Winnipeg, focusing on the unique challenges surrounding the delivery of policing services in the City of Winnipeg. A special focus is afforded to relationships between the WPS and Aboriginal peoples, immigrants, and refugees. This also includes a discussion surrounding mandates and downloading between different levels of government and the WPS, particularly surrounding persons with mental illness, chronic youth runaways, and special event policing. Two stand-alone chapters examine two separate issues - those of civilianization, and overtime usage for the entire Service. The objective of the civilianization review is to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of civilianizing positions within a police force, and then objectively analyze what positions would be appropriate to civilianize in the WPS. A number of positions currently occupied by sworn officers are identified as more appropriately staffed by civilians. Converting these positions will allow for greater continuity of expertise, reduced operational costs in many instances, and will free up sworn members for deployment in areas of greater need, including patrol. The study of overtime in the service identifies the source of these costs. A key finding is that patrol members generate the majority of overtime, an indicator that the WPS does not currently have sufficient resources deployed. The analysis makes it possible to determine what initiatives can be taken to reduce overtime, including making adjustments to staffing and shift deployment. Generally speaking, the opportunities for cost savings appear to reside within the staffing levels in some parts of the organization, namely in Patrol. Staffed properly, this could result in savings of approximately $1.5M. Details: Ottawa: Canadian Police Association, 2013. 479p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed march 16, 2015 at: http://curtgriffiths.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/WPS-operational-review.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Canada URL: http://curtgriffiths.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/WPS-operational-review.pdf Shelf Number: 134931 Keywords: Police AdministrationPolice PatrolPolice PerformancePolice ReformPolicing (Winnipeg, Canada) |
Author: Owens, Catherine Title: The Essex Body Worn Video Trial: The impact of Body Worn Video on criminal justice outcomes of domestic abuse incidents Summary: Some early evaluation work undertaken in England and Wales has shown promising evidence that body worn video (BWV) can increase the proportion of criminal justice (CJ) outcomes in domestic abuse (DA) incidents, but the findings were limited. The randomised controlled trial (RCT) reported in this paper tested the impact of BWV on the CJ outcomes for domestic abuse incidents in Essex. The intervention was the issuing of BWV to officers who provided first response to incidents of DA. In total, 80 officers were randomly assigned to the treatment group (to wear body worn video cameras) - 70 eventually wore the cameras - and 238 were randomly assigned to the control group (to not receive the cameras). Randomly assigning officers to the intervention group provides a strong basis on which to draw inferences regarding the effects of BWV. Over the four month period of the trial, 308 Essex response officers attended 30,480 incidents, of which 7,609 where domestic abuse incidents; 25% of all incidents attended. Of these, at least one officer wearing a body worn camera attended 2,761 incidents (36% of all domestic abuse incidents attended). The CJ outcomes of the DA incidents attended by treatment and control group officers were analysed - both at the incident and officer level, to see if there were any difference from the presence of a camera in the outcome of the incidents. In addition, an officer survey and officer interviews were conducted to understand why any changes in outcome may have occurred and context. It was not possible to obtain victims' views, or data about the involvement of the victims or witnesses at any stage in the investigation or prosecution. The trial did not look at potential impact of BWV on victim's feelings of fairness and confidence in the way the police handled the incident, or their views on progression of the incident through the Criminal Justice System using BWV footage. Results -- There was no significant difference between whether a camera was present or not in the rate at which incidents resulted in a sanction detection (SD). However, there was evidence to suggest that use of the camera affected the type of SD. A significantly higher proportion of incidents attended by at least one officer wearing a camera resulted in one or more criminal charges rather than another SD outcome (81% of the sanction detections were charges in the treatment group compared to 72% in the control group). This finding was supported by a 5% difference in the mean for individual officer charging rates in the two groups (75% vs 80%), which although not statistically significant2 matches the pattern of findings from incidents. There was no evidence to suggest the cameras work differently for different types of officer, victim or area. However, the presence of the camera increases the probability of an individual being charged (as opposed to other forms of detection), at all risk levels graded by the control room, but the effect was most noticeable for the lower risk cases. There were no differences in incidents being recorded as crimes, or rates of arrest, and too few cases to identify impact on guilty pleas and sentencing at this time. The intention of the trial was to test the impact of BWV on CJ outcomes for DA incidents, but low usage of the cameras by officers may have had a large effect on the CJ outcomes explored in this trial. During the trial, only one in six officers surveyed reported using the camera for all DA incidents, as required by policy, and there were significant practical limitations with the equipment. This trial shows an impact of BWV in its complex 'real world' setting that enables an understanding of when and for whom it is effective. This study was, therefore, an effectiveness study, not a study of how BWV could work in ideal settings - which would need translating to the context to which it is applied. This distinction is important because interventions that lead to significant improvements in 'ideal' settings do not necessarily deliver the same results in the 'real world'. This trial found that BWV was not used as it was intended, but a difference was still seen. One explanation for the charging results could be the effect of expectations of being part of a trial, but the officer interviews and survey gave an insight into the reported difference the cameras made to their response to DA incidents. Officer Experience -- Half of those officers interviewed stated an increased confidence in getting convictions with the cameras, as they felt the cameras gave more detail than a statement could capture. The evidence, interviewed officers reported, was especially useful if it was a recording of the initial account, as it would often capture emotion and any injuries - more accurately reflecting the impact of the incident. An added benefit of the cameras was that often victims reportedly gave a great deal of information about the incident, or appeared when the officers arrived at the scene with visible injuries or clearly emotional, that they felt provided useful evidence at a later stage, particularly for evidence led prosecutions. The interviewed officers' comments all support the increased proportion of charges found. Officers interviewed felt the cameras increased accountability and made them more mindful of their behaviour. While some comments suggested officers' would be more likely to arrest than to take any other action with BWV, this was not found in the results, perhaps because of the force's prior focus on positive action, which officers usually took to mean arrest. They explained a risk aversion to inaction, and how this was amplified by the cameras. There was a feeling they would have to justify action or rather inaction to anyone looking at the footage. However, the strongest message from the survey and interviews was that the cameras had practical limitations, including failure to record, recording at the wrong angle, difficulties switching it on/off and not working in poor lighting, as well as being bulky so difficult to wear were often given as a reason officers stopped using the equipment. Details: Ryton-on-Dunsmore, UK: College of Policing, 2014. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 2, 2015 at: http://college.pressofficeadmin.com/repository/files/BWV_Report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://college.pressofficeadmin.com/repository/files/BWV_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 135131 Keywords: Body-Worn CamerasDomestic ViolenceLaw Enforcement TechnologyPolice AccountabilityPolice BehaviorPolice PerformanceVideo Technology |
Author: Police Executive Research Forum Title: Defining Moments for Police Chiefs Summary: The position of police chief has always been a demanding job. A police chief must know how to run a complex organization, in many cases a very large organization. Chiefs must have strong leadership skills and a vision for meeting the needs of the community. And the stakes are high, because police have unique power and authority over people. The consequences of a mistake by any member of the organization can be catastrophic. As a result, police departments undergo closer scrutiny than other types of organizations. Since PERF's creation in 1976, one of our priorities has been to work with police chiefs to identify best practices and policies for meeting the challenges of the job. Our goal is to help police departments learn from each other about the critical issues they face. And one thing we have seen is that even in a well-run department, a department with good policies, thorough training of officers, strong leaders, and solid management systems, things can go disastrously wrong at any moment. A single officer can make a bad decision in a split-second, or a natural disaster or large-scale criminal incident can overwhelm a departments capabilities. A police chief who responds well in a crisis can mitigate the damage, and sometimes the storyline changes as a result. Instead of focusing on the disastrous incident, the community remembers how hard the police chief and the police department worked to handle it. Unfortunately, in other cases, a slow or ill-considered response makes the situation worse. In the summer of 2014, PERF decided to hold a national conference to address these issues. We decided to name the conference "Defining Moments for Police Chiefs." We wanted to ask leading police officials, "In your career, what was the one critical moment when you really felt tested? What did you do that worked well? And looking back, is there anything you wish you could do over and do differently?" Details: Washington, DC: PERF, 2015. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Critical Issues in Policing Series: Accessed May 4, 2015 at: http://www.policeforum.org/assets/definingmoments.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.policeforum.org/assets/definingmoments.pdf Shelf Number: 135509 Keywords: Police Administrators (U.S.)Police PerformancePolicing |
Author: Jones, Nicholas A. Title: The Duty to Disclose. The Challenges, Costs and Possible Solutions: Final Report Summary: In recent years, there has been a growing interest in holding public safety services such as the police more accountable for their performance as publically funded agencies (Ruddell and Jones, 2014). As a result, there has been a determined and focused search for cost efficiencies within the criminal justice system. One area where there has been an increase in workload and costs is due to legal requirements associated with pre-trial disclosure. While Cowper (2012) noted that the disclosure ruling in the Supreme Court's R. v. Stinchcombe (1991) decision was predicted to result in an increased number of pre-court resolutions, which has not always been the case. Malm, Pollard, Brantingham, Tinsley, Plecas, Brantingham, Cohen and Kinney (2005, p. 13) reported that disclosure requirements have, in some cases, had a "debilitating, effect on police resources." Given the inter-related nature of the justice system, it is not difficult to see how this costly requirement also impacts upon the operations and budgets of Public Prosecutor Units as well. The Stinchcombe decision has resulted in justice agencies having to balance the requirements of the court ruling to ensure just and fair outcomes for the accused, while seeking strategies to ameliorate the increased workload they have experienced. The purpose of this report was to shed light on the practice of disclosure in Saskatchewan using information collected from justice-system practitioners and stakeholders, as well as practitioners from other provinces. Based on an analysis of their observations, four broad recommendations were generated that incorporated suggestions from the Saskatchewan participants, while also giving consideration to best practices reported by officials from other provinces who are grappling with similar issues. These recommendations fall under the broad themes of: 1) legal issues and requirements, 2) standardization of disclosure packages, 3) electronic forms of disclosure, and 4) transcription. Details: Regina, SK: Collaborative Centre for Justice and Safety, 2014. 329p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 18, 2015 at: http://www.justiceandsafety.ca/rsu_docs/duty-to-disclose-final-with-cover-to-ps.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Canada URL: http://www.justiceandsafety.ca/rsu_docs/duty-to-disclose-final-with-cover-to-ps.pdf Shelf Number: 135698 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice EffectivenessPolice PerformancePolicing |
Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) Title: Caught red-handed: Why we can't count on Police Recorded Crime statistics. Thirteenth Report of Session 2013-14 Summary: Crime statistics published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are central to our understanding of the nature and prevalence of crime in England and Wales. They provide crucial information for the police which helps them to decide how to deploy their manpower resources. Lax supervision of recorded crime data risks reducing the police's effectiveness in their core role of protecting the public and preventing crime. Measurement of crime is based on two main statistical sources: (i) the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW, formerly the British Crime Survey) and (ii) Police Recorded Crime (PRC). The CSEW and PRC provide strong evidence that the overall volume of crime has been falling. However, there is an accumulation of substantial and credible evidence indicating that the PRC data do not represent a full and accurate account of crime in England and Wales. Of most importance, we have strong evidence that PRC under-records crime, and therefore the rate of decrease in crime may be exaggerated, and this is due to lax police compliance with the agreed national standard of victim-focussed crime recording. As a result of PASC's inquiry and the evidence we have exposed, the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) decided in January 2014 to strip PRC data of its designation as National Statistics. We conclude that the Home Office, ONS and UKSA have been far too passive in the face of concerns raised about PRC; they have repeatedly missed opportunities to ensure the integrity and quality of PRC data. The cessation of regular external audit of police force crime recording in 2007 was a mistake. We recommend the re-instatement of annual audits of crime recording practices. HM Inspectorate of Constabulary's inspection in 2013 into the Kent Police found clear evidence that targets are detrimental to the integrity of crime data. Numerical targets for individual police officers and police forces as a whole, based on PRC data, and set by senior police officers or Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), drive perverse incentives to misrecord crime, tend to affect attitudes and erode data quality. Some PCCs consider the perverse incentives created by targets to be so serious that they have dropped all targets. We applaud them. The attitudes and behaviour which lead to the misrecording of crime have become ingrained, including within senior leadership. This leads to the subordination of data integrity to target-chasing. This can present officers with a conflict between achievement of targets and core policing values. We deprecate the use of targets in the strongest possible terms. The Home Office, which claims credit for abolishing national numerical targets, should also be discouraging the use of such targets. The Home Office must also take responsibility and accept accountability for the quality of PRC statistics. Senior police leaders must ensure that emphasis is placed on data integrity and accuracy, not on the achievement of targets. We regard such practice as a flawed leadership model, contrary to the policing Code of Ethics. The quality of leadership within the police, and its compliance with the core values of policing, including accountability, honesty and integrity, will determine whether the proper quality of PRC data can be restored. We are convinced that this requires leadership in many police forces to place new emphasis on values and ethics, especially in the Metropolitan Police Service. We recommend that the Committee on Standards in Public Life conducts a wide-ranging inquiry into the police's compliance with the new Code of Ethics; in particular the role of leadership in promoting and sustaining these values in the face of all the other pressures on the force. Details: London: The Stationery Office Limited, 2014. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 1, 2015 at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmpubadm/760/760.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmpubadm/760/760.pdf Shelf Number: 135840 Keywords: Crime MeasurementCrime StatisticsPolice AccountabilityPolice BehaviorPolice EthicsPolice IntegrityPolice Performance |
Author: Northern Ireland. Comptroller and Auditor General Title: Continuous Improvement Arrangements in Policing Summary: Background Section 28 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 requires the Board to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which its functions, and those of the Chief Constable, are exercised, having regard to economy, efficiency and effectiveness. The Board is required to prepare and publish a performance plan for each financial year, detailing how the continuous improvement arrangements are to be implemented. Under the Act, the Board must also prepare and publish a performance summary. This report from the C&AG reviews the systems underpinning the plan and performance summary. It is not an audit of PSNI's performance. Main Findings The C&AG gave an unqualified audit opinion on the Policing Plan for 2014-15 and the performance summary for 2013-14. - The Policing Plan 2013-14 included 28 measures of performance for PSNI, spread across four main themes. Overall, PSNI achieved 18 (64 per cent) measures, with the remaining 10 measures (36 per cent) not achieved. - Based upon the information contained within the Board's Annual Report, the C&AG said that it is difficult to form a firm conclusion as to the overall performance achieved in 2013-14. He added that he has commented in previous years on the lack of additional explanatory information provided and it is now time that this matter was addressed. - The 2014-15 Plan consists of 11 outcomes, with 29 associated performance measures. There has been a significant increase in the number of performance measures which have been expressed in quantitative terms compared to the previous Policing Plan. - There remain areas where further development of the measures is desirable. In particular, there are a number of targets which focus on measuring activities rather than outcomes, and a number of targets expressed in terms of a general level of improvement rather than specifying the level of improvement to be achieved. Details: Belfast: Northern Ireland Audit Office, 2015. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 29, 2015 at: http://www.niauditoffice.gov.uk/continuous_improvement_2015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.niauditoffice.gov.uk/continuous_improvement_2015.pdf Shelf Number: 136253 Keywords: Police AdministrationPolice PerformancePolicing |
Author: Great Britain. Committee on Standards in Public Life Title: Tone from the Top: Leadership, ethics and accountability in policing Summary: 1. The public expects high ethical standards from the police that serve them. Trust in the police is vital - from the Chief Constable to the most junior police officer. Police ethics - their honesty, their integrity, their impartiality, their openness - should be beyond reproach. Above all, this requires effective accountability and leadership to create a culture where high standards of behaviour are the norm. High standards - of both conduct and accountability - also need to be demonstrated by those charged with holding the police to account. 2. The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (the Act) created elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to "ensure the police respond to local priorities and are directly accountable to the public."1 PCCs set the strategic direction and aims of the police force and have responsibility for delivering community safety and reducing crime and delivering value for money. PCCs control over 12bn of police force funding.2 They have the statutory responsibility to appoint a Chief Constable as well as for their removal. In addition to the PCCs' local role, they have a regional and national role to ensure cross border resilience and capability and to meet national threats such as terrorism or organised crime. PCCs can and have entered into collaboration agreements with other PCCs and organisations to improve the efficiency or effectiveness of policing, for example by sharing back office functions. The Act also provided for the establishment of local Police and Crime Panels who have a dual scrutiny and support role in respect of the PCC and have some powers of veto on budgets and on the appointment of a Chief Constable. 3. PCCs represent a deliberate and substantial strengthening of the locally elected element of the tripartite arrangements for policing accountability. The model is one of democratic accountability "replacing bureaucratic accountability with democratic accountability" where "the public will have elected Police and Crime Commissioners and will be holding them to account for how policing is delivered through their force." The model is primarily reliant on the cycle of elections as the main means of holding PCCs to account. The average turnout for the PCC election in 2012 was 15.1%. The Committee's public research has found that knowledge of the policing accountability arrangements is not very high4 and there is a very low level of public interest in policing - 60% of respondents said they were not interested in finding out about policing issues in their local area5. Rather, for the public, the key accountability mechanism is the ability to question or challenge "their" local beat team or commander on specific areas of concern. 4. The statutory Policing Protocol, which sets out to all PCCs, Chief Constables and Police and Crime Panels how their functions will be exercised in relation to each other, makes clear that all parties will abide by the Seven Principles of Public Life - Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty and Leadership. 5. The Committee believes that any accountability and governance framework for policing should similarly reflect the Seven Principles of Public Life, and operate in a way which is capable of ensuring ethical behaviour, reducing ethical risks and providing effective accountability in order to command public confidence. 6. This matters because our policing system relies on policing by consent in a way that meets the differing needs and priorities of communities. It also relies on the operational independence of the police. But operational independence does not mean that there can be exceptionalism for the police - the public is clear on what the ethical standards should be and is consistent in its expectation that those in public life should abide by them. Year on year the public has affirmed that the definition of standards set out in the Seven Principles is still relevant and should continue to apply to public office holders and all those delivering public services. 7. The Committee recognises that the role of police officer is a unique and valuable one. It does not underestimate the challenging and often unexpected situations the police face every day. "Police officers are expected to make quick but finely-calibrated judgements about when, how and how much of their power it is justified to use" and the vast majority of police officers do so with integrity. They are operating in a fast moving landscape with changing demands of crime where increased accountability, professionalisation and ethical behaviour will be key to ensuring public confidence. 8. The Committee's surveys tell us that public experience of core policing values is generally positive. They show that the majority of respondents thought senior police officers could be trusted to tell the truth and the large majority of respondents thought they would be treated fairly as a victim of crime reporting it to the police. This view is reinforced by other surveys which showed that 65% of respondents thought police officers could be trusted to tell the truth, and 63% of adults gave positive ratings of local police. Research carried out specifically for this inquiry showed that the majority of respondents believed that the police are held to account for their actions and that police deal with crime and anti-social behaviour issues that matter in their local area. 9. The democratic accountability of the PCC must not negate oversight of those who hold public office. As the government acknowledged: "the public need to have the right information to judge the Commissioner's performance and they need to know the Commissioner can be called to account with effective scrutiny and appropriate checks and balances, in particular at a local level." 10. Accountability should be tested between elections by demonstrable compliance with standards of conduct, propriety and performance. It should be tested and verified by independent scrutiny, with failure addressed with appropriate and timely sanctions. 11. The Committee is conscious that all those involved in the new local accountability arrangements have had to adapt to new relationships and ways of working, with relatively little guidance and support from central Government. PCCs in particular faced a huge task to develop their Police and Crime Plans setting out their priorities and establish their offices in a short space of time after delayed elections. The Committee has borne this in mind throughout the course of the inquiry. The Committee has found evidence of: a. recognition of the importance of the College of Policing's Code of Ethics and core policing values and diverse good practice in implementing and embedding the Code within police forces; b. increased professionalism that is ethically based and an acknowledgement of the importance of leadership in policing to support high ethical standards; c. increased visibility, greater focus on victim support and local public engagement by PCCs in comparison to the Police Authorities they replaced, but questions around the wider impact of that engagement; d. the existence of various mechanisms, of varying effectiveness, to support high standards of behaviour and propriety such as information transparency, audit committees, ethical frameworks, scrutiny plans, controls to manage conflicts of interests and arrangements to engage, promote and monitor best practice - these arrangements will need to be consistently and actively implemented with regular monitoring of compliance and impact. 13. The Committee has also identified significant standards risks including: a. confusion amongst the public and the participants about roles and responsibilities, especially in relation to where operational independence and governance oversight begin and end; b. a significant absence of a clear process to take action against a PCC whose conduct falls below the standards expected of public office holders, resulting in that behaviour going unchallenged and uncensured; c. concerns about the robustness of current selection processes for chief officers; d. PCCs not encountering sufficient constructive challenge or active support in exercising decision making powers; e. barriers to the effective operation of Police and Crime Panels as scrutinisers including support, resources and the consistency and credibility of representative membership; f. a lack of timely and accessible information being provided to Police and Crime Panels by PCCs affecting Police and Crime Panels' ability to scrutinise and support the PCC; g. potential for high risk conflict of interests in roles jointly appointed by PCCs and Chief Constables (which although relatively rare, may increase in number) and risks inherent in the combined role of Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer to the PCC; h. confusion between, and inherent tensions in the current police complaints system and the complaints system attaching to PCCs, and a gap in the expectations of the public in how complaints against PCCs would be resolved, especially when this involved unethical but not criminal behaviour. 14. Combined, these factors impact on the ability of Police and Crime Panels to ensure, "that decisions of PCCs are tested on behalf of the public on a regular basis." There are benefits for PCCs in active engagement with Police and Crime Panels as a source of local knowledge, political support and leverage. PCCs need to play their part in sustaining open and trusting relationships. There is also scope for Police and Crime Panels to develop a more strategic future focus with better forward planning. 15. The operational and strategic roles of the Chief Constable and PCC respectively are not clearly defined and this has created confusion in the minds of the public which has fed into the complaints system. The evidence has also shown that success or failure in the current framework depends not only on the skills and experience but also on the personalities of and the relationship between the Chief Constable and the PCC. Whilst this is not a substantially new issue - constructive relationships were an important factor when Chief Constables were accountable to Police Authorities - it becomes critical when it is a one-on-one relationship. 16. The risk that the balance of power will become asymmetric or dysfunctional argues for transparency in working relationships and appropriate checks and balances. The Committee is not convinced that the existing safeguards in the framework are sufficient, given that the PCC as a single individual directly controls local policing, crime strategy and a significant budget. This matters because policing in times of austerity may mean that Chief Constables will increasingly be making difficult operational decisions which may not be supported by the public or the PCC. 17. The Committee considers a minimum code of conduct for PCCs an essential component in ensuring there is clarity as to the standards of conduct and behaviour expected from the individuals concerned and in providing the public with certainty as to what is and is not acceptable conduct. This will in turn increase transparency in the complaints system and produce a common standard of conduct which could be relied upon in any future power of recall. 18. The Committee noted the establishment of Ethics Committees in some areas, but considers they are an adjunct to, not an answer to, embedding a standards culture. Nor are they part of the formal accountability for holding Chief Constables to account. The Committee believes the remit of Ethics Committees needs to be sharply focused and clearly differentiated from other groups such as Independent Advisory Groups. As new bodies in an already crowded landscape, their effectiveness should be regularly reviewed. 19. The Committee has concluded that to provide assurance that high ethical standards of behaviour are capable of being upheld and to sustain core policing values14 there needs to be a strong and continuing focus on: - clarity of responsibility and accountability; - developing a sustainable culture of embedding high ethical standards; and - robust effective ethical leadership. Details: London: The Committee, 2015. 141p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 29, 2015 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/439208/Tone_from_the_top_-_CSPL.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/439208/Tone_from_the_top_-_CSPL.pdf Shelf Number: 136254 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice BehaviorPolice EffectivenessPolice EthicsPolice LegitimacyPolice Performance |
Author: International Crisis Group Title: The Future of the Afghan Local Police Summary: The Afghan Local Police (ALP) began as a small U.S. experiment but grew into a significant part of Afghanistan's security apparatus. In hundreds of rural communities, members serve on the front lines of a war that is reaching heights of violence not witnessed since 2001, as insurgents start to credibly threaten major cities. The ALP also stand in the middle of a policy debate about whether the Kabul government can best defend itself with loosely regulated units outside the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) structure. The mixed record suggests that the ALP contribute to security where local factors allow recruitment of members from the villages they patrol and where they respect their own communities. But such conditions do not exist in many districts. The ALP and pro-government militias are cheap but dangerous, and Kabul should resist calls for their expansion. Reforms are needed to strengthen oversight, dismiss ALP in the many locations where they worsen security and incorporate the remaining units into the ANSF. Since 2001, when intelligence officers arrived in northern Afghanistan to raise local militias against the Taliban, the U.S. presence has been associated with a proliferation of irregular or semi-regular forces backed by American sponsors. None has approached the scale of the ALP, which has perhaps 29,000 men deployed in 29 of 34 provinces. Its predecessors were invented to meet short-term tactical requirements, such as assisting counter-terrorism teams in border regions; the ALP is a broader effort to correct strategic problems in the war against the Taliban. U.S. planners realised they were sending Afghan forces into rural communities that treated them as outsiders because of their tribe, ethnicity or urban background. Senior Afghan officials were reluctant to endorse community-based units, in part because they circumvented central government authority, but also because they resembled militias that had contributed to the civil wars of the 1990s. President Hamid Karzai eventually accepted the ALP concept after insisting the armed villagers would at least nominally be categorised as "police" and answer to the interior ministry. He approved a 10,000-man roster as a two- to five-year temporary measure to address growing instability, although the program rapidly expanded. Five years later, officials in President Ashraf Ghani's government are considering plans to increase the roster to 45,000 and seeking money to continue the program after the scheduled September 2018 expiration of U.S. funding. U.S. and Afghan security officials also continue experimenting with other irregular units. Abdul Rashid Dostum, the first vice president and an ex-militia leader, has publicly called for a new force of 20,000. Already, security officials are attempting to raise about 5,000 militiamen in at least seven provinces as a stopgap against rising insecurity. Afghan officials who feel qualms about hastily-raised forces with little training may lose the internal argument if insurgent attacks continue growing in 2015-2016 as forecast, leading to more pressure for quick fixes. However, the ALP program has not improved security in many places and even exacerbated the conflict in a number of districts. A minority of villagers describe it as an indispensable source of protection, without which their districts would become battlegrounds or insurgent havens, but it is more common to hear complaints that ALP prey upon the people they are supposed to guard. Such behaviour often provokes violence: in 2014, an ALP officer was three to six times more likely to be killed on duty than his ANSF counterpart. At times, this reflected the way ALP units have become a central part of the war, singled out by Taliban as important targets. In other places, the high rate resulted from abuses - extortion, kidnapping, extrajudicial killings - that instigated armed responses. Teachers who feel outraged by ALP behaviour and pick up guns to attack an ALP outpost may have no connection to insurgents and may quickly return peacefully to civilian life. Such cases illustrate how ALP can inspire conflict, instead of quelling it. The chequered history suggests further expansion of such forces would be a mistake, but an abrupt halt to the program would give insurgents a military edge, and ex-fighters might also be drawn to banditry and other forms of lawlessness if not carefully reintegrated into society or the ANSF. New policies are needed to extend ALP units with proven good behaviour, while reducing the overall force and ultimately ending the program. The mix of interventions required - strengthened oversight and integration into ANSF of units that would remain after poor ones are disbanded - includes additional training, vetting and discipline. Many domestic and international actors should be empowered to identify where the ALP contributes to instability, including the councils of elders originally convened to approve the program. Oversight mechanisms should have power only to reduce or eliminate ALP where the program is not working, not authorise bigger rosters or shift resources to new locations. Only a minority of the existing ALP would likely pass muster in such a stringent system, but those remaining should receive pay increases equivalent to those received by the national police (ANP), and adequate support from the government and international community. Washington's allies have been reluctant to get involved with the program, but they should set aside their concerns as ALP members become bona fide policemen and leave behind the ALP's history as a U.S. military project. Details: Brussels: International Crisis Group, 2015. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Asia Report No. 268: http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/asia/south-asia/pakistan/268-the-future-of-the-afghan-local-police.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Afghanistan URL: http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/asia/south-asia/pakistan/268-the-future-of-the-afghan-local-police.pdf Shelf Number: 136338 Keywords: Counter-TerrorismPolice BehaviorPolice Education and TrainingPolice EffectivenessPolice PerformancePolice ReformPolicing |
Author: Murray, Kath Title: Stop and Search in Scotland: A Post Reform Overview - Scrutiny and Accountability Summary: This report examines police stop and search practice in the first two years of Police Scotland, following the amalgamation of the eight Scottish forces under the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 in April 2013. The report follows on from an earlier evaluation of stop and search published by the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research which examined police practice between 2005 and 2010 (Murray, 2014). This found that by 2010, search rates in Scotland were around four times higher than in England and Wales; that seventy per cent of recorded searches were undertaken without reasonable suspicion; and that searches were disproportionately targeted towards young people in some parts of Scotland. Since its publication, the use of stop and search in Scotland has been subject to an unprecedented degree of media and political attention. Yet despite this spotlight, relatively little is known about police practice in the post-reform period. A Scrutiny Review report by the Scottish Police Authority published in May 2014 provided a snapshot of police practice in the first nine months of Police Scotland. Further cross-sectional data were provided in a review by HM Inspectorate of Policing in Scotland (HMICS, 2015b), and some statistics have been published in the media. Nonetheless, the story seems confused. On the one hand, Police Scotland Executives have pointed to a fall in searches in the post-reform period (e.g. Herald 9/4/15). On the other hand, officers have expressed concerns in relation to a disproportionate focus on stop and search, and pressure to increase the numbers of searches (HMICS, 2015a; 32, 2015b; 54). One of the objectives in this report is to untangle these different interpretations. The report examines police practice from three perspectives: national; local and comparative. At the national level, the trends seem encouraging. In the first two years of Police Scotland, the overall number of recorded searches fell by 38%. The number and proportion of non-statutory searches has fallen, and the overall trend in relation to young people is positive. In 2014/15, the number of recorded searches on sixteen year olds fell by 39% from the previous year. At the local level, the picture is mixed. The overall fall in searches was underpinned by the five ex-Strathclyde Divisions. These Divisions accounted for 83% and 81% of all recorded searches in 2013/14 and 2014/15 respectively. This means that the national picture was not necessarily representative of police practice in the remaining nine Divisions. For example, the use of non-statutory search and the proportion of searches carried out on young people varied considerably across Scotland. Taking a comparative perspective, search rates remain stubbornly high, over and above what might be expected in a small country with relatively low rates of recorded crime. Looking across the 43 forces in England/Wales and the 14 Scottish Divisions, Scottish Divisions accounted for seven of the ten highest ranking Divisions and forces, with the ex-Strathclyde Divisions taking the top five places. Search rates were also comparatively high in other parts of Scotland. For example, in 2014/15, the per capita search rate in Tayside was higher than London. The analysis shows how police practice can be viewed in different ways, each equally valid. This means that precedence should not be given to one outlook over another. Whilst the national picture appears positive, this does not necessarily reflect local policing in Scotland. Nor does the national trend reflect the fact that search rates in Scotland remained unduly high in the first two years of Police Scotland. The report suggests that stop and search rates in Scotland may be attributed to a combination of strict performance management, weak regulation, and to a lack of scrutiny and accountability prior to reform. By the same token, the recent fall in recorded searches can be linked to increasing levels of political and media scrutiny in the post-reform period. On the one hand, this engagement is both welcome and overdue. Prior to the formation of the single service the use of stop and search was not openly accounted for and remained beyond public scrutiny. On the other hand, the degree of critical attention directed towards Police Scotland has destabilized the single service at a time of huge structural change. The report concludes that one of the key challenges therefore is to make the use of stop and search formally accountable. That is, to establish robust governance processes that provide transparency, and ensure that the use of stop and search, and other key powers, are subject to rigorous scrutiny and monitoring. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research, 2015. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 14, 2015 at: http://www.sccjr.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Stop-and-search-in-Scotland.-A-post-reform-overview-22ndJune2015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.sccjr.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Stop-and-search-in-Scotland.-A-post-reform-overview-22ndJune2015.pdf Shelf Number: 136408 Keywords: Police BehaviorPolice DiscretionPolice PerformancePolice PracticeStop and Search |
Author: Ratcliffe, Jerry H. Title: Harm-Focused Policing Summary: Many of modern policing's accountability mechanisms and performance criteria remain rooted in a narrow mandate of combating violence and property crime. Police chiefs across the country are discovering however that a focus on crime and disorder is too limiting for policing in the 21st century. While crime has decreased significantly over the last 20 years, the workload of police departments continues unabated, with growing areas of concern such as behavioral health and harmful community conditions dominating the work of departments. There is also an increasing recognition that some traditional police tactics, such as stop-and-frisk and other approaches to enforcement, come with a price in terms of community support and police legitimacy. This Ideas in American Policing paper examines how a refocus towards community harm can help police departments integrate more of their actual workload into measures of harmful places and harmful offenders. For example, drug overdoses and traffic accidents are community problems that can be tackled within a cohesive harm framework rather than addressed independent of the crime and disorder problem. This can improve targeting of police resources and choices about places and suspects who should be the object of crime reduction services. The approach can also be integrated with metrics that help police departments weigh the impact of proactive enforcement strategies against any crime control benefits. Details: Washington, DC: The Police Foundation, 2015. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Ideas in American Policing no. 19: Accessed August 17, 2015 at: http://www.policefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/PF_IIAP_Ratcliffe_8.01.15_RGB.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.policefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/PF_IIAP_Ratcliffe_8.01.15_RGB.pdf Shelf Number: 136436 Keywords: Place-Based PolicingPolice AccountabilityPolice EffectivenessPolice PerformancePolice Reform |
Author: Roth, Olivier Title: A Fair Cop? Elected Police Commissioners, Democracy and Local Accountability Summary: The Coalition's White Paper entitled "21st Century Policing" argues for structural changes within the police service, in order to improve local accountability and to foster citizen engagement. The current tripartite arrangement would be replaced by directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners, who would be supported in their duties by newly created Police and Crime Panels. This research paper will analyse some of the issues and tensions that this proposal creates, and will attempt to issue a set of recommendations and principles designed to maximise the benefits that can be derived from its implementation. As a complex and multi-layered issue, policing requires cross-sectoral cooperation and collaboration. Police and Crime Commissioners will therefore have to work in partnership with local authorities and other public bodies, with citizens and communities, and with the newly created National Crime Agency in order to deliver positive policing outcomes. Police and Crime Commissioners should not be able to circumvent these partnership workings, and should therefore be required to consult and work with these entities on a regular basis. This engagement should provide further opportunities for neighbourhoods and citizens to participate in the improvement of crime outcomes. While directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners should improve police visibility and give citizens a channel through which they can address their concerns, there is a risk that electoral considerations could influence the actions and focus of Police and Crime Commissioners, and that these will become too politicised. As a repository of local democracy, Police and Crime Panels should play an important part in this process, and have their functions commensurately increased. A two-thirds majority in Police and Crime Panels should allow them to veto specific key decisions from Police and Crime Commissioners. Reducing bureaucracy is a key part of the Coalition's White Paper, which NLGN fully supports. The use of technology, and a standardisation in processes, could go a long way towards both reducing bureaucracy and collecting comparable data relating to policing outcomes. These should form the basis on which citizens would judge the work that has been done by their Police and Crime Commissioners, and allow them to focus their crime-reducing initiatives on specific problems in delimited areas. Finally, special attention will have to be paid to the costs involved in these reforms. Studies have shown that elections and new structures can be expensive to finance, and mechanisms designed to keep the costs as low as possible will be needed, for example by holding Police and Crime Commissioners elections at the same time as local ones. Details: London; New Local Government Network (NLGN), 2010. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 19, 2015 at: http://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/nlgn_a_fair_cop.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/nlgn_a_fair_cop.pdf Shelf Number: 136487 Keywords: CollaborationPartnershipsPolice AccountabilityPolice AdministrationPolice LegitimacyPolice PerformancePolice Reform |
Author: Cathey, Dan Title: New Mexico Department of Public Safety Motor Transportation Division Staffing Study: Final Report Summary: In November 2013 the New Mexico Department of Public Safety (DPS) contracted with the New Mexico Sentencing Commission (NMSC) to complete a staffing study involving the work of the New Mexico Motor Transport Police Department (MTPD). The main effort of the study involves a staffing study of the uniformed patrol officers and the non-patrol civilian transport inspectors of MTPD. The report contains three sections; each section addresses one of the three contracted topics, i.e., staffing study, bypass routes, and fee structure. The first section addresses the staffing study, beginning with a review of relevant literature, a methods section, a description of the sites and the MTPD in the study, an analysis section, a discussion of the results, and a conclusion. The second section describes the task of estimating the number of commercial vehicles bypassing the New Mexico ports of entry. This section begins with a description of past efforts to estimate the number of vehicles, a description of the method used in this study, results, and an analysis and recommendations. Finally, the third section contains a review of the complex issue of the fee structure used by New Mexico compared to other states using the International Fuel Tax Agreement [IFTA] and the International Registration Plan [IRP]) and provides recommendations to improve MTPD's revenue enforcement mission. This may include an estimate of commercial vehicle counts both intra-state and inter-state for the Albuquerque metropolitan area, if the budget and time permits. The ability to prioritize work assignments and an ongoing workload assessment process are two key elements of allocation methods in the field of law enforcement. A well-developed progressive allocation plan must ensure the continued deployment of sufficient personnel to accomplish most critical tasks while also anticipating trends such as political intervention or fiscal constraints which could significantly impact allocation and future staffing capabilities (Butler, 2007) . To complete the staffing study a number of tasks were accomplished. We reviewed previous staffing studies of DPS (Bower, et al 2001; Department of Public Safety 2004, 2006, 2007); we also reviewed a 2013 study of the MTPD by the NM Legislative Finance Committee. We reviewed literature relating to law enforcement staffing study methods specifically dealing with staffing patrol agencies. During our staffing study of the NM State Police in 2012, we contacted various state law enforcement agencies and other law enforcement agencies regarding staffing studies they may have completed. We provide the results of that review in this study, as the findings are pertinent to the MTPD study. In addition to collecting background information, we held several meetings with MTPD staff to discuss the study and focus the research. Based on this information and for a number of reasons, discussed later, we decided to use the established Police Allocation Model (PAM) to calculate staffing levels for the MTPD commissioned officer unit. To calculate staffing for the non-patrol civilian transportation inspectors (TI), we used a modified workload method. This is discussed in more detail later. We used a similar method to determine the staffing levels of the NMSP non-patrol units in our 2012 staffing study. As stated, during the project we met with MTPD administrative staff to discuss the data needed to complete the staffing study and requested these data. This included data by unit being studied (MTPD commissioned and civilian TI), district level data (e.g., miles of road by type of road, road coverage, span of control), officer level data (e.g., calls for services, patrol time, administrative time, medical and vacation use), operations data (e.g., shift length, shift relief factors, and weekly work hours), performance objectives (e.g., administrative time, court time, proactive time, travel time, patrol intervals, commercial vehicle inspection time, credential booth time, and permit issuance time), and policy decisions (e.g., calls for service, minimum staffing levels, patrol intervals, coverage per week, and immediate response availability). The data requests are discussed in more detail later. The analysis section of the report describes the steps we took using PAM to calculate the staffing level of MTPD and the steps we took using the modified workload method to calculate the civilian TI staff level. We also discuss the results and provide a number of recommendations and a conclusion. Details: Albuquerque: New Mexico Sentencing Commission, 2014. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 18, 2015 at: http://nmsc.unm.edu/reports/2014/motor-transport-police-division-staffing-study-final-report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://nmsc.unm.edu/reports/2014/motor-transport-police-division-staffing-study-final-report.pdf Shelf Number: 136822 Keywords: Police OfficersPolice PatrolPolice PerformancePolice Resource Allocation |
Author: New York City Police Department Title: Broken Windows and Quality-of-Life Policing in New York City Summary: VIBRANT AND DENSE, New York City is inhabited by people from every continent and every country, speaking every language in every accent, representing every culture and every creed. It "orbits around eight million centers of the universe," as New York's poet laureate Billy Collins once wrote. Today that figure is closer to 8.4 million, and doesn't include the additional millions who come each day, to work, or visit, or otherwise enjoy America's greatest city. Mayor Bill de Blasio and I have pledged to make a safer, fairer city for residents and visitors alike, and this report describes one of the main tools for doing so: quality-of-life policing. Details: New York: NYPD, 2015. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 3, 2015 at: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/analysis_and_planning/qol.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/analysis_and_planning/qol.pdf Shelf Number: 137429 Keywords: Broken WindowsPolice EffectivenessPolice PerformancePolice Policies and PracticesPolicingUrban Areas |
Author: Curtis, Irene Title: The use of targets in policing Summary: Policing needs to change to respond to the challenges of the future, including the changing nature of crime, the increasing range and complexity of demand, continued financial constraints and the rapid pace of technological change. As forces adapt to changing circumstances, performance frameworks will also need to adapt to help the police make decisions to meet these challenges - and to understand whether or not they are succeeding. Numeric targets have seen extensive use in policing for many years, as part of both local and national police performance frameworks. The Public Service Agreements (PSAs) of the 1990s in particular created a slew of national targets in policing and across the public sector more widely. Since then, problems associated with targets such as 'gaming' and 'perverse incentives' have been well documented and targets have gradually been dropped by many forces. The last of the national targets in policing (for increasing public confidence and targets for response times, included in the policing pledge) were removed by the Home Secretary in 2010. This review aims in the first instance to understand the extent to which targets - and their associated behaviours - persist and has involved desk research, interviews, force visits and a survey of police officers and staff. Over 6,000 people completed the survey and, while methodological limitations mean the results needs to be interpreted with caution, the fact that so many officers and staff took the time to respond is telling of how strongly many feel about this subject. Details: London: Home Office, 2015. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 8, 2016 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/466058/Review_Targets_2015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/466058/Review_Targets_2015.pdf Shelf Number: 137802 Keywords: Crime StatisticsDecision-MakingEvidence-Based PracticesPolice LegitimacyPolice PerformancePolice Problem-SolvingPolice ReformPolicing |
Author: Jannetta, Jesse Title: Policing 2016: To Deliver Safety, Police Need Legitimacy and Accountability Summary: Much of the national debate on policing in 2015 has rested on a false premise-that community demands for greater police accountability come at the expense of effectively addressing crime. In fact, police need accountability and legitimacy in the communities they serve if they are to deliver safety. While policing is a local governmental function, federal policymakers have an important role to play in helping policing practice reflect this truth. The next president will have a wide range of funding, agenda setting, and enforcement tools that can elevate and spread the best in policing and compel reform where necessary. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2016. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Framing Paper: Accessed March 28, 2016 at: http://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/alfresco/publication-pdfs/2000511-Policing-2016-To-Deliver-Safety-Police-Need-Legitimacy-and-Accountability.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/alfresco/publication-pdfs/2000511-Policing-2016-To-Deliver-Safety-Police-Need-Legitimacy-and-Accountability.pdf Shelf Number: 138450 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice LegitimacyPolice PerformancePolice-Community Relations |
Author: Drew, John Title: An Independent Review of South Yorkshire Police's Handling of Child Sexual Exploitation 1997-2016 Summary: The review was announced in March 2015 by the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings, following the publication of reports by Professor Alexis Jay and Louise Casey that highlighted the scale of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, and a BBC report that alleged child sexual exploitation in Sheffield had been ignored by South Yorkshire Police. All this severely damaged public confidence in the Force. The review has been commissioned to look at how the Force has handled reports of child sexual exploitation across the whole of South Yorkshire to ensure that everything that can be reasonably known about the past is known and that matters are now being dealt with in a very different manner. Led by Professor Drew, the report will establish whether South Yorkshire Police has understood and acted upon the findings of reports and inspections into matters of child sexual exploitation. It will also look at whether the Force's response to safeguarding children and young people has been adequate across all districts - Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. In setting out the Terms of Reference, Dr Billings has considered the scope of other ongoing investigations and inspections by the National Crime Agency (NCA), the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) to avoid unnecessary duplication as well as the ongoing criminal investigations by South Yorkshire Police and pending prosecutions the Crown Prosecution Service. The review launched on 30 September, following a period of scoping, and will last for 3 months. A report will be presented to the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner and will be made public early in 2016. Details: The Author: 2016. 107p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 1, 2016 at: http://www.drewreview.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/SYP030-Final-report.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.drewreview.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/SYP030-Final-report.pdf Shelf Number: 138523 Keywords: Child PornographyChild ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationPolice EffectivenessPolice Performance |
Author: Police Accountability Task Force (Chicago) Title: Police Accountability Task Force. Recommendations for Reform: Restoring Trust between the Chicago Police and the Communities they Serve: Report Summary: 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 Details: Chicago: The Task Force, 2016. 190p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 28, 2016 at: https://chicagopatf.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/PATF_Final_Report_4_13_16-1.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://chicagopatf.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/PATF_Final_Report_4_13_16-1.pdf Shelf Number: 138830 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice IntegrityPolice LegitimacyPolice MisconductPolice PerformancePolice Reform |
Author: Murray, Kath Title: Landscape Review on Stop and Search in Scotland Summary: This report presents a landscape review of academic and policy research and evidence on stop and search in Scotland. The report was commissioned by the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) via the Scottish Institute for Policing Research. It is not an exhaustive systematic evidence review. Rather the aim is to provide an overview of the key findings and themes in the existing evidence base, and relate these to the direction of police policy and practice in Scotland. The review also aims to support the Authority's commitment to building a stronger and more holistic research picture on the wider societal impact of stop and search. Details: Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh, 2015. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 11, 2016 at: http://www.sipr.ac.uk/downloads/Landscape_review_stop_search_270116.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.sipr.ac.uk/downloads/Landscape_review_stop_search_270116.pdf Shelf Number: 139394 Keywords: Police Accountability Police Behavior Police Discretion Police Performance Police PracticeStop and Search |
Author: Drover, Paul Title: Leading and Testing Body Worn Video in Wolverhampton Summary: Policing faces both a crisis in public confidence and the challenge of improving effectiveness in times of austerity. Body Worn Video (BWV) is seen internationally as having the potential to reduce public complaints, police use of force and potentially to improve criminal justice outcomes. However there are very few studies currently that explore the effects of BWV. Further replication of the BWV trial in Rialto, California (Farrar, 2013) is required to develop our understanding of the effects. This research shall document a Police Leaders' implementation of a randomised control trial into the effects of BWV. The main objectives are to identify the challenges to implementing a trial and identify how they were overcome. The solutions to these challenges shall provide key lessons for future police leaders as they undertake research and implement change. This study shall break down the sections of the implementation process. It shall explore each issue from gaining support to run a trial through to the challenge of maintaining it. The main challenges encountered from devising the trial in March 2014, through to three months into random allocation in August 2014 shall be detailed. Addressing police resistance, tracking performance, working with technology and maintaining officer compliance will feature as key issues. This study found that gaining the support of police practitioners and police leaders requires both negotiation and direction. Once overcome the ability to maintain compliance with the experimental protocols of random assignment was key. A combination of nudge theory and direct accountability is required. The study identifies planning and a skilled support team as being crucial to overcoming the issues of trial implementation and management. A leader with strong communication skills who can adapt to feedback is central to overcoming the many issues encountered in the trial. Details: Cambridge, UK: Wolfson College, 2014. 100p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed June 29, 2016 at: http://www.crim.cam.ac.uk/alumni/theses/Paul%20Drover.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.crim.cam.ac.uk/alumni/theses/Paul%20Drover.pdf Shelf Number: 139538 Keywords: Body-Worn CamerasPolice AccountabilityPolice LegitimacyPolice PerformancePolice TechnologySurveillance Video Cameras |
Author: Dasher, Andrew David Title: Technology Distractions on Patrol: Giving Police Officers a Voice Summary: Distraction while using mobile technology devices such as a cell phone or tablet computer is a common occurrence within the civilian population of the United States. U.S. police officers are increasingly utilizing these types of devices within the patrol environment. However, little is known as to how distraction affects police officers while they interact with these devices in the course of their daily duties. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how officers process potential officer safety issues on patrol, while interacting with mobile technology, by questioning participants' perception of distraction. This was accomplished through a phenomenological paradigm that was framed within the concepts of unintended consequences (a subset of systems theory) and load-induced blindness (a subset of cognitive load theory). Data were collected through 10 semi-structured interviews, 2 extensive observations, and researcher-authored memos in conjunction with police officers of a medium-sized city in a western state. These data were analyzed in order to discover themes using a modified Van Kaam methodology. Results were expressed in 7 themes: conflicts with policy intent versus application, uncertainty in chain-of-command communication, reluctance to take tablets outside patrol vehicles, technology distraction's relationship to stress, presence of load-induced blindness, depressed ability to self-assess levels of distraction, and active engagement in risk-lowering strategies related to technology distraction. Implications for social change include informing police administrators and policy creators about research outcomes applicable to: modifications of policy, work-flow optimization, and technology use. Details: Minneapolis, MN: Walden University, 2016. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed August 25, 2016 at: http://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2880&context=dissertations Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2880&context=dissertations Shelf Number: 140028 Keywords: Police PerformancePolice Technology |
Author: Finkenbinder, Karen Title: Fostering a Police Reform Paradigm Summary: Of all the myriad of lessons learned in recent conflicts, the importance of police forces, to counter insurgencies and maintain security, is well-recognized. The police may be civilian, military or combination of types of police. Numerous articles, studies, and books have been published about all aspects of police reform but this monograph takes a different approach. It combines the theoretical with the applied and provides practical and historical applications of police reform. The authors have diverse experiences - Ms. Finkenbinder, a career in municipal and state policing before moving into academia; Professor Millen, a retired Army officer and PKSOI Security Sector Reform analyst, and Colonel Lowe, a senior military police officer with 23 years of experience as a teacher, staff officer and commander. Combined, they have more than sixty years of experience teaching, mentoring and reforming police. Precisely, because of this, they understand that police reform is more than a checklist of outputs. It requires a paradigm shift from being focused on policing tasks to one that understands the rational and moral foundation of police forces and how they fit into society. Police reform needs to know the distinction between the Rule of Law and Rule by Law and how the latter can be used to perpetuate evil in the name of the state. Police reform needs a blueprint for building stabile police organizations and that blueprint is doctrine. But, none of it matters without the practical application involved in hiring the right people for the right tasks. The authors have tried to balance the philosophical, doctrinal and practical considerations to encourage a police reform paradigm - one that is based upon human rights, yet respectful of cultural differences. Details: Carlisle Barracks, PA: U.S. Army War College Press, 2013. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: PKSOI Papers, Accessed September 30, 2016 at: https://www.pksoi.org/document_repository/doc_lib/PKSOI_Paper_Fostering_a_Police_Reform_Paradigm_(18-Jun-13).pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: https://www.pksoi.org/document_repository/doc_lib/PKSOI_Paper_Fostering_a_Police_Reform_Paradigm_(18-Jun-13).pdf Shelf Number: 140533 Keywords: Police LegitimacyPolice PerformancePolice ReformPolicing |
Author: U.S. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Title: An Assessment of the San Francisco Police Department. Collaborative Reform Initiative Summary: In response to requests from city officials who asked the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct an in-depth review of the policies and practices of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), the COPS Office launched the Collaborative Reform Initiative for Technical Assistance (CRI-TA) with the SFPD. The COPS Office supports law enforcement agencies by implementing and sustaining reforms that increase public trust through improvements in community policing practices, transparency, professionalism, and accountability while taking into account national standards, promising practices, current and emerging research, and community expectations. Although the COPS Office found a department that is committed to making changes and working with the community, it also found a department with outdated use of force policies that fail the officers and the community and inadequate data collection that prevents leadership from understanding officer activities and ensure organizational accountability. The department lacked accountability measures to ensure that the department is being open and transparent while holding officers accountable. Disparities were found in traffic stops, post-stop searches, and use of deadly force against minorities. Altogether, the COPS Office identified 94 findings and developed 272 associated recommendations. This report is a road map to reform policing in San Francisco to conform to community expectations and improve public safety. This report summarizes the full assessment including findings and recommendations that will help the department modernize its policing practices and enhance community trust Details: Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2016. 432p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 13, 2016 at: https://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-w0817-pub.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-w0817-pub.pdf Shelf Number: 145539 Keywords: Police AccountabilityPolice AdministrationPolice LegitimacyPolice PerformancePolice Policies and PracticesPolice ReformPolice Use of Force |
Author: Bruce, David Title: Commissioners and commanders: Police leadership and the Marikana massacre Summary: This monograph examines the functioning of the police system, with a focus on the leadership and command levels, in the build-up to the Marikana massacre on 16 August 2012, when police killed 34 miners who were striking at the Lonmin platinum mine at Marikana. It considers events up to about 15:30 on Thursday, 16 August, which is when police launched their tactical intervention during which the massacre took place. The monograph examines decision making and the exercise of authority and influence by senior leadership of the South African Police Service (the SAPS), particularly the senior national and provincial leaders (National Commissioner Phiyega and North West Provincial Commissioner Zukiswa Mbombo), and senior SAPS commanders (Major Generals Mpembe and Annandale). The key findings of the Marikana Commission are summarised, followed by an overview of the conflict at the mine in August 2012. This conflict involved the strikers, mine management and two unions, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU). The monograph outlines some of the aspects of this conflict, including questions about the political alignment of the parties involved and how the strike, launched on Thursday 9 August, rapidly escalated into violence. The monograph then focuses on two critical shifts in the SAPS approach to the Marikana situation. Both these shifts were linked to the involvement of SAPS senior leaders, Phiyega and Mbombo, and are likely to have been influenced by their interactions with Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa. The first shift was on Monday, 13 August, after two SAPS members were killed by strikers. The strike then became the focus of intense national political and media attention; national police commanders, planners and units were brought in and Public Order Police (POP) commanders were marginalised from the command system. The second shift was a decision made on Wednesday, 15 August, that police would take action against the strikers on the following day if the strikers refused to disarm. The section on operational matters focuses on some of the nuts and bolts of the operation. A discussion of the planning of the intervention is relevant to examining how the police understood the situation they were confronting. This is followed by an analysis of the negotiation process that focused on persuading the strikers to disarm. It examines the fact that the strikers refused to disarm unless Lonmin negotiated with them. The SAPS conveyed the strikers’ message to Lonmin but refrained from exerting any pressure on Lonmin to comply with the strikers' request. This section of the monograph examines how the decision taken by SAPS senior leadership on Wednesday, 15 August affected both the planning and negotiations processes. It also informs the analysis of the actions of the SAPS commanders that follows. The penultimate section of the monograph focuses on the role the two senior commanders, Mpembe and Annandale, played in the operation before the tactical intervention. It explores the role they played in implementing the decision that had been made by the SAPS senior leadership that Wednesday, and whether they exercised their authority appropriately in this respect. The conclusion draws together this discussion with a focus on questions raised in the monograph about the SAPS commanders at Marikana. It recognises that their actions were affected not only by the senior leadership decision made on Wednesday but also by shifts in the nature of the operation that took place on the Monday prior to this. These not only created ambiguity about what type of operation was being conducted but also resulted in a blurring of lines of authority. The monograph ends by highlighting key issues raised, including: • Police positioning in relation to social conflict and the potential impact of political pressure. • Ensuring that senior leaders of the SAPS, as well as other people in leadership roles, are appropriately qualified. • The nature of decision making in the SAPS. • How leadership and command are exercised in large-scale public order and crowd management operations as well as minimum standards for ensuring that such operations are carried out professionally and conform with crowd management principles. • The need for the SAPS to recognise the principle that, in actions by the police where the use of lethal force is anticipated police should seek to resolve situations effectively while minimising the potential for having to use lethal force. The principle applies to all police actions of this kind and not only to crowd management. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2017. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Monograph No. 194: Accessed February 13, 2017 at: https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/mono194-2.pdf Year: 2017 Country: South Africa URL: https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/mono194-2.pdf Shelf Number: 140903 Keywords: Crowd ControlPolice AdministrationPolice BehaviorPolice Decision-MakingPolice PerformancePolice Use of ForcePublic Disorder |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Title: Handbook on police accountability, oversight and integrity Summary: For the purposes of the present Handbook, accountability is defined as a system of internal and external checks and balances aimed at ensuring that police carry out their duties properly and are held responsible if they fail to do so. Such a system is meant to uphold police integrity and deter misconduct and to restore or enhance public confidence in policing. Police integrity refers to normative and other safeguards that keep police from misusing their powers and abusing their rights and privileges. For the police to be able to take responsibility for actions and wrongdoings, they need to receive proper direction. They also need to be well-prepared and equipped to carry out their functions in a professional way, and need to be assured of proper working conditions. Line managers must supervise their staff, and police actions and operations need to be reviewed and evaluated. Moreover, effective accountability requires a proper complaints system that is easily accessible to the public and that can effectively investigate allegations and recommend disciplinary sanctions or refer cases for criminal prosecution. It should also be able to make recommendations that target the underlying causes of misconduct. Effective police accountability involves many different actors representing the different layers of modern-day democracies, including government representatives, the parliament, the judiciary, civil society actors and independent oversight bodies such as national human rights institutions. Primarily, it involves the police themselves. Key elements of an effective police accountability system include: " Legislation (in line with international human rights law) specifying the functions and powers of the police " Practical instructions based on the legislation that reflect both the spirit and the letter of the law " Opportunities for the public to voice their concerns " Policies that set priorities on how to deploy police capacity " Adequate police training, both basic and ongoing " Equipment that is adequate for prescribed police functions " Proper reporting procedures and facilities " Adequate supervision that supports officers in carrying out their duties professionally and reporting these correctly " A working culture that promotes transparency and evaluation " Monitoring of police actions and operations by both police leadership and external organs " Complaints procedures, both for making complaints to the police directly and to independent bodies " Fair and effective procedures and policies on how to deal with misconduct, including both disciplinary and criminal codes, adequate investigative capacity, procedures for punishment and appeal procedures " An independent body to oversee such procedures " Scrutiny and oversight involving feedback to the police in order to improve future activities and prevent future wrongdoings " Evaluation and complaints procedures that contribute to the development of new policies, procedures and instructions " Reliable statistics on police performance, related both to effectiveness in dealing with crime and public order, as well as to their integrity and public confidence " Procedures for overseeing the feedback, evaluation and complaints procedures and statistics Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2011. 150p. Source: Internet Resource: Criminal Justice Handbook Series: Accessed March 28, 2017 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/justice-and-prison-reform/crimeprevention/PoliceAccountability_Oversight_and_Integrity_10-57991_Ebook.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: https://www.unodc.org/documents/justice-and-prison-reform/crimeprevention/PoliceAccountability_Oversight_and_Integrity_10-57991_Ebook.pdf Shelf Number: 144595 Keywords: Police Accountability Police Integrity Police Legitimacy Police Performance |
Author: Association of Municipalities Ontario Title: Building a new public safety model in Ontario. AMO's Policing Modernization Report Summary: For the past three years, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) has been a member of the Future of Policing Advisory Committee being led by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (MCSCS). The Committee consists mainly of Ministry officials, police chiefs, police officers, and various police association representatives. This is a laudable initiative. However, it should be noted that the Committee's work is rooted in a consensus seeking process. This has limited the scale and scope of many draft recommendations and the Committee's advice to the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. AMO fundamentally believes in the need to advance the agenda of reform. This paper is designed to broaden the discussion and inject a change of pace in shaping the future. The issue of cost has certainly been a catalyst. Whether negotiated or arbitrated or through the accumulation of years of incremental increases - cost is without a doubt, shining a bright light on this public service. When we combine cost with aging legislation and standards, demographic shifts, and the immediate challenges on the horizon, we find ourselves returning to a basic question: how do we want to be policed? What should it look like? To talk about the future, AMO established a task force of mayors and police board representatives from across the province to explore key questions about policing. The task force interviewed experts, reviewed the best academic research available, sent representatives to the 2015 Summit on the Economics of Policing and Community Safety in Ottawa, and had thorough and lengthy discussions on specific issues about the future of policing. What follows are a series of topics and some recommendations on the path forward. These ideas are not set in stone; they are a starting point for municipal and provincial elected officials and others. These recommendations, many borrowed from experts outside the municipal realm, represent the consensus of the task force. Details: Toronto: The Association, 2015. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 11, 2017 at: https://www.amo.on.ca/AMO-PDFs/Reports/2015/AMO-Policing-Modernization-Report-Final-2015-04-27.aspx Year: 2015 Country: Canada URL: https://www.amo.on.ca/AMO-PDFs/Reports/2015/AMO-Policing-Modernization-Report-Final-2015-04-27.aspx Shelf Number: 144787 Keywords: Police EffectivenessPolice PerformancePolice ReformPolicing |
Author: Wolf, Jonathan Wesley Title: The Training Curriculum at Pennsylvania Municipal Police Academies: Perceptions of Effective Training Summary: This study examined the perception of effective police academy training curriculum topics as reported by Pennsylvania municipal police officers. A second purpose explored the relationship between the police academy pedagogy and the perception of training adequacy that exists by individual officers. Using survey data from 152 municipal police officers this research found respondents have received the most adequate training in terms of knowledge, skills, and dispositions in the area of criminal law. The curricular topic of informants was perceived to be the least effective training area. Literature identified training gaps uncovered in Chapter II of this study showed officer training deficiencies in the areas of homeland security, cybercrime, and same-sex domestic violence. Homeland security ranked fourth in least adequacy. Cyber crime was the third least adequate training curriculum topic according to respondents. Same-sex domestic violence training was perceived to be the second least adequate. This study also sought to determine if there was a significant difference in the perceived adequacy of training between police officers who completed academy training at a higher educational academy and those who attended a governmental academy. An independent sample t-test showed no statistical significant difference. The results of this study also explored if a statistically significant difference exists in the level of militarism experienced between higher educational academies and governmental academies. This study found a significant degree of militarism does exist at academies conducted in a governmental setting compared to a higher educational facility. The results of this research add to the sparse literature that exists on varying police academy pedagogical techniques. The findings of this study provide valuable information for police academy instructors and curriculum authors. The information obtained as a result of this study can be used to better prepare police officers for their employment responsibilities. Details: Indiana, PA: Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2014. 102p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed June 12, 2017 at: http://knowledge.library.iup.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1362&context=etd Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://knowledge.library.iup.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1362&context=etd Shelf Number: 146057 Keywords: Police Academy Police Education and Training Police Performance |
Author: Police Executive Research Forum Title: PTO: an overview and introduction. A Problem-Based Learning Manual for Training and Evaluating Police Trainees Summary: Community-oriented policing and problem solving (COPPS) has quickly become the philosophy and daily practice of progressive police agencies around the country. Police administrators have come to recognize the ineffectiveness of incident-driven policing as well as the economic costliness of random patrol, rapid response, and post-crime investigation. Officers racing from call to call may have appeal on television, but it does not provide effective policing. In their implementation of COPPS, police executives have voiced a common concern about training, especially post-academy field training for new officers. Post-academy field training has not emphasized or promoted COPPS concepts and behaviors. To address this deficiency, the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) funded the development of an alternative national model for field training that would incorporate community policing and problem-solving principles. To accomplish the objective, the Reno, Nevada, Police Department partnered with the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). The result of their collaboration is a new training program called the Police Training Officer (PTO) program. It incorporates contemporary methods in adult education and a version of the problem-based learning (PBL) method of teaching adapted for police. Most importantly, it serves to ensure that academy graduates' first exposure to the real world is one that reflects policing in the 21st century. The main objectives of the PTO program are as follows: - To formulate learning opportunities for new officers that meet or exceed the training needs of the policing agency and the expectations of the community; - To have trainees apply their academy learning to the community environment by giving them reallife problem-solving activities; - To foster the trainee's growing independence from the Police Training Officer (PTO) over the course of the program; - To produce graduates of the training program who are capable of providing responsible, community-focused police services; - To prepare trainees to use a problem-solving approach throughout their careers by employing problem-based learning (PBL) methods; - To design fair and consistent evaluations that address a trainee's skills, knowledge, and ability to problem solve effectively. Details: Washington, DC: Community Oriented Policing Services : Police Executive Research Forum, 2001, 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 12, 2017 at: https://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-w0150-pub.pdf Year: 2001 Country: United States URL: https://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-w0150-pub.pdf Shelf Number: 146060 Keywords: Community-Oriented PolicingPolice AcademyPolice Education and TrainingPolice PerformancePolice RecruitsProblem-Oriented Policing |
Author: Caro, Cary Allen Title: The influence of a state law enforcement training academy on future performance of law enforcement officers in a Southeastern state of the United States Summary: This dissertation examines the influence of the state police law enforcement academy on the performance of commissioned officers in the field training officer (FTO) program in a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The law enforcement training academy is paramount in preparing cadets for the roles, responsibilities, and activities that graduates assume independently in the field. As such, it is important to understand the value added to future performance in the field through adequate preparation in the training academy. This dissertation analyzes a sample of officers in the Southeastern region of the United States and explores the relationship between their performance as cadets in the academy and their performance as commissioned officers in the field training officer program. Further, this study examines the existence of differences in performance among the various troops of the selected state law enforcement agency. Through stepwise regression, the researcher concluded that the law enforcement training academy accounts for between 2.3% and 17.6% of the performance variance of newly commissioned officers in the field officer training program. Further, through an analysis of variance, the researcher concluded that there are significant differences in at least one of the performance variables selected throughout the troops of the agency. The researcher recommended further analysis of the law enforcement curriculum and of the field training officer program. This research should focus on the specific goals and objectives of the FTO program to ensure that the curriculum taught in the academy is properly aligned with the performance measures of the FTO program. Further, it was recommended that a systematic training methodology be implemented to ensure that all field training mentors are fully educated on the program's goals, objectives, and evaluation system. Finally, it was recommended that a structural equation model be developed to allow the agency to understand the unique contribution of their current recruiting, selection, and training programs to the performance of their officers in the field. Details: Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, 2010. 176p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed June 12, 2017 at: http://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1835&context=gradschool_dissertations Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1835&context=gradschool_dissertations Shelf Number: 146064 Keywords: Police Academy Police Education and Training Police PerformancePolice Recruits |
Author: Deaton, Jessica Title: Improving Entry-Level Federal Law Enforcement Training Summary: The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) serves as law enforcement training for 90 Federal government agencies (all but FBI and DEA). State and local police agencies also send officers here for specialized training. FLETC uses a combination of classroom learning along with the most state of the art technology to enhance training, so the students are receiving the best training and education possible. FLETC has a wide array of basic and advanced programs that students can participate in. All agencies that have partnerships with FLETC send individuals through a training program. Before ever going through any type of training, an individual must be employed by a federal agency. Once employed, the person then starts training. One basic program that many officers follow is the Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP). This program provides these trainees with not only basic and fundamental skills and training, but it also provides knowledge and information on how to conduct a criminal investigation. Individuals follow a rigorous 12 week training period consisting of classroom lectures, labs, and physical exercises. The trainees must meet the standards in the classroom, along with the physical performance requirements. After graduating from a basic training program, many trainees must continue to advanced programs or programs specific to their agency. Some of the other basic training programs one can pursue are the Customs & Border Protection Training Program, the Immigration & Customs Training Program, the Land Management Police Training, and the Uniformed Police Training Program. The goal of this project was to see how entry-level federal law enforcement training could be improved. This could include areas of the training curriculum or other areas of qualification concerning the individual. Based on twelve weeks of auditing classes, building relationships with a couple dozen students and instructors, and my own observations, a few training areas were identified as potentially needing improvement. These suggested areas of improvement could benefit law enforcement by making officers more aware of the people they encounter daily and how to approach certain situations. By not implementing these improvements, officers are receiving limited knowledge of these controversial issues. Details: Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 2012. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Paper: Accessed June 13, 2017 at: http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1293&context=gs_rp Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1293&context=gs_rp Shelf Number: 146071 Keywords: Police Education and Training Police Performance |
Author: Great Britain. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary Title: PEEL: Police effectiveness 2016. A national overview Summary: This report sets out the national themes that HMIC found in its 2016 inspection of police effectiveness. As last year, the effectiveness inspection is very broad, covering the wide mission of policing - from preventing crime and anti-social behaviour to tackling the most serious elements of criminality that can blight our communities. We have assessed and graded each of the 43 forces in England and Wales on how well they prevent crime and anti-social behaviour, how effectively they investigate crime, catch criminals and manage offenders, whether they are protecting those people who are particularly vulnerable, and how well they are tackling serious and organised crime. To make our judgments, we have collected a vast range of data, scrutinised operational practice and found out what members of the public, including victims, think of the service they receive. The public can be reassured that overall most forces are doing a good - and in one case an outstanding - job of keeping people safe and preventing crime. We are particularly pleased to see how many forces have responded to our concerns on how they protect vulnerable people. More forces are improving their performance in this vital aspect of policing than in any other. But in some forces, the focus on vulnerability, while entirely welcome, may have been at the expense of some other important areas of policing. This year we have seen further evidence of the erosion of preventative policing in our neighbourhoods. Today, the police service is not as well equipped to stop crime happening in the first place as it has been in the past. This is a significant concern. HMIC is recommending that new national guidance is designed with the aim of preserving neighbourhood policing as the cornerstone of the policing model in England and Wales, and that all forces should then ensure that the service they provide meets that guidance. With so much crime now being carried out online, the police service needs further to extend its preventative presence into the cyber-world too. While commending the police service for the many improvements it has made, this report also raises a large and deep-red warning flag. HMIC has discovered an increasing number of unwelcome practices in some forces which, too often, have the effect of artificially suppressing the demand for the police to take prompt and effective action. For instance, too often emergency calls are reclassified as less urgent when there is a shortage of officers to respond and, on occasions, decisions are taken to reclassify high-risk victims of domestic violence to medium risk. This is because, in too many respects, existing support systems are overwhelmed. On occasions, gangs of violent and dangerous criminals are not formally classified as organised crime groups because this would further stretch the resources available to manage and pursue high-end criminals. These types of practices are poorly understood by forces - they tend to occur under the radar and are seemingly the unintended consequence of changes that forces have made, often in response to the challenge of austerity. A worrying consequence of this approach is that, in some forces, the police are simply not doing some of the basic things they should do. For example, police officers are arresting fewer people, some crimes are apparently being shelved without proper investigations taking place and too often suspects wanted in connection with crimes are not being tracked down relentlessly. It is vital that police leaders take action to address these emerging problems, so that the public are properly protected. Building on areas we have highlighted for action in previous reports, this year we recommend that there is a nationally co-ordinated response to the crisis generated by the shortage of qualified detectives and investigators. We have made five recommendations designed to encourage improvement in the areas where we have major concerns. There are actions that forces can take, supported by other national bodies including the College of Policing, the National Police Chiefs' Council and the Home Office. We look forward to continuing to work with forces and police and crime commissioners as the police service becomes ever more effective in the service that it provides to the public. Details: London: HMIC, 2017. 128p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 1, 2017 at: http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic/wp-content/uploads/peel-police-effectiveness-2016.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic/wp-content/uploads/peel-police-effectiveness-2016.pdf Shelf Number: 146491 Keywords: Police Effectiveness Police Legitimacy Police PerformancePolicing |
Author: Great Britain. House of Commons. Home Affairs Committee Title: New Landscape of Policing Summary: Key points Key points made by the committee include: It is unacceptable that, more than a year after the Government announced it was phasing out the National Policing Improvement Agency, it still has not announced any definite decisions about the future of the vast majority of the functions currently performed by the Agency. Spring 2012, when the Agency is due to be phased out, is little more than six months away. The committee is not persuaded that the Government can meet this timetable and recommends that it delay the phasing out of the Agency until the end of 2012. After the Olympics, the Home Office should consider making counter-terrorism a separate command of the New National Crime Agency. Counter-terrorism is currently the responsibility of the Metropolitan Police. The Government must urgently appoint a head of the new National Crime Agency. A Professional Body for policing, as proposed by Peter Neyroud, could ultimately become a useful part of the policing landscape, but the Government will need to win the hearts and minds of police officers and staff to convey coherently the nature and role of the new body. The proposed new Professional Body must be inclusive from the outset and not just involve officers of ACPO ranks. Individual police officers and staff need to believe that this is their body. Collaboration between police forces offers clear financial and operational benefits. The Home Office should be more active in encouraging and supporting forces to collaborate with one another. IT across the police service as a whole is not fit for purpose, to the detriment of the police's ability to fulfil their basic mission of preventing crime and disorder. The Home Office must make revolutionising police IT a top priority. The committee states that Tom Winsor's review of pay and conditions is having an inevitable impact on morale in the police service, but believes it is possible to do more to mitigate this. The committee commends the work of Jan Berry, the former Reducing Bureaucracy in Policing Advocate, in emphasising that reducing bureaucracy in the police service is not simply about reducing paperwork but addressing the causes of that paperwork and bringing about a change in culture in the police service. The committee urges the Home Secretary to meet Jan Berry to discuss how to take her work forward. Details: London: The Stationery Office, 2011. 2 vol. Source: Internet Resource: Fourteenth Report of Session 2010-12 Accessed July 1, 2017 at: http://www.parliament.uk/policing-priorities Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.parliament.uk/policing-priorities Shelf Number: 146492 Keywords: Police AdministrationPolice LegitimacyPolice PerformancePolice ReformPolicing |
Author: Los Angeles Police Commission. Office of the Inspector General Title: Review of National Best Practices Summary: As requested by the Los Angeles Police Commission (Commission), this review by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) represents an analysis of the degree to which the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD or Department) has implemented recommendations contained in two recent national best practice documents. These documents -- the "Final Report of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing" and the Police Executive Research Forum's "Guiding Principles on Use of Force" -- were developed in response to the national conversation on policing, race, and the use of force. Each provides a series of broad recommendations for agencies working to effectively fight crime while building community trust and minimizing the use of force. In its review, the OIG sought to determine the status of those recommendations at the LAPD, and the extent to which the Department's policies and practices are aligned with the principles and activities set forth in the two documents. In doing so, it found that the LAPD has fully or partially implemented the majority of these recommendations in some form and that in many cases, these were long-standing Department practices. Some of these practices include, for example, the establishment of community policing partnerships, ongoing civilian oversight, specialized processes for the investigation and evaluation of serious use of force incidents, publishing of data and information about the LAPD's activities, and the decoupling of local policing for non-serious crime from federal immigration enforcement. In fact, given the Department's role in advising the Task Force on 21st Century Policing (Task Force), there were instances where LAPD initiatives were offered as examples for other agencies to follow. The Department was also selected for a visit by the then-United States Attorney General as one of six cities that has excelled in implementing one of the pillars put forth in the report, specifically that of "Technology and Social Media." There are other areas where the Department is currently in the process of taking steps to more fully implement the recommendations, in some cases at the direction of the Commission. Recent steps include, for example, the development of official policies and training on de-escalation, training on procedural justice and implicit bias, the expansion of data collection and reporting, the development of new media protocols, and improvements in crisis response training and capacity. This report does not represent an exhaustive review of all the recommendations and action items in the relevant documents. The Task Force report alone contains over a hundred items on a wide variety of issues affecting police departments, many of which are addressed to different stakeholders such as the federal government, the community, or other entities. Moreover, many of the items represent ongoing goals or general principles rather than specific tasks. As such, the OIG's review is instead meant to provide a qualitative overview that seeks to highlight progress and identify potential areas of continued expansion and improvement. The OIG selected seven primary areas that are of current interest to the Commission and the public, and for which the Department is, or has recently been, in the process of making changes. These topics include: adopting the principles of external and internal procedural justice; prevention of biased policing; establishing a culture of transparency and accountability; collection and reporting of data; policies and practices relating to the use of force; stop and search policies; and expanding community policing. Details: Los Angeles: The Police Commission, 2017. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 7, 2017 at: http://www.lapdpolicecom.lacity.org/050217/BPC_17-0169.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: http://www.lapdpolicecom.lacity.org/050217/BPC_17-0169.pdf Shelf Number: 147150 Keywords: Community Policing Police Administration Police PerformancePolice Reform Police-Community Relations |
Author: Higgins, Andy Title: Mixed signals for police improvement: The value of your Crime Severity Score may go up as well as down Summary: The development of a Crime Severity Score for England and Wales 1 by the Office for National Statistics represents an important step towards a more sophisticated, 'two-dimensional' understanding of police-recorded crime data. In this paper I start to unpick what it tells us about recent changes in the policing environment, point out its limitations as a tool for understanding crime change and flag-up some potential hazards in its usage, particularly as a tool for making judgements about 'performance'. I argue that its main value is to make central a set of 'severe' (high-tariff, high-harm, high-demand) abuse crimes that are recorded in relatively low (but growing) numbers, and for which changes in the volume recorded by the police are a poor indicator of change in actual incidence. This rebalancing should force us to reconsider the meanings we attach to the ups and downs of policerecorded crime (whether weighted or otherwise) and to challenge the habit of seeing progress in reduction. Finally, I put forward suggestions for some non-traditional crime data divisions - such as between 'abuse' and 'reduce' crime, 'patent' and 'latent' demand crime and 'initial' and 'repeat' victim crime - that might prove useful for disambiguating aggregate Crime Severity Scores, and providing a more three-dimensional perspective on crime, police practice and on the relationships between the two. Details: London: Police Foundation, 2017. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Perspectives on Policing: Accessed November 7, 2017 at: http://www.police-foundation.org.uk/2017/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/perspectives_on_policing_paper_1.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.police-foundation.org.uk/2017/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/perspectives_on_policing_paper_1.pdf Shelf Number: 148055 Keywords: Crime Statistics Police Effectiveness Police PerformancePolice Reform |
Author: Ipsos MORI, Social Research Institute Title: Public View of Policing in England and Wales 2016/17 Summary: Ipsos MORI was commissioned by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) to undertake a large-scale online survey of the public to assess current perceptions of policing. It follows a similar survey in 2015 and the methodology has been kept consistent to ensure valid comparisons over time. A sample of 16,865 people aged 16+ across England and Wales took part in the survey between July and August 2016. The findings have informed HMIC's PEEL Assessments. The survey provides insights into current perceptions of crime, safety and local police, along with public interactions with the police. Issues explored for the first time in 2016 include priorities for the police, perceived responsibilities of the police and other agencies with regards the safety of vulnerable people, and online crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB). Safety and security in the local area - Around one in four respondents feel crime/ASB is a big problem locally and feel unsafe to walk alone at night. Those living in the most deprived neighbourhoods are over twice as likely to feel unsafe than those living in the most affluent areas, and almost four times as likely to say that crime/ASB is a big problem locally. - Most people have not perceived any variation in levels of local crime and anti-social behaviour in the previous year (70%). Of those who do perceive a change, however, almost three times as many believe it is now more of a problem than feel it has improved (17% vs. 6%). Image and reputation of local policing - Just over half are satisfied overall with local policing, three times more than are dissatisfied (unchanged from 2015). Engagement with the police affects satisfaction with the service; those who feel informed about their local police more likely overall to be satisfied with local policing, as are those living in the most affluent neighbourhoods. - Two thirds perceive no change overall in local policing over the past year. Of those who perceive a change, four times more feel that the service has got worse than has improved (similar to perceived changes in other public services tested in the survey). - Whilst 83% of respondents feel it is important to have a regular uniformed police presence in the local area, only 18% feel they have such a presence locally. Fewer people report having seen a uniformed police presence on foot or in a vehicle than did in the previous 2015 survey (19% say they have seen on foot, down from 26%; 42% in a vehicle, down from 48%). - Most who express a view would speak highly about their local police, around twice as many as would be critical. However, as in the 2015 survey, the majority have mixed views or no views about their local police. - Most participants associate policing with positive attributes and agree that they treat people fairly and with respect, with relatively small proportions expressing negativity. Again though, there are many who do not have any views about their local police and some minority groups are more likely to associate the police with negative attributes. Priorities and responsibilities of local policing - Two thirds identified 'responding in person to emergencies' and 'tackling crime of all types' as key priorities for the police's time and resources nationally, followed by 'countering terrorism and extremism' and 'a local on foot uniformed presence'. - Priority crime/anti-social behaviour types were 'violent crime/crime against the person', 'rape and other sexual offences', and 'terrorism/extremism'. Comparatively few prioritised commercial crime, online abuse and/or fraud. - The majority consider the police to have the greatest responsibility (above other service providers) for the ongoing safety of victims of domestic abuse, victims of stalking and harassment, and missing people. In contrast, for some other vulnerable people, only very small proportions identify the police as the organisation with most responsibility. It should be noted that for many of these audiences the police form part of a wider group of organisations with responsibility, which may be reflected in the smaller proportions identifying the police (e.g. local authorities would have responsibility for the homeless and people with learning difficulties). Engagement with local policing - Three quarters of respondents are interested in what their local police are doing, though most say that they personally have done nothing to find out anything about local police activity. - Fewer than three in ten feel well informed about what the police are doing in their local area, slightly down on 2015. Overall, one in twenty respondents recall being asked for their views and most have had no personal interaction with their local police. - The findings throughout the research consistently show that people who feel better informed about their local police and who have had more interaction with them are significantly more likely to express positive opinions across different aspects of policing. Contact with the police - Just over a quarter (27%) cited some form of contact with their local police within the past year, slightly down from the 2015 survey (31%). Likelihood of citing contact is higher among particular groups, notably those living in more deprived areas, people from Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds and younger respondents. Still, the majority of those within all of these groups did not indicate any direct contact with the police. - Overall satisfaction with the service received from the police was consistent with the 2015 survey (almost two thirds satisfied), though there is some slight reduction in satisfaction with specifics around the way in which the staff dealt with the contact and the way in which they were kept informed. - Regarding potential future contact, people are generally far more likely to say they would report incidents to the police by phone than via online or face-to-face channels. For crimes/incidents against the person it is 999 that is most likely, for property-related incidents there is a balance between 999 and 101, while for online incidents, antisocial behaviour and updates on previous incidents then 101 is the most likely Details: London: Ipsos MORI, 2017. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed November 9, 2017 at: https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/2017-07/public-views-of-policing-2017-hmic.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/2017-07/public-views-of-policing-2017-hmic.pdf Shelf Number: 148093 Keywords: Police Effectiveness Police Legitimacy Police PerformancePolice-Citizen Interactions Police-Community Relations Public Opinion |
Author: Bell, Brian Title: Fighting Crime: Cant he Police do more with less? Summary: - There were just over 3.7 million crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales in 2013-14, a fall of 21% since 2008-09. - The decline is even more substantial using another measure of crime: the Crime Survey of England and Wales (in which respondents report whether they have been victims of crime, and which therefore includes crimes not reported to the police). This shows a fall of 29% since 2008-09, though the number of crimes is higher, at 7.3 million. - Over the same period, the number of police officers has fallen by just over 16,000, a drop of 11%. There has been an even larger decline in the numbers of police staff and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). - The evidence suggests that fewer police officers would tend to lead to a rise in crime. Given the reduced crime figures, this suggests that either the productivity of the police has risen or fewer people are turning to crime - or both. - On productivity, there is evidence that forces have realised substantial efficiency gains and are policing in a more effective way. - On criminal behaviour, there are long-run trends, such as an ageing population, that point in the direction of reduced criminality. In addition, technological change appears to have reduced some opportunities available to criminals. - Whether the pace of reductions in the police workforce that have occurred so far can be sustained without slowing - or reversing - the decline in crime is an open question. Details: London: Centre for Economic Performance. London School of Economics and Political Science, 2015. 11p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 20, 2017 at: http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/EA031.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/EA031.pdf Shelf Number: 148270 Keywords: Police EffectivenessPolice PerformancePolicing |
Author: Howe, Robin Title: Special Events - Police Staffing and Cost Recovery Summary: The Seattle Police Department (SPD) provides police staffing at many types of special events held in Seattle, including parades, protests, marathons and other athletic events, professional sports games, concerts, community festivals, and dignitary visits. In 2016, SPD spent 150,748 hours and $10.3 million in wages staffing 724 special events with sworn and non-sworn personnel. Event organizers can obtain police staffing in different ways, and some organizers are charged for a portion of the costs the City incurs when providing police staffing at events. For example, events held in parks, City-owned properties, or other public places that meet certain criteria require a City special event permit. Permitted events that are categorized as Free Speech, Mixed Free Speech, or Community are not charged for police staffing, but Commercial, Athletic, and Citywide events are charged a police services fee. For other types of events, SPD provides police staffing through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or a contract with the event organizer (i.e., reimbursable events). This audit assessed SPD's processes for staffing special events. We also reviewed elements of the new special event permit process implemented in 2016 in accordance with Ordinance 124860. This process is administered by the Special Event Office (SEO), which is managed by the Office of Film and Music (OFM) in the Office of Economic Development (OED). Further, we examined the City's cost recovery rates for different types of special events, including reimbursable events. We covered these reimbursable events in our audit because they are a significant component of SPDs total special event workload, and we wanted to ensure our analysis of SPD hours and wages included all special events work and not only that for permitted events. The audit scope did not include evaluating the policing strategies or tactics SPD employs at special events. Details: Seattle, WA: Seattle Office of City Auditor, 2017. 127p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 19, 2018 at: https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/CityAuditor/auditreports/SpecialEventsFinalReport121317.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/CityAuditor/auditreports/SpecialEventsFinalReport121317.pdf Shelf Number: 148882 Keywords: Costs of Policing Police PerformanceSpecial Events Policing |
Author: Chapman, John Title: Police Effectiveness in a Changing World: Slough site report Summary: Between 2011 and 2015, the Police Foundation's Police Effectiveness in a Changing World research team worked closely with the police and their community safety partners in Luton and Slough - two English towns that had experienced the local impact of global change particularly acutely. This is one of two concluding reports from the project which details the process, experience and research findings from Slough. The research started with a problem orientated, multi-agency approach to tackling violence. Using action research we took a problem-oriented approach by identifying local crime problems, improving the way they were understood and developing interventions to tackle them. Then we assessed the outcomes of these and the challenges of implementing them. Throughout the project we drew on the wider evidence-base on police effectiveness to promote local partnerships, to better deal with the 'changing world' and to find sustainable solutions to local crime problems. Most importantly we sought to learn lessons from the process of working with forces on the ground. Details: London: Police Foundation, 2017. 138p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 2, 2018 at: http://www.police-foundation.org.uk/2017/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/slough_site_report.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.police-foundation.org.uk/2017/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/slough_site_report.pdf Shelf Number: 148978 Keywords: Crime PreventionPolice EffectivenessPolice PerformancePolice ReformProblem-Oriented PolicingViolenceViolence Prevention |
Author: Charman, Sarah Title: From crime fighting to public protection - the shaping of police officers' sense of role Summary: From a straightforward legal and organisational perspective, the police are tasked with the maintenance of law and order, the protection of the public and their property and in the detection, investigation and prevention of crime. But we also know that the realities of policing involve a much less clearly defined role, indeed a very much less crime focused role which concentrates upon broader dispute management, order maintenance and welfare concerns. Bittner's classic account of what the police do is as relevant today as when it was first written. Police officers' work involves a reactive response to events and represents "somethingthat-ought-not-be-to-happening-and-about-whichsomone-had-better-do-something-now". Recent public sector cuts in the fields of health and social care and mental health services (not to mention policing itself) have brought into sharp focus the enormous range of non-crime related activity which the police are associated with. The College of Policing estimates that non-crime related incidents account for 83 per cent of all 'command and control' calls that come into call centre staff. In this respect, Brodeur has distinguished between two policing tasks - 'high policing' and 'low policing'. 'High policing' involves intelligence-related policing activities which utilise both human and technological intelligence apparatus. This is the type of activity perhaps more readily associated with the fictional representations of the role of the police. 'Low policing' refers to the more mundane day-to-day reality of much of the policing role which focuses upon responding to criminal or potentially criminal incidents, order maintenance, reassurance and community engagement. Millie has conceptualised this further by dividing 'low policing' into 'wide policing' and 'narrow policing'4. He argues that historically but most notably since the early 1990s, the role of the police has become significantly wider and encompasses the diverse and multi-faceted demands of anti-terrorism, reassurance, fear of crime, catching criminals, crime prevention and crime reduction. Although there are a myriad of voices and opinions on the thorny question of what is, and perhaps also what should be, the role of the police, little is heard from one particular quarter - frontline police officers themselves. New research conducted by this author5 has followed a sample of new recruits to the police service through the first four years of their careers and considered how and in what ways, they adapt to their new identity as a police officer. Police officers were interviewed after the first five weeks in the job (TIME A), after six months (TIME B), after one year (TIME C) and after four years (TIME D)6. This rich source of data has revealed significant change over time in the new recruits' attitudes and beliefs. A central focus of the research was on officers' changing attitudes during the early years of their careers and the key influences upon the formation and development of those attitudes. Part of that analysis was a consideration of what the new recruits saw as their role as a police officer. Details: London: Police Foundation, 2018. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Perspectives on Policing: Paper 3: Accessed February 2, 2018 at: http://www.police-foundation.org.uk/2017/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/perspectives_on_policing_officers_sense_of_role-FINAL.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.police-foundation.org.uk/2017/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/perspectives_on_policing_officers_sense_of_role-FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 148981 Keywords: Police LegitimacyPolice Performance |
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: Scottish Institute for Policing Research Title: Policing 2026 Evidence Review Summary: Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority commissioned a series of evidence reviews from the Scottish Institute for Policing Research which have helped inform the development of the 2026 strategy. Written by an international group of leading policing scholars and practitioners, the reviews bring together the best research evidence from the last 30 years on key topics, including prevention, performance and partnership working. Each review combined important insights into what good practice looks like with concrete suggestions for how policing in Scotland can use this evidence to ensure that they are at the cutting edge of policy and practice. The specially commissioned papers collected together to form this Evidence Review have been written by a group of international policing experts with extensive experience as academic researchers, senior practitioners and policy makers. The strategic importance of this evidence review is that it embodies an evidence-based approach to policing, which values the role of research, science, evaluation and analysis to inform decision making within police organisations. As Professor Fyfe highlights in the first paper, such an approach has several wider benefits: - Politically, evidence-based approaches are central to the governance, accountability and legitimacy of policing and citizens expect police forces to draw on evidence to identify effective and efficient practices as well as emerging threats; - Economically, developing policy and practice on a robust evidence base of effective and cost-efficient activities is vital to the future sustainability of the police service; - Organisationally, evidence-based approaches are vital to claims about police professionalism so that the building of a body of knowledge on which good practice is based is key to achieving an enhanced professional status. There are also more immediate operational benefits to policing of an evidence-based approach: - Employing strategies and tactics that have been shown to reduce harm means more effective responses to community concerns and an increase in police legitimacy; - Evidence based approaches requires the police to access and analyse their own data which can lead to improvements in managerial accountability and better data recording and analytics; - The use of evidence to support innovative and creative ways of tackling problems can increase satisfaction with police work among officers and staff. Policing in Scotland is in a strong position to play a world-leading role in evidence-based approaches given the established strategic partnership between Scotland's universities, Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority embodied in SIPR. Established in 2007 and now with an international reputation for research and knowledge exchange, SIPR plays a key role in contributing to evidence-based approaches in policing, supporting a strategic approach to innovation, contributing to education, professional development and organisational learning; and building research and analytical capacity in policing and universities. The use of evidence is central to the arguments about prevention addressed by Professor Laycock who focuses on the importance of Problem-Oriented Policing (POP) as the core of a preventative approach and how this should be rooted in the SARA model of Scanning, Analysis, Response and Assessment: - Scanning provides insight into the nature, frequency and impact of problems; - Analysis focuses on understanding the problem, collecting relevant data, and assessing the effectiveness of the response; - Response involves assessing what type of response would work in different contexts and them implementing an appropriate mechanism drawing on relevant knowledge and experience, including the on-line Crime Reduction Toolkit developed by the College of Policing. - Assessment focuses on whether an intervention was implemented effectively (a 'process' evaluation) and what the impact was. By embracing POP and experimentation, analysis, and assessment as a means of clearly defining the problems faced by communities and of developing evidence-based means of addressing these problems, Police Scotland has the potential to establish itself as a Learning Organisation. But to do this they need a different kind of police training and a supportive infrastructure that values experimentation, accepts risk, and encourages trust and delegation. Prevention must be focused in particular places because problems are not distributed evenly or randomly and the evidence clearly demonstrates that targeting specific locations where crime concentrates yields the best effects on crime prevention, and will also typically involve some form of partnership working between police and other organisations. These are the key message of the following 2 reviews. That on place-based policing by Professors Lum and Koper reinforces the conclusions of the Prevention paper, by identifying the key pillars of a place-based policing strategy: - Conducting geographic crime analysis of micro-places (neighbourhoods, street intersections etc.) and long term time trends so that a better understanding is achieved of the social, environmental and routine activity characteristics of hot spots - Proactively directing patrol to hot spots - Optimizing deterrence at hotpots - Problem solving at hotspots - Community engagement at hotspots Embracing these elements is vital to both more efficient and more effective policing. Their conclusion is unequivocal: 'Problem-solving and community-oriented approaches at crime hot spots can enhance long-term effectiveness of police actions and help strengthen police-citizen relationships'. These conclusions are echoed in the paper on partnership by Dr O'Neill which spells out the ways in which partnership needs to be recognised as an essential component of contemporary policing. The Christie Commission has set the broader strategic context for this in Scotland and this is reinforced by the Policing Principles set out in the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012: the main purpose of policing is to improve the safety and well-being of persons, localities and communities in Scotland, and that the Police Service, working in collaboration with others where appropriate, should seek to achieve that main purpose by policing in a way which (i) is accessible to, and engaged with, local communities, and (ii) promotes measures to prevent, crime, harm and disorder' (para.32). The research evidence base clearly highlights a number of key ingredients for successful partnerships which include relationships of trust, stability in staffing, co-location and pooled budgets. Within police organisations, there is also a need to ensure people have to the right skills for partnership working, that they receive appropriate training and that there are internal processes to support and reward partnership work. Officers also need to think differently about performance and success in relation to partnership working by focusing on broader outcomes, like harm reduction, and long term benefits rather than quick fixes. More generally, O'Neill makes the points that there needs to be a shift from viewing partnership work as 'nice to have' to seeing it as a core component of contemporary policing which allows the police to learn about which organisations are best placed to address particular problems. This problem solving focus is also central to Stanko's assessment of performance frameworks in policing. She cogently argues that a focus on crime narrows public discussion about the wider benefits of policing and disables the police from playing a broader partnership role in delivering safety and security in local communities. A good performance frameworks requires command of evidence and analysis and for the police this means that they must not only have command of the information they hold on the needs of users, the nature of problems, and the resources they can mobilize to deal with these issues, but also the ability to convert this 6 information into a joined up conversation with other partners in the public, private and third sectors and with communities. In this way, it is possible to develop a 'whole of government' approach to the delivery of safety and security in a local area strongly aligned with the Christie principles. Stanko points to specific example of performance frameworks which begin to allow this more joined up, outcome focused approach. In New Zealand, for example, the police have 3 high level outcomes: - Protected communities and preventing harm - Minimizing harm to victims - Delivering valued police services What this offers is a way of seeing the NZ police as part of a whole of government approach to improving security and justice for New Zealanders and the interconnectedness of what the police do with other parts of the public, private and third sectors. The focus of performance measurement therefore needs to be on outcomes and, through the use of evidence and analytics, allow informed debates of the underlying problems affecting communities which can then bind public, private and third sectors together in problem solving partnerships. As Stanko observes, numbers of crime don't tell you whether crime or security has changed within a community - it just counts what people have told the police. If the focus of performance is to be on reducing harm and vulnerability through collaborative partnerships then there need to be a range of key measurement indicators to reflect this, which might include: a reduction in repeat violent offending, reductions in repeat victimizations for domestic and sexual violence, a reduction in the number of repeat visits for knife in juries in A&E, an increase in the reporting of sexual violence etc. The police would play a key part in some of these but each indicator would also need contributions for others (in health, victims' services, probation etc.). Furthermore, there needs to be local analysis of this information to feed into problem-solving at a local level. Drawing on their data, Police Scotland can lead a conversation about safety and security at national and local levels, but this needs to be integrated with data from other organisations to create a shared evidence base focused on outcomes relating to key questions such as: is violence getting better or worse in Scotland? what drivers of well-being should government focus on to improve safety to which the police can contribute? and is Scotland getting safer? Police performance is scrutinised through governance and accountability mechanisms and Dr Henry draws on a wide body of work to distil some key principles of what good democratic governance of policing should look like. This includes a focus on: - Equity in terms of organisational resource allocation and priorities in delivering services and in terms of individual experiences in police encounters; - Delivery of services that are responsive to public needs and which benefit all citizens and are based on fair, transparent processes and procedures; - Responsiveness in that policing should in part reflect the will and interests of people in terms of delivering the priorities and services they need but also draw on the knowledge of other professionals and partner organisations. It is also crucial that responsiveness does not compromise equity if being responsive to public demands would create discriminatory actions; - A distribution of power which balances central and local interests, with the centre contributing stability, consistency and equity, and the local focusing on responsiveness, flexibility and public participation; - The provision of information given that the viability of the principles of good governance depends on good information which is needed to ensure efficiency and effectiveness, to gauge public sentiment and document processes and procedures. This information might come from the police but would also include other knowledge from a range of other sources including neighbourhood data, academic research and information from other partner organisations; - Redress which relates to the need for organisational accountability of senior management and the individual accountability of officers in exercising their powers; - Participation in that the public should have a sense of ownership of how their society is policed and that there is an opening up of deliberation around policing to a breadth of voices. All the different thematic areas covered in the Evidence Review require good leadership and in the final paper by Dr Brookes the focus is on the need to think differently about police leadership. This means moving beyond thinking about the 'who' of leadership (i.e. the heroic leader) and asking other questions about the 'what', 'when', 'where', 'how' and 'why' of leadership. In addressing these questions, Brookes argues, a much more holistic view of leadership emerges, less focused on the traits of individual leaders, and more on the importance of setting a long term vision and developing shared norms that are adaptive and respond to changes in the external environment. This is the basis for transformational rather than transactional leadership and creating an organisation which prioritises professionalism, information sharing, quality assurance, an orientation towards service users, working with others and a problem-solving focus. Details: Edinburgh: The Institute, 2017. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 12, 2018 at: Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 149795 Keywords: Evidence-Based PolicingPolice AdministrationPolice EffectivenessPolice PatrolPolice PerformancePolice Problem-Solving |
Author: Pape, Edward Allen, Jr. Title: Intersect Policing: Bringing CompStat to the Field Level to Reduce the Fear and Incidence of Crime Summary: CompStat is a computerized crime tracking system that was introduced by the New York City Police Department in 1994 and has been adopted by police departments around the world. The CompStat process acts as an accountability system that calls for commanding officers to reduce the fear and incidence of crime. While the nationwide reduction in crime over the past two decades may be partially attributed to CompStat, the system has also created tension in many police organizations. In addition, it currently fails to involve line members of the organization, those who actually perform the work, in the crime reduction process. In many departments, CompStat has morphed into a bureaucratic monster, creating a culture of fear that has damaged morale and diminished its effectiveness. The purpose of this research was to develop a real-time operating system, using CompStat as a strategic tool, to accomplish the purpose of law enforcement by including the knowledge and experiences from all sworn officers and others with a stake in reducing crime. As the Commanding Officer of Detectives assigned to West Valley Area of the Los Angeles Police Department, I instituted a system, which I termed Intersect Policing, which is coined from Frans Johansson's book (2004), The Medici Effect. This report describes the development and results achieved through the use of Intersect Policing. This work required the use of others' research including performance management, principles of behavior, organizational change, systems, core values, human capability, mental processing ability, mythologies, culture, communication, networking, and organizational learning. Key elements were based on the CompStat model of performance management, Macdonald et al. (2006) Systems Leadership Theory and Johansson's Medici Effect. The study encompassed two years during which the West Valley Area exceeded the average reduction in crime of the entire LAPD, which has continued as of this writing. Although based on a single case, the evidence strongly suggests that Intersect Policing can assist police departments to achieve the purpose of law enforcement, reduce the fear and incidence of crime, change mythologies and culture, and improve morale. Creating an Intersection where all stakeholders in the crime reduction process can communicate and exchange ideas enables police departments to achieve the purpose of law enforcement. Details: Los Angeles: University of Southern California, 2012. 407p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed April 27, 2018 at: http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15799coll3/id/96435 Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15799coll3/id/96435 Shelf Number: 149921 Keywords: CompStatCrime Analysis Police AccountabilityPolice Administration Police ManagementPolice Performance |
Author: Alderden, Megan A. Title: The Diversification of Police Departments Summary: In the last few decades there has been a particular emphasis on diversifying the police workforce. Much of these efforts have resulted in a significant increase in proportion of police officers that are female or racial and ethnic minorities. In 1987, females accounted for almost 8 percent of police officers while racial and ethnic minorities accounted for nearly 15 percent of police officers. By 2003, these figures had increased to 11 percent and 24 percent, respectively. Large agencies in particular have been successful in recruiting both female and racial and ethnic minorities; police agencies that serve one million or more residents reported in 2003 that 17 percent of their workforce was female and almost 40 percent were racial or ethnic minorities (Hickman & Reaves, 2006). Although these data clearly indicate an increase in both female and racial and ethnic minority officers, little attention has been paid to understanding how diversification impacts the police agency workplace. The justification for increasing diversity in personnel has focused on both workplace performance as well as the workplace atmosphere. Higher levels of workplace performance and satisfaction within organizations arise when diversification is sought as a way to truly incorporate different employee viewpoints, experiences, and cultures. Using Ely and Thomas's (2001) theoretical constructs on diversification perspectives, we developed several survey questions to assess officer perceptions of their workplace. Ely and Thomas found that an agencys diversification perspective - that is, why they sought to diversify their workforce - influenced workplace performance and satisfaction among employees. Specifically, the discrimination and fairness perspective, which entails agency administrators diversifying their workforce to make things equal and to make up for past discrimination, was associated with more negative workplace experiences and workgroup performance. The access and legitimacy perspective, which entails agencies diversifying as a way to enter new communities or to legitimize their work with the existing communities they serve, was associated with both negative and positive workplace experiences and performance. The integration and learning perspective, which involves agencies diversifying because administrators believe it is needed to change organizations and their external relationships, encourage agency innovation, and facilitate organizational learning, was associated with positive workplace performance and employee satisfaction. Details: Washington, DC: National Police Research Platform, National Institute of Justice, 2011. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 2, 2018 at: https://www.nationallawenforcementplatform.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/TheDiversificationofPoliceDepartmentsFINAL2.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: https://www.nationallawenforcementplatform.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/TheDiversificationofPoliceDepartmentsFINAL2.pdf Shelf Number: 150446 Keywords: DiversityMinorities in PolicingPolice Job SatisfactionPolice LegitimacyPolice PerformancePolice Recruitment Hiring |
Author: Fridell, Lori Title: The Longitudinal Study of First Line Supervisors Summary: A distinguishing feature of the Platform Project is that it will follow law enforcement personnel over time to understand their 'life course.' Law enforcement first-line supervisors are one of the populations we are studying because they are key to an agency's performance. Despite their importance, first-line police supervisors have been under-researched, and in many departments they have not received the support and professional development that is needed to promote the highest quality supervision. The Platform will produce data about supervisors and supervision to supplement a sparse literature. A key benefit of longitudinal data collection will be the production of information about first-line supervisors' life course. When officers are promoted to a supervisory rank, they embark upon a new phase of their career requiring a transition to a different role, and as with any job, police supervisors adjust to the requirements of the job over time as they 'learn the ropes' and then mature in the position. Platform researchers will explore how police supervisors develop, determine what influences that development, and discern what the consequences are for performance Details: Washington, DC: National Police Research Platform, National Institute of Justice, 2011. 11p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 3, 2018 at: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/733761/10683668/1297371363233/Longitudinal+Supervisor+Study.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/733761/10683668/1297371363233/Longitudinal+Supervisor+Study.pdf Shelf Number: 150447 Keywords: Police Administration Police PerformancePolice Supervision |
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: Redgrave, Harvey Title: Examining the case for justice devolution Summary: What is meant by 'justice devolution'? Why is it needed and what difference will it actually make to people's lives? In a world of rising demand and shrinking budgets, justice devolution is firmly on the agenda and there is growing interest in and support for the idea of a more localised justice system. Harvey Redgrave's report for the think tank GovernUp argues that it no longer makes sense for government to continue tinkering around the edges, attempting top-down reform of individual criminal justice agencies from above. Instead, local leaders should be empowered to join up services from the bottom up - in order to deal with the root cause of crime - rather than managing its consequences and to ensure services can be built around the needs of victims. Details: London: Crest Advisory, 2016. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 20, 2018 at: http://crestadvisory.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/governup-harvey-redgrave-justice-devolution-report.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://crestadvisory.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/governup-harvey-redgrave-justice-devolution-report.pdf Shelf Number: 151603 Keywords: Criminal Justice AdministrationCriminal Justice ReformCriminal Justice SystemDecentralizationPolice AccountabilityPolice Performance |
Author: Nyaga, Wangui E. Title: Occupational Stress Among Kenyan Police: A Case Study of Police Officers in Nairobi Province Summary: The study focused on the problem of occupational stress among Kenyan police officers. Using the case of six police stations from Nairobi area, respondents were interviewed to answer the overall research questions on the individual, operational and organizational factors that lead to occupational stress among police officers in Nairobi. The study was bolted on one general objective which aimed at exploring the problem of occupational stress among police in Kenya. More specifically, the study attempted to establish the extent of occupational stress among Kenyan police, find out how the problem of occupational stress affects performance of the police in Kenya and identify viable measures that can help the Kenyan Police cope with the problem of occupational stress. This study is guided by two theories namely: psychoanalytic and rational emotive behavioural theory. The study adopted simple random and stratified sampling techniques to draw a sample of 90 respondents. Quantitative and qualitative data were obtained from the respondents using semi-structured study questionnaires and unstructured key informant interview guides. Percentage, frequencies and measures of central tendency were used to analyze quantitative while qualitative data were processed using content and interpretive analysis. The generated data were used to answer the study's three questions which established the extent of the problem of occupational stress among Kenyan police, its effects on police performance and viable strategic measures that can be used to help officers cope with the problem. The survey findings confirmed that Kenyan police are stressed and highlighted the existence, symptoms and causes of occupational stress among officers. Both operational and organizational sources of stress were prevalent. Further, the findings revealed that perception of presence or absence of occupational stress among the police is dependent on the age, length of service, rank and category of the officer. Both male and female police officers highly perceived prevalence of occupational stressors. The study also established that low morale/motivation led to lowered job satisfaction and hence reduced productivity. Both negative and positive coping strategies were identified and the viable ones were commended. Based on the study's findings, several recommendations were made. There is need to improve the living and working conditions especially housing, transport and supplies, increase personnel numbers, offer training in stress and anger management as well as basic counselling skills and professional ethics. Areas for further research include: establishing how the Kenyan justice system affects police performance, role of Psychological counselling in policing and a national assessment of occupational stress in the police. Details: University of Nairobi, 2006. 134p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed December 7, 2018 at: http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/11295/19512/Nyaga_Occupational%20Stress%20Among%20Kenyan%20Police%20A%20Case%20Study%20Of%20Police%20Officers%20In%20Nairobi%20Province..pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y Year: 2006 Country: Kenya URL: http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/11295/19512/Nyaga_Occupational%20Stress%20Among%20Kenyan%20Police%20A%20Case%20Study%20Of%20Police%20Officers%20In%20Nairobi%20Province..pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y Shelf Number: 153939 Keywords: Occupational Stress Police Officers Police PerformancePolice Stress |
Author: Los Angeles Police Commission. Office of the Inspector General Title: Review of Selected Los Angeles Police Department Data-Driven Policing Strategies Summary: Data-driven policing strategies and artificial intelligence-driven technologies utilized by the Los Angeles Police Department lacked oversight in their implementation and often strayed from their stated goals, an internal audit found Friday. Some of the largest law enforcement agencies in the country use so-called predictive policing programs and technologies to forecast where and when crime will occur in their communities. Those technologies, while seen by police as objective tools, have come under scrutiny by advocates who claim the tools disproportionately target those who are low-income or people of color and that they collect data on individuals without consent. Under the auspices of two LAPD programs - Predpol and Operation Los Angeles Strategic Extraction and Restoration program, or LASER - officers scan license plates across the city, conduct in-person interviews with so-called chronic offenders and analyze crime data to determine which individuals are most likely to commit or recommit crimes. LASER draws on technology developed by data giant Palantir, which mines government and private company databases to build extensive profiles of individuals. Predpol uses historical data from both property and violent crime reports to identify which city blocks are most likely to be the site of crimes. Privacy rights advocates crowded an August 2018 Board of Police Commissioners hearing on the programs and demanded a thorough review of new policing tools utilized by LAPD. Commissioners agreed and ordered the resulting 48-page audit by Inspector General Mark Smith, though a third data-driven policing tool called the Suspicious Activity Program was not analyzed in the report. The audit found that training on how to use the programs was "informal" and that different departments across city adapted the programs "for their own use," which led to inconsistencies in how the programs were utilized. The LAPD's Chronic Offender Program - the in-person interview component of LASER, which was first introduced in the city in 2011- utilized a department database of so-called chronic offenders who had few, if any, actual contact with officers. Of the more than 230 "active" individuals listed on 637-person chronic offender list - which is not available to the public - almost 80 percent are black and Latino men, the audit found. The arrests and stops of people listed on the database could also not be clearly tied to LASER-relative activities, the audit found. "These inconsistencies appeared to be related to a lack of centralized oversight, as well as a lack of formalized and detailed protocols and procedures," the audit said. "To the extent the Department continues to deploy a person-based strategy, more rigorous parameters about the selection of people, as well as the tracking of data, should allow for a better assessment of these issues." A more formal, standardized training was recommended for officers using the programs going forward. Various inconsistencies with LASER data troubled auditors, with more than a third coming from department vehicles that were scanned as squad cars with license plate readers entered police stations and department parking lots. A department trend towards using LASER as a crime-deterrence strategy was endorsed in the audit, rather than one that uses it to arrest and remove residents from communities listed as having high crime rates. "While the overall goal might be the general reduction of violent crime, a program focused on extraction may naturally count an arrest of a particular person as a measure of success, while one focused on deterrence might ostensibly look for the absence of a crime and/or an arrest involving the person," the audit said. LAPD forecasts and analysis of crime trends - collected by using GPS data to track the amount of time officers spent in certain areas of the city found that crime rates decreased with increased officer presence, but the audit found that a region-by-region breakdown of crime data found "more mixed" results. The audit noted that the LAPD said it intends to introduce a "precision policing" strategy that "combines intensive crime analysis - and a focused response that values precision over high levels of enforcement - with neighborhood engagement and collaboration." An LAPD spokesperson did not immediately to respond to a request for comment on the audit, which noted that officials have begun making changes to the programs under review. Details: Los Angeles: Author, 2019. 51p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 15, 2019 at: https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/b2dd23_21f6fe20f1b84c179abf440d4c049219.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United States URL: https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/b2dd23_21f6fe20f1b84c179abf440d4c049219.pdf Shelf Number: 155404 Keywords: Chronic OffendersData-Driven PolicingLicense Plate ScanningPolice PerformancePolice PoliciesPolice TechnologyPredictive Policing |
Author: Kearns, Ian Title: Data-Driven Policing and Public Value Summary: Policing is operating in a context of particularly rapid change. Police forces are operating under considerable stress, faced with reduced budgets at the same time as changing patterns of demand. Crime is changing, in part driven by the technological revolution we describe in this report. New skills are being demanded of police officers. The public is increasingly tech savvy and expects the police to be so too. This transforming context inevitably requires far reaching change in the nature of policing. This report looks at how the police can meet this challenge by the imaginative use of data-driven technologies. In particular the report focuses on how data-driven policing can contribute to public value. By data-driven, we mean the acquisition, analysis and use of a wide variety of digitised data sources to inform decision making, improve processes, and increase actionable intelligence for all personnel within a police service, whether they be operating at the front-line or in positions of strategic leadership. By public value, we mean the full value that a police force contributes to society across a number of measurable dimensions, including outcomes in relation to crime, the efficient use of public funds, and the quality of the police relationship with the public. Details: London: Police Foundation, 2019. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 26, 2019 at: http://www.police-foundation.org.uk/2017/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/data_driven_policing_final.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.police-foundation.org.uk/2017/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/data_driven_policing_final.pdf Shelf Number: 155560 Keywords: Crime Analysis Data-Driven Policing Police PerformancePolice Technology |