Evaluations Of Police Performance Research Articles

The power of protest on policing: Black Lives Matter protest and civilian evaluation of the police

AbstractIn 2020, police brutality against Black Americans catalyzed Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests across all 50 states. Though BLM protests continue to permeate society, few scholars explore how these protests change Americans' perceptions of the police. To investigate this phenomenon more meticulously, we administered an online survey experiment—oversampling Black American participants—to measure how protest culture, specifically BLM protests, influences civilians' perceptions of the police. Our survey found that (1) Black American participants have a lower evaluation of police performance, but a higher evaluation of the BLM Movement than White American participants; (2) the presence of a general protest negatively impacts peoples' perception of safety, police trustworthiness, and police performance; and (3) a BLM protest casts a stronger effect on White American participants than on Black American participants. Using Critical Race Theory and QuantCrit these findings suggest that the visibility of BLM protests changes both Black and White perceptions of the police to varying degrees.

Measuring Police Performance: Public Attitudes Expressed in Twitter

I study the viability of Twitter-based measures for measuring public attitudes about the police. I find that Twitter-based measures track Gallup's measure of public attitudes toward the police starting around 2014, when the Twitter user base stabilized, but not before 2014. Increases in Black Lives Matter protests are also associated with increases in negative sentiment measures from Twitter. The findings suggest that Twitter-based measures can be used to acquire granular evaluations of police performance, but they are more useful in analyzing panel data of multiple agencies over time rather than in tracking a single geographical area over time.

Holding mayors accountable? Policing and mayoral approval in American cities

ABSTRACT Does police performance affect mayoral approval? Do citizens hold mayors accountable when they are dissatisfied with the police? Despite the established body of research on executive approval, little is known about how public opinion on a particular bureaucratic branch – police department in this case – affects mayoral approval ratings. On the one hand, the performance model of mayoral approval suggests that positive evaluation of police performance tends to boost mayoral approval. On the other, the race model challenges this straightforward relationship and suggests that the evaluation of the police and mayor can be racially polarized. Using the two most recent surveys on these questions conducted in New York City and Chicago, this paper tests the two models of executive approval and finds significant differences in executive approval processes in the two cities: while police performance is positively associated with mayoral approval in Chicago, the police-mayor evaluation is racially polarized in New York City. Such divergent responses may rest upon the enduring but distinct relationship that exists between the police department and the mayoral office in each city. The relationship appears to mediate public response to both policing and mayoral politics in the two cities. Findings from this analysis call for greater attention to the ecological context of policing and governance and its impact on public opinion.

Explaining the American crisis of policing: Media, malfeasance, and racial prejudice

AbstractObjectiveTo include the factor of police malfeasance in the crisis of confidence in American police. Further, to explain the role of race, media, and contextual factors on individual perception of police performance. We argue that while the BLM movement was amplified by the deaths of Black people at the hands of police, it originates from the reality that police are continuously engaged in nefarious activities that wear down communities of color extensively.MethodsUsing the 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post‐Election Survey (CMPS) and data on media reported police malfeasance in 2016 collected from the CATO institute, we explore the relationship between police malfeasance, race, and evaluations of police performance. We create two sets of logit regressions, one for all CMPS respondents and second, disaggregated by race to show the effects of media reported police malfeasance on respondent’s evaluations of police performance.ResultsIn the pooled model, we find a positive and significant correlation between poor police performance evaluations and incidences of police malfeasance. Further, substantive increases in the probability of rating police performance as poor are correlated with all respondents when disaggregated by race. We find a significant correlation among Black and White respondents, who are more likely to rate police performance as poor.ConclusionConventional narratives around the Black Lives Matter movement seem to show that deaths at the hands of local law enforcement “created” the BLM movement. We argue that the current delegitimating of police in terms of public support is related directly to police behavior themselves. Police malfeasance increases the likelihood of negative performance evaluations, thus undermining community trust in the police.

The Impact of Subjective Social Position on Public Evaluations of Police

ObjectiveWe examine factors that explain differences in assessment of police performance among whites, African Americans, Asians, and Latinos, and utilize a subjective social position framework to better understand variation in poor police evaluations. The framework combines previously disparate explanations in the literature.MethodLogit models assess 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post‐Election Survey data augmented by Census, FBI crime statistics, and Mapping Police Violence Project data to assess respondents’ police performance evaluations.ResultsFeelings of marginalization, negative perceptions of local context, and involuntary contact with police are more important for predicting poor evaluations of police than objective contextual conditions, including police‐initiated violence.ConclusionDespite variation across racial and ethnic groups, the subjective social position of individuals goes a long way in explaining individuals’ evaluation of police performance. However, African Americans are clearly more critical of law enforcement than other minorities, with at least some of this disparity explained by differences in subjective social position.

ASSESSING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE POLICE AS A PART OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY SECTOR:

The relevance of the article is conditioned by the need to ensure the effective activity of the subjects engaged in ensuring the national security, one of which is the police. Taking into account the fact that one of such tools is the assessment of police performance, the issue of studying the experience of the countries in this area is important to find the most optimal models for assessing the performance of these structures, which will contribute to their better fulfillment of the tasks assigned to them by law. The purpose of the article is to investigate the features of evaluating police performance, which will allow identifying advanced practices, to intensify the search for ways to improve the evaluation of police performance. The goal has been achieved using dogmatic, statistical, comparative legal methods, and systemic-structural approach. The authors revealed the specifics of the evaluation of police performance in Ukraine, the USA, Canada, France, and Great Britain. Emphasis is placed on evaluating police performance based on the level of trust of citizens and statistics. It is concluded that the trust of citizens in the police is necessary for the effective accomplishment of the tasks by the latter. It is noted that the use of statistical data to formulate an objective conclusion on the effectiveness of police performance is questionable because of the ability of the police management to manipulate the data. The areas for minimizing such manipulations are as follows: (1) introduction of administrative or disciplinary liability for manipulation of statistics on police performance; (2) conducting an independent review of the statistics provided by the police about their activities; (3) use of latent crime as a criterion for evaluating police performance. It is concluded that each of these areas needs considerable improvement. The findings complement previous research and have implications for improving the evaluation of the Ukrainian police and police of foreign countries.

Spousal Violence and Evaluations of Police Performance in Canada: Does Police Contact Matter?

Using data from the Canadian General Social Survey-Victimization main file, this study assessed the relationship between spousal violence victimization and attitudes towards police. In a nationally representative study of male and female Canadians, we conducted multinomial logistic regression analyses to evaluate the extent to which spousal violence was related to evaluations of police performance [in terms of (a) enforcing the law, (b) responding to calls, (c) being easy to talk to, (d) supplying information to reduce crime, (e) treating people fairly, (f) keeping people safe, and (g) overall confidence in the police] after controlling for socio-demographic and neighborhood characteristics. In follow up analyses, we evaluated if victims of spousal violence who had police contact as a direct result of the violence differed from spousal violence victims who did not have police contact. As hypothesized, spousal violence victimization was significantly and negatively associated with ratings of police performance and confidence in the police in all areas. Counter to our hypotheses, we found no significant differences in attitudes towards police related to police contact; however significant differences were found among survivors based on socio-demographic, violence severity, and neighborhood characteristics. Despite twenty years of policies to improve police response to spousal violence, negative sentiments towards police on the part of victims persist. Officer training programs that specifically address relational aspects of policing, in addition to educational aspects, are recommended to improve survivor-police relations.

What Conditions Affect Police Response Time? Examining Situational and Neighborhood Factors

Police response time to calls for service is a crucial factor in evaluation of police performance. While domestic violence is now considered serious interpersonal violence, factors associated with response time to domestic violence incidents are underexplored. Using hierarchical linear modeling, over 10,000 cases of calls for service for domestic violence across 438 census tracts in Houston, Texas, were examined. The result of multilevel analysis revealed that complainant’s race, weapon involvement, and day and time of incidents were associated with response time at the situational level. At the neighborhood level, concentrated disadvantage, immigration concentration, and residential stability were significantly associated with response time.

Дифференциация «привлекательности» правонарушений в восприятии российских полицейских

The article demonstrates that crimes that come to the attention of the criminal police have varying worth in the eyes of Russian policemen and, consequently, attract unequal efforts. The worth of crimes is closely related to the criteria for evaluation of police performance. The data derived from 12 in-depth interviews with Russian police officers, nine indepth interviews with senior students of Moscow University of Russian Interior Ministry who are undergoing practice within police departments, and online discussions within the police community show that policemen in Russia made their practical decisions while balancing between multiple orders of worth. The theoretical framework of data interpretation is represented by symbiosis theories of valuations and the institutional logics approach. Operationalized as a set of cultural rules and expectations defining legitimate grounds for assessing and determining what rational behavior in a given organizational context really is, the concept of institutional logics stresses the interrelations between value-oriented and material dimensions of social action but allows one to stress the hierarchy and constant competition between various orders of worth in an organization. Four institutional logics - state, clan, quasi-market, and professional - are empirically identified. Each of them brings its own order of worth to the police organizational environment. Crimes in the eyes of the police always have a price - expressed in either “checkmarks,” points of recognition by the boss or colleagues, or money. The data suggest that, despite the hierarchy between the orders of (crimes’) worth within the police system as a whole, in each case, institutional logics and criteria of worth related to them compete with each other. Depending on the characteristics of the criminal case and the situation in the police department at a given moment, the competition between various orders of worth is resolved by policemen in different ways. The results of the study shed light on the functioning of police discretion and help to accentuate the dysfunctional side of police reform in Russia.

Citizens’ satisfaction with police in Guangzhou, China

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine citizens’ satisfaction with police in Guangzhou, China and is aimed at answering two research questions: what is the general pattern of Guangzhou citizens’ satisfaction with police; and what variables are salient in predicting satisfaction with police?Design/methodology/approachData were collected from a random sample of approximately 1,200 residents nested in 30 neighborhoods in Guangzhou, China. Hierarchical linear modeling was used for the data analysis.FindingsFirst, the majority of residents in Guangzhou held generally positive attitudes toward the police. Second, demographic characteristics were weakly related to satisfaction with police. Third, perception of police legitimacy was associated with evaluations of police performance. Finally, perceived neighborhood crime problems led to lower levels of satisfaction with police.Research limitations/implicationsThis research used cross‐sectional data. Thus, the relationships between independent and dependent variables examined in this study are functional but not necessarily causal.Practical implicationsPolice in Guangzhou should seek ways to improve their relationship with never married residents and mitigate citizens’ negative perceptions of neighborhood crime problem through various community policing programs, such as holding routine meetings with residents to discuss crime and disorder situations in the neighborhoods. Police in Guangzhou should also continue to inform local residents about the legal right of police to issue commands and increase levels of perceptions of police legitimacy and willingness to follow police instructions.Originality/valueThis is the first paper to examine the correlates of satisfaction with Chinese police at the individual and neighborhood levels simultaneously. Using a random survey of citizens, along with methodological improvement in measurement and modeling, this paper provides readers with more accurate and representative information about public evaluations of Chinese police than previous studies.

Procedural justice in contacts with the police: the perspective of victims of crime

This study examined perceptions of procedural justice (the fairness of methods used to achieve outcomes) in contacts with the police among victims of crime. In-depth interviews were conducted with 110 people who reported a crime (personal and property) to the police in the previous 12 months. The findings indicated that police willingness to do their best to solve the case and police relating to victims as persons independently of the case itself were at least as important to victims of crime as the police delivering a desired outcome. Implications for evaluation of police performance are discussed.

Procedural justice in contacts with the police: Testing a relational model of authority in a mixed methods study.

A relational model of authority (Tyler & Lind, 1992) emphasizes the role of procedural justice (the fairness of methods used to achieve outcomes) in public support for and evaluation of the police. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, this study tested the model in the context of victim-police interactions. In-depth interviews were conducted with 110 people who had reported a crime (personal or property) to the police in the previous year. Quantitative findings supported the predictions that higher perceived antecedents of procedural justice would be associated with higher perceived legitimacy (obligation to obey the law), outcome fairness, and satisfaction with the contact. Antecedents of procedural justice were a stronger predictor of outcome fairness and satisfaction than the realization of a desired outcome, and a stronger predictor of legitimacy than criminal history. Qualitative findings supported these results. It appears that procedural justice has the potential for helping to motivate individuals with criminal history to obey the law. Implications for evaluation of police performance are discussed.

College Students' Evaluation of Police Performance: A Comparison of Chinese and Americans

Public evaluations of the police are equally important in the East and West as police legitimacy resides in the views of the public. Using survey data from over 800 college students in China and the U.S., this study compares and contrasts Chinese and American college students' global satisfaction with the police and specific evaluations of police demeanor, integrity, and effectiveness. Three groups of predictors, including demographic characteristics, crime and criminal justice experiences, and locality were used to explain these perceptions. It was found that Chinese college students generally viewed the police less positively than Americans. Some factors such as media influence and college major had a consistent effect on perceptions of the police across the two countries, while other factors such as victimization and fear of crime had varied effects depending on specific evaluative areas. Implications for future research and policy are provided.

The Role of Race/Ethnicity and Race Relations on Public Opinion Related to the Treatment of Blacks by the Police

Previous research has identified strong effects of race on the evaluations of police performance. This research expands on past research by investigating public opinion related to Black treatment by the police. Recent Gallup poll data were examined to determine whether race and ethnicity influenced citizens' views on the treatment of Blacks in comparison to Whites by the police. In addition, the authors examined whether race relations affected citizens' views on the treatment of Blacks by the police. On both fronts, support was found for the influence of these factors. Demographic variables such as age, gender, education, employment status, region, and political ideology were also significantly related to public opinion regarding the perceived treatment of Blacks by the police. After contextualizing these results, the authors discuss the implication of the findings.

Race, expectations and evaluations of police performance

The purpose of the current study is two‐fold. First, using data obtained from a sample of crime victims (n = 122), this study empirically assesses the effect that police officer race has on evaluations of the police. Second, this study provides a greater specification of the effect that expectations regarding police performance have on evaluations of the police. ANOVA and Ordered Probit analyses indicate that police officer race does not influence victim evaluations of police performance. However, expectations do significantly influence evaluations of the police and furthermore, expectations of police performance differ across racial lines. Possible explanations for these findings and directions for future research are offered.

Evaluations of police performance in an african american sample

Research has indicated that minority group members generally hold less positive attitudes toward police than do Whites. This study examined evaluations of police performance among a sample of African Americans. Regression analysis indicated that age, education, victimization, respondents' evaluations of the safety of their neighborhoods, their evaluations of their neighborhoods, and their evaluations of police response time getting to their neighborhoods all had significant effects upon evaluations of local police performance. These results are consistent with studies that emphasized the neighborhood context of evaluations of local police performance. They also indicate that evaluations of police response time are a significant factor in evaluations of police performance among African Americans.

Victim Assessment of the Police Response To Burglary

This article surveys victims of household burglary who have contacted the police and reports their assessments of their interactions with the police. The sample comprises 257 victims who reported household burglaries to the police in Charlotte, North Carolina, in July 1995. Particular emphasis is placed on whether positive evaluations of police performance are influ enced more by (1) characteristics of the incident, (2) police handling of the victim and the case, (3) apprehension of the offender and/or recovery of stolen property or (4) the victim's background characteristics. The re sults indicate that it is the police handling of the victim and the case that exert the greatest effect on citizen satisfaction. This suggests that greater attention should be paid to the manner in which police officers interact with crime victims and that the officers should provide victims with infor mation and advice that is pertinent to their particular victimization.

Performance of police first responders in utilizing automated external defibrillation on victims of sudden cardiac arrest

Objective. Rates of resuscitation from cardiac arrest are directly tied to time to defibrillation. To maximize results, the first arriving care provider should be equipped and trained to defibrillate. This would include police in those systems where they serve this function; to date, no training program has been examined for effectiveness in this group. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a training program designed to train police first respondes in the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). Methods. One hundred seventy police officers previously trained to the level of first responders underwent a four-hour course to teach incorporation of the AED in their practice. The evaluation of police performance was assessed by written tests prior to, immediately after, and six months post initial training. Actual field use was evaluated by using separate data collection forms filled out at the time of the resuscitation by both police and EMS providers. Each trip sheet was also reviewed. Cassette tapes from the AED were reviewed for continuous ECG tracings and audio recordings to validate and confirm the previous data. Results. One hundred twenty-eight police cases were reviewed. The officers performed with few errors in AED operation, with the only problem areas being incorrect airway management and delay in performance of CPR to use the AED to reanalyze a nonshockable rhythm. These results were compared with those of the only two other studies examining the performance of first responders, which were EMTs and firefighters. The police results compared favorably with, and in some instances exceeded, those results. Conclusion. Police first responders trained in the use of AEDs performed at a level equivalent or superior to that in other reported studies. Future training strategies should stress proper integration of airway and CPR skills.

Public evaluations of police performance: an analysis across three levels of policing

Research focussing on US citizen attitudes of police has concentrated on city policing agencies, neglecting varying attitudes toward county and state police. Attempts to fill this void by testing the effects of individual and contextual variables on citizen evaluations and police performance across city, county and state levels using data collected from a state in the western USA. Finds differences in evaluations depending on age, gender, initiation of contact and previous experience. Discusses the implications of these results and suggests topics for further research.

Citizens’ observations of police use of excessive force and their evaluation of police performance

Examines the relationship between the observation of police use of force and the subsequent evaluation of police performance. The data in this study were obtained from a random sample of 992 Ohio citizens. Finds that the observation of police use of force that the respondents judged excessive had a significantly negative effect on their perception of police performance. The effect of this observation remained significant even after controlling for sociodemographic, experiential and neighborhood characteristics. Suggests that the police could substantially increase citizens’ satisfaction with their performance by reducing incidents and allegations of police misconduct.