Police Crime Research Articles

Investigation and detection: Back to the future

This article reflects upon the key insights and evidence from policing research with regards to the organisation and conduct of police crime investigations and detective work. In particular, it attends to how a number of innovative technologies have had a shaping effect on this aspect of the police role. A central thread of the argument developed is how shifts in the context for policing, associated with the information environment has been inducing socio-technical changes to how crimes are investigated and resolved. Projecting forward from such developments, the article concludes by speculating on the ways the increasing availability of 'opensource intelligence' might reconfigure the social organisation of police crime investigations.

Nemzetközi Rendészeti Figyelő XV.

Aim: The international law enforcement literature focuses on the study of unlawful human behaviour that violates public order and threatens public security. Research focusing on the internal workings of law enforcement authorities and prosecution services is relatively rare. There are also few examples of academic work on crimes committed by law enforcement officials. The Observer now reports on such articles. Methodology: Attila Sümegh’s review gives an overview of the methods used by the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation in the fight against corruption. In addition to the traditional methods of detecting official and economic bribery, the Prosecutor’s Office also performs tasks that reveal the shortcomings of inadequate legislation that can significantly increase the risk of corruption. Ronett Radvánszki’s summary outlines a methodology for investigating so-called ‘police crime’ in the United States. She points out that police officers who cross the line of legality in the possession of a monopoly on legitimate violence may think that their status makes them less accountable. Findings: Gábor Bélai’s work is exceptionally wide-ranging and professional in its approach, and provides us with an insight into the criminalistic practices of the former GDR (German Democratic Republic) and the former FRG (Federal Republic of Germany) and the differences in the procedural order of law enforcement. While we can be convinced that the former GDR’s training in criminology was of a high professional standard, we must also understand that prosecutorial control of law enforcement in the former GDR still offers considerably more guarantees than in a conception that did not follow the criteria of the rule of law. Value: From a publication dedicated to the study of domestic violence, Bíborka Horváth highlights that ‘current legislation focuses primarily on violence in individual, public places and does not pay enough attention to those who are victims of multifaceted abuse by intimate partners or family members.’ This research also goes far beyond the criminal justice dimensions of domestic violence to report on the moral values that can be the source of the outcomes of individual and social inclusion. Aura Vörös provides information on a study of the legitimacy of the state’s monopoly on violence, with a special focus on the interpretation of the police monopoly on violence, an inescapable task for any democratically functioning constitutional power.

Opening the Black Box of Police Operations and Crime During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Opening the Black Box of Police Operations and Crime During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Case Analysis of Women Experienced Abuse: with Special Reference to Beneficiaries of Parihar, Bangalore

Abstract Case Analysis in this article presents a consolidated analysis of five case studies of women who have experienced abuse, exploring the varying types of abuse, challenges faced, and systemic responses. The cases have been chosen from the individuals i.e women who especially approach the institution “Parihar” Bangalore seeking help or emotional support. span different cultural and socioeconomic contexts, highlighting the pervasive nature of abuse across the globe. Through detailed comparison, the article examines the role of economic dependency, legal protections, and social stigma in perpetuating abuse, as well as the importance of community and psychological support in recovery. The analysis underscores the need for stronger legal frameworks, community education, and economic empowerment to help women break free from abusive environments. “Parihar” is a charitable institution registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration act 1960, exempted under 80(G) of Income Tax Act. It is an initiative of Bengaluru City Police, and is managed by a dedicated, committed and successful team of professional counsellors, and police staff with vast experience in counselling and social work. Parihar undertakes charitable, philanthropic and socio–economic programs for the welfare of Women, Children and Family as a whole. Parihar’s implementation structure consists of mainly four important people, its Ex-officio President being the Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru City, Vice President and Nodal officer, is the Jt. Commissioner of Police (Crime) & Secretary is the Deputy Commissioner of Police(Admin) and Treasurer is the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) “Parihar” stands out for its ‘vision’ and ‘mission’ to work for the upliftment of women and children in today’s society with various challenges and positive attitude to redress the issues in a holistic manner.

Are cyber-investigators resilient in the face of adversity? An inductive qualitative analysis exploring investigators' perceptions regarding the challenges and successes in online crime police investigations

Are cyber-investigators resilient in the face of adversity? An inductive qualitative analysis exploring investigators' perceptions regarding the challenges and successes in online crime police investigations

An exploration of the service and crime prevention performance of the municipal police departments of Taiwan’s counties: the perspective of broken windows theory

PurposeThis study aims to evaluate the service and crime prevention performance of law enforcement agencies in Taiwan’s municipalities. By analyzing these performances, the study seeks to improve the efficiency of police services through appropriate resource allocation, ultimately achieving enhanced crime prevention.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilized a two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) to construct performance metrics. In the first stage, the service performance of the police force was measured using the number of police officers and police stations as inputs and the number of patrols and temporary patrol boxes as outputs. In the second stage, crime prevention performance was assessed with the number of patrols and temporary patrol boxes as inputs and cases of violence, injury, intimidation and theft as outputs. Additionally, a truncated regression model was employed to analyze the impact of environmental variables such as per capita income, population density, proportion of the population with higher education and the unemployment rate on crime prevention performance.FindingsThe study found significant variations in both service and crime prevention performance across different municipalities. By identifying the most efficient and inefficient units, the analysis revealed critical insights into resource utilization and areas needing improvement. The regression analysis indicated that environmental factors such as higher per capita income, population density, education level and unemployment rate significantly affect crime prevention performance.Originality/valueThis research provides a novel approach to assessing police service efficiency and crime prevention effectiveness using a two-stage DEA model. By incorporating environmental variables through truncated regression, the study offers a comprehensive evaluation framework that can inform policy decisions and resource allocation strategies. This methodology not only highlights the performance metrics of law enforcement agencies but also underscores the influence of socioeconomic factors on crime prevention, contributing to the broader literature on public safety and resource management.

Effect of police expenditure on crime rate in India

Purpose This study aims to examine the relationship between law enforcement expenditures, economic indicators and various crime rates in India using data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) spanning from 2001 to 2021. Design/methodology/approach The study uses data sourced from the NCRB covering violent crimes, property crimes, economic crimes and total crimes under the Indian Penal Code across 27 states and 2 union territories in India. Crime rates per 100,000 people are calculated using projected population figures from the 2001 and 2011 censuses, adjusting for census periods and growth rates. Economic variables such as per capita real gross state domestic product (GSDP) and total police expenditure are obtained from state government sources, adjusted to constant prices. Pooled ordinary least squares analysis is conducted to explore the relationships between crime rates, conviction rate, economic factors and police expenditure over the three-time points: 2001, 2011 and 2021. Findings The study reveals a complex relationship between police expenditure and crime rates across different categories in India. Increased police expenditure is positively associated with higher reporting rates for violent and economic crimes, suggesting that enhanced law enforcement resources may improve crime detection and reporting. However, contrary to some expectations, higher police spending does not necessarily lead to a reduction in overall crime rates. Economic prosperity, measured by per capita GSDP, is found to reduce violent crime rates but is associated with an increase in property and economic crimes, likely due to the greater opportunities for such crimes in wealthier regions. Research limitations/implications The study’s reliance on state-level aggregate data and NCRB crime statistics, which are based on reported incidents, might not fully capture the true extent of criminal activity, particularly in regions with underreporting issues. In addition, the use of projected population data beyond 2001 and 2011 introduces some uncertainty into the analysis. Future research should explore district-level data to better understand regional variations in crime and incorporate social, cultural and innovative policing strategies to provide a more comprehensive analysis. Practical implications Policymakers should recognize the nuanced impacts of police expenditure and economic prosperity on crime rates. While increased law enforcement resources may enhance crime reporting, they do not guarantee a reduction in overall crime rates. Economic growth, while beneficial in reducing violent crimes, may inadvertently increase property and economic crimes due to greater opportunities for criminal activity. These insights suggest the need for targeted interventions that consider both economic factors and law enforcement strategies in crime prevention efforts. Originality/value This study contributes to the ongoing debate about the effectiveness of police expenditure in reducing crime by highlighting its limited impact on overall crime rates in India. The findings underscore the importance of understanding the diverse effects of economic prosperity on different crime types, offering valuable insights for policymakers aiming to design evidence-based crime prevention strategies that account for socioeconomic disparities and regional contexts.

Size isn't everything: Understanding the relationship between police workforce and crime problems

If and how policing affects crime has long been studied. On the relationship between police force size and crime, different authors come to different conclusions. This study examines the relationship between police resourcing, including workforce size, structure and stability over time using data for 42 police forces in the UK over a 13-year period.We construct two novel panel datasets. The first comprises measures of police workforce Size, Structure and Stability. The second provides measures of both crime frequency and crime severity. Issues of endogeneity make the modelling of the police-crime association complicated. Consequently, we analyse the data using a panel vector autoregression (PVAR) model which is capable of forecasting a temporal sequence of the interdependencies between police-crime relationships.Changes in total police personnel play an important role in reducing both crime frequency and severity, but the findings are more nuanced than this. Results highlight that the structure and stability of police organisations are important although these impacts are not always the same for crime volume and crime severity. We find that increases in frontline (non-sworn) support staff are associated with reductions in crime, while turnover rates of police staff are associated with increases in crime. In contrast, changes to the number of sworn police officers do not appear to be a good predictor of crime volume.The findings suggest that investment in frontline support staff and the development of strategies to retain skills and knowledge by reducing staff turnover may be efficient approaches for Police Forces to maximise the impact on crime of their workforce in resource-pressed policing settings. While previous research has found that police force size has a limited effect on crime, our findings indicate that more nuanced measurements of police resourcing are necessary to understand how police impact upon crime risk. The idea of police forces using basic officer-to-population ratios to make staffing decisions appears outdated and over-simplistic.

Simultaneous Causality and the Spatial Dynamics of Violent Crimes as a Factor in and Response to Police Patrolling

Simultaneous causality occurs when two variables mutually influence each other, creating empirical contexts where cause and effect are not clearly unidirectional. Crime and policing often appear in urban studies presenting the following characteristic: sometimes, increased police patrols can reduce criminal activities, and other times, higher crime rates can prompt law enforcement administrations to increase patrols in affected areas. This study aims to explore the relationships between patrol dynamics and crime locations using spatial regression to support public policies. We identify spatial patterns and the potential impact of crime on policing and vice versa. Data on crimes and patrol locations were collected from the database provided by the Planning and Management Secretariat and the Social Defense Secretariat of Pernambuco, Brazil. The study employed Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) to create a spatial simultaneous regression model for integrated security zones within the Brazilian geography. This approach provides a holistic visualization, enhancing our understanding and predictive capabilities regarding the intricate relationship between police presence and crime. The results report a significant relationship, with crime locations explaining police patrols (varying in geographic domain and type of crime). No statistically significant results from most geographic locations point to the inverse relation. The quantitative analysis segregated by typology presents a potential for effective public decision support by identifying the categories that most influence the patrol security time.

The Rise of Police Science and Crime Science in Indonesia: The Police Journals

This study argues that police science and crime science will rise in Indonesia. The publications in police journals facilitate this condition. This study was conducted through a narrative review. The study finds that Indonesian police science has been discussed in the literature, but Indonesian crime science has not. The police journals managed by the INP and related journals shall be used to disseminate policing in Indonesia. Without integrated collaborative measures, the development of police and crime sciences in Indonesia will be slowly achieved. This paper suggests improvements to the management of the police journals. With the advance of the journals, passionate people from various disciplines in Indonesia and global nations may be invited to help improve policing in Indonesia.

Partnership Building in Public Policing: Communities’ Perceptions towards the Role of Community Policing Forums in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa

The study sought to explain whether the Community Policing Forum initiative is an ideal partnership-building technique for crime prevention in Fortgale and Southernwood in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The study further shed light on the nature and extent of community participation in the Community Policing Forum meetings. Lastly, the study identified the nature and extent of the most salient problems or barriers between the communities and the police regarding Community Policing Forum and crime prevention. This study employed a quantitative approach, comprising the pre-experimental design (one short case study) and non-probability, judgmental sampling. The sample size comprised 150 respondents recruited from each one of the two areas of study. The findings showed that the Community Policing Forum is working for both areas of study. Police and the public are working hand in hand in fighting barriers that may hamper its effectiveness. The public from both areas is well-educated about community policing. State the conclusions and the recommendations. The outcome of the study will improve the relationship between the police and the public since they cannot work in isolation. Keywords: Community Policing Forums, Police, Crime, Community, SAPS

Voted in, standing out: Public response to immigrants' political accession

AbstractHow do dominant‐group natives react to immigrants' political integration? We argue that ethnic minority immigrants winning political office makes natives feel threatened, triggering animosity. We test this dynamic across the 2010–2019 UK general elections, using hate crime police records, public opinion data, and text data from over 500,000 regional and local newspaper articles. While past work has not established a causal relationship between minorities' political power gains and dominant‐group animosity, we identify natives' hostile reactions with a regression discontinuity design that leverages close election results between immigrant‐origin ethnic minority and dominant‐group candidates. We find that minority victories increase hate crimes by 67%, exclusionary attitudes by 66%, and negative media coverage of immigrant groups by 110%. Consistent with power threat and social identity theories, these findings demonstrate a strong and widespread negative reaction—encompassing a violence‐prone fringe and the mass public—against ethnic minority immigrants' integration into majority settings.

‘Everything seems to be pushed onto the businesses’: stakeholder perceptions of the policing of business crime in Staffordshire, United Kingdom

ABSTRACT This article concerns the perceptions and policing of business crime in the Staffordshire Police area in England in 2019–2020. Based on collaborative mixed methods’ work analysis of business crime in Staffordshire, it considers the framing of official discourse, and how it is applied and understood in police practice. Using 74 qualitative interviews with small business owners and access to police data, the research team considered how business crime was framed by officials and stakeholders. Noting there is something of a disconnect between officials and stakeholders the paper suggests that this reveals the conceptual and practical limitations of policing business crime as a form of commercial victimisation. This is due, the paper argues, to the conceptual ambiguity of the contemporary official police discourse of business crime which, in praxis is ill-defined and largely restricted to a more obvious form of retail crime. It suggests that greater consideration and conceptual refinement of the varied nature of business and enterprise is necessary if authorities truly wish to recognise the varied ways in which commercial activity and victimisation intersect. Recognising these intersections should enable police and the CJS to provide more effective responses to stakeholders and the wide range of businesses that face varied and multifaceted victimisation.

The effect of formal de‐policing on police traffic stop behavior and crime: Early evidence from LAPD's policy to restrict discretionary traffic stops

AbstractResearch SummaryOn March 1, 2022, correspondence from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) headquarters stated that officers can no longer use minor infractions (e.g., equipment violations) as a pretextual reason to further investigate drivers for criminal behavior. If LAPD officers are to execute a discretionary stop, they must activate their body‐worn cameras and reasonably articulate to the civilian why they are being investigated. The intent is to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in stops and build trust of the police within the community. Critics of the policy argue that elevated crime rates will result due to the crime suppression effect of such stops. This study examines racial differences in stops before and after the policy change, as well as whether Part 1 violent and property crimes increased. Descriptive findings show that while the counts of stops, arrests, and contraband seizures during stops decreased, the percentage of non‐White civilians stopped decreased only minimally following the intervention. Results from using Bayesian synthetic control methods indicate an increase in both violent and property crimes post‐intervention compared with the synthetic counterfactual. The increase in violent crimes has a low probability of being different from the counterfactual, whereas the increase in property crimes has a high probability, suggesting that the intervention led to a real change in property crimes compared with what would have been expected under the counterfactual.Policy ImplicationsThis study provides preliminary evidence that emerging policies intended to restrict discretionary stops may not have the intended effect on racial disparities in police traffic stops. Instead, agencies passing similar policies may expect to see the potential unintended consequence of a spike in jurisdictional property crimes. We argue that such types of stops across a jurisdiction may have a general deterrent effect on more common and calculative crimes such as property crimes. To combat violent crimes, agencies should consider focusing discretionary stops in known hot spots. Further, our findings offer implications for research on the effects of de‐policing on crime. Police agencies should monitor potential unintended impacts of these policies if enacted and be prepared to deal with such consequences.

Service Model for Women's and Children's Violence Victims of Collaborative Governance and Delivery Service

Purpose: This research aims to determine the Model of Assistance Services for Victims of Violence against Women and Children Based on Collaborative Governance and Delivery Service in the Musi Banyuasin Resort Police Crime and Investigation Unit. Method: This research uses qualitative research. The data sources in this research are Primary Data obtained from respondents' answers during interviews and Secondary Data obtained from documentation at the Women and Children Services Unit (PPA) of the Musi Banyuasin Resort Police Crime and Investigation Unit. Data collection techniques in this research use library studies and field research, and data analysis techniques in this research consist of data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions and verification. Result and Discussion: The results of this research show that the service methods implemented to help victims of violence against women and children in the Musi Banyuasin Resort Police Criminal and Investigation Unit have been effective. They have provided various ways for the public to report problems and request consultation. Meanwhile, in Musi Banyuasin Regency, there are still several weaknesses in running this service even though it generally runs well. Research also suggests that the best way to assist women and child victims of violence is through close collaboration between the government and service providers, as implemented in the counseling program called Si Mapan. Implication of the Research: This research provides a better understanding of how support services for victims of violence against women and children can be improved through a collaborative approach to governance and service delivery. This can guide authorities in developing policies and practices related to the protection of women and children victims of violence in Musi Banyuasin Regency and possibly elsewhere. Originality/Value: This research is valuable because it introduces a new approach to assistance services for victims of violence against women and children, focusing on collaboration in government and service delivery (collaborative governance and service delivery).

The Determinants of Oromia police crime prevention in selected zones of the Oromia Regional state

ThestudyaimedtoexplorethefactorsinfluencingOromiapolicecrimepreventioninspecific zones of the Oromia regional state. It hypothesized that police logistics, motivation, perception, corruption, and training and development significantly impact crime prevention performance. The research used a quantitative approach and an explanatory design by collecting primary data from selected zones of the Oromia regional state through survey questionnaires.388questionnairesweredistributedtorespondents,and372 were completed. The data was analyzed using mean and standard deviation, and the dependent variable was projected using multi linear regression beta coefficients for all independent variables. The study reveals that most respondents in the selected zones of Oromia regional state police disagree with the current police logistics, stating they lack infrastructure, necessary equipment, and technology for effective crime prevention. They also believe basic human needs like home, food, uniforms, and a salary are insufficient. Public cooperation, perceptions of the police, and commitment to crime prevention are moderate, while police corruption and training practices are moderate. The study suggests that if these factors continue, crimeprevention performance could be hazardous and potentiallyincrease societal compliance toward safety and good governance. The government should raise financing for police equipment, develop motivational strategies, improve loyalty, and establish anti-corruption organizations. Off-the-job training for crime prevention heads should be provided twice a year. Keywords: crime prevention, corruption, motivation, perception, police logistics, training, and development

시민들의 경찰역할인식이 범죄두려움에 미치는 영향

This study aims to investigate whether fear of crime varies according to citizens’ perception of the police role. And to explore it underlying causes. Citizens’ perception of police role can be influence by personal, societal, and psychological factors, with this study particularly focusing on the macroscopic perspective of the local community environment to analyze variations in citizens' perceptions. The analysis utilizes self-collected data from the “Citizens' Perception Survey on Police Organizations and Crime” and the Ministry of Public Administration and Security's “2022 Nationwide Local Safety Index Publication.” The findings are as follows: First, citizens tend to perceive the police role as closer to crime response in areas with higher crime indices, indicating greater vulnerability to crime. Second, it was found that differences in citizens' perception of the police role based on the crime index of their residential districts have varied impacts on fear of crime. Specifically, residents in the Dongbuk-gwon, where the crime index is the lowest, showed no significant impact of crime fear even when perceiving police role as crime response. However, in the Seobuk-gwon with the highest crime index, the perception of police role as crime response corresponded to increased fear of crime, demonstrating the strongest significance. Based on these results, several preventative measures emphasizing the proactive aspects of police activities are proposed.

The Enactment of Professional Boundary Work: A Case Study of Crime Investigation

Professional boundary takes place as actors negotiate occupational boundaries and division of labour. In this article, we examine the conditions of defensive, accommodating, and configurational boundary work in the context of crime investigation. We analyse how professional boundaries are negotiated as civilian investigators become involved with policing. The article is based on 71 interviews with civilian and police crime investigators from a variety of investigation units in Sweden. Findings show how policing as a professional field is shifted as civilians from a wide variety of backgrounds and with varying motivations enter the occupation. Defensive boundary work that devalued civilians was widely occurring. However, boundary work that focused on learning, collaboration, and training was also occurring in high-status units. The discussion focuses on how power asymmetries impact boundary work when professions are undergoing change. This study exemplifies how organizational actors navigate, defend, and challenge their positions as professional boundaries are negotiated.

Application of Elements of Criminal Acts of Plantation Land Clearing in National Park Areas by Investigators of the South Coast Police Crime Squad

The South Coast Police Crime Squad conducted an investigation into the crime of carrying out plantation activities without ministerial permission in forest areas. The difficulty of the South Coast Police Detective Investigator is to implement 'Elements in forest areas'. This happened because of the unclear boundaries of the National Park forest area. In the investigation process, the Investigator applied the provisions of Article 17 paragraph (2) letter b Juncto Article 92 paragraph (1) letter a of Law Number 18 of 2013 concerning the Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction as Police Report Number: LP/25/A/II/2019/ Res-Pessel dated February 12, 2019. The application of the elements of the criminal act of clearing plantation land in the National Park area consists of subjective elements and objective elements. The subjective element is a person, then what is meant by everyone in this article is the perpetrator as a person who can account for his actions and the objective element is that his actions are unlawful, namely: "Elements intentionally, elements carrying out plantation activities, elements without the permission of the Minister and elements dnature forest area". According to investigators, the suspect's actions have fulfilled the formulation and elements of Article 17 paragraph (2) letter b Juncto Article 92 paragraph (1) letter a of Law Number 18 of 2013.

A Study of the Criminal Victimization of Policewomen by Other Police Officers

Abstract Our research focuses on the criminal victimization of policewomen by other police officers. The data derive from a larger nationwide study on police crime, or cases in which police officers have been arrested for the perpetration of one or more criminal offenses. The current study identifies cases involving policewomen who are victims of police-perpetrated sexual harassment, official misconduct, stalking, indecent exposure, simple and aggravated assault, and rape. The specific goals of the research are three-fold: (1) explore the nature and character of police crimes perpetrated against policewomen, (2) describe cases of police crime perpetrated against policewomen that specifically involve some form of sexual violence, and (3) compare cases of police crime perpetrated against male and female police victims. Findings demonstrate the differential criminal victimization of policewoman, particularly in terms of cases involving police sexual violence (PSV) and officer-involved domestic violence (OIDV).