Improve Law Enforcement Research Articles

Уголовно-правовое значение причин и условий в сфере небезопасного выполнения строительных работ

Modern society has one of its characteristics the development of the service sector. At the same time, the level of development of the sphere of performance of works and rendering of services is defined rather with prevalence, but at all with observance of necessary rules and requirements of safety. Due to the priority of the intensity of production by the performers of works and services, certain rules and safety requirements are often ignored, which in any case creates the risk of occurrence of certain negative consequences. The legal structure of the corpus delicti provided for in article 216 of the criminal code obliges the law enforcer to establish not only the fact of violation of safety rules during construction works and the fact of occurrence of socially dangerous consequences in the form of causing serious harm to human health or major damage, but also the presence of a causal relationship between these phenomena to bring the guilty person to criminal responsibility. The work is devoted to the development of evidence-based recommendations for resolving law enforcement issues related to the assessment of the causal complex in the unsafe conduct of construction works. To achieve this goal, the current criminal legislation, explanations of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, materials of judicial and investigative practice, as well as scientific works affecting the theme of the work are analyzed. The methodological basis consists of General scientific provisions of philosophy, logic and other Sciences, dialectical, formal-logical, hypothetical, linguistic methods, a special place in the study took methods such as analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction. Proposals to improve law enforcement in terms of assessing the role of causes and conditions in the legal assessment of socially dangerous acts under article 216 of the criminal code are formulated.

The limits of laws: Traffic law enforcement in South Africa

The aim of many public policies is to change behaviour. Governments tend to rely on regulations, taxes and subsidies to effect such change. These measures, which affect agents' economic incentives, have a mixed record. A key insight of the New Institutional Economics is that the efficacy of such formal institutions depends on the strength of their enforcement and the extent to which they are compatible with prevailing informal institutions. This paper uses the road safety situation in South Africa as a case study to explore aspects of the relationships among formal institutions, law enforcement and informal institutions. South Africa has a strong suite of road safety laws but poor road safety outcomes. The paper argues that improved law enforcement cannot fully solve the problem; complementary changes to the informal institutions shaping the behaviour of road-users are essential. It points out that institutional economists have to take a greater interest in the insights of research in behavioural economics, behavioural and cognitive science and other disciplines in order to provide useful advice in settings where such change is an important policy objective.

Ranger perceptions of the role of local communities in providing actionable information on wildlife crime

AbstractWildlife crime in protected areas remains a major challenge to conservation. However, little is known about the role of local communities in providing information on illegal activities to help improve law enforcement efforts in protected areas. As an initial exploration of this complex topic, we aimed to understand the perceptions of law enforcement authorities working directly with local communities on the conditions under which local people provide information to park rangers, using Murchison Falls Protected Area in Uganda as a case study. We used semi‐structured interviews and questionnaires to understand the perceptions of staff from the Uganda Wildlife Authority and nongovernmental organizations. There was consensus among participants that people who provide information are those who have trusted relationships with rangers; interact regularly with community outreach rangers (either formally through community programs or informal socializing); and believe that the protected area benefits them and their community. All respondents believed that information provided by local people can enable the success of wildlife crime investigations, but that associated ethical issues must be addressed. This study indicates that engaging communities in protected area conservation is crucial for law enforcement efforts to be effective in addressing wildlife crime.

Building an Innovative Economy: Institutionalizing Intellectual Property Reform in China

As China’s rapid economic growth continues to slow, the Chinese Communist Party now seeks to promote innovation as the engine of future development. With this new economic agenda, reforms to China’s intellectual property rights (IPR) regime have emerged as a key policy domain as China attempts to build market-supporting institutions and improve law enforcement capabilities. By reviewing the legal frameworks supporting specific judicial reforms and through non-randomized, semistructured field interviews with lawyers, IP officials, and industry representatives, this article analyzes how China’s evolving legal institutions are increasing central control in the IP adjudication process, building judicial professionalism, and ensuring uniformity in case outcomes in line with the demands of its economic transition. The question of how IP rights are enforced in China is of interest not only to those who want to understand how IP protections have developed in China, but also to those who wish to analyze the role that law and the courts play in structuring central-local relations and implementing institutional reform in a historically fragmented authoritarian system. Although China’s IPR regime is far from perfect, these reforms are indicative of a major initiative to improve IP protections, nurture domestic innovation, and increase the role of China’s judicial system in efficiently resolving disputes.

Connecting evidence-based policing and cybercrime

PurposeThis paper explores the various challenges associated with policing cybercrime, arguing that a failure to improve law enforcement responses to cybercrime may negatively impact their institutional legitimacy as reliable first responders. Further, the paper makes preliminary links between cybercrime and the paradigm of evidence-based policing (EBP), providing suggestions on how the paradigm can assist, develop, and improve a myriad of factors associated with policing cybercrime.Design/methodology/approachThree examples of prominent cybercrime incidents will be explored under the lens of institutional theory: the cyberextortion of Amanda Todd; the hacking of Ashley Madison; and the 2013 Target data breach.FindingsEBP approaches to cybercrime can improve the effectiveness of existing and future approaches to cybercrime training, recruitment, as well as officers' preparedness and awareness of cybercrime.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research will benefit from determining what types of training work at the local, state/provincial, and federal level, as well as evaluating both current and new cybercrime policing programs and strategies.Practical implicationsEBP approaches to cybercrime have the potential to improve police responses to cybercrime calls for service, save police resources, improve police–public relations during calls for service, and improve police legitimacy.Originality/valueThis paper links cybercrime policing to the paradigm of EBP, highlighting the need for evaluating and implementing effective evidence-based approaches to policing cybercrime.

Law Enforcement, Social Control and Organized Crime: Evidence from Local Government Dismissals in Italy

Local governments suspected of Mafia infiltration can be dismissed in Italy through an administrative act not increasing formal deterrence but potentially signaling improved law enforcement among local communities. This paper finds that dismissals are associated to a persistent fall of petty crimes (e.g. thefts) but have little consequences on offenses more closely related to the activity of organized crime, as homicide, extortion, drug-trafficking or usury. Petty crimes are estimated to fall by around 10%, on average, a result that seems driven by the perception of enhanced deterrence (through media pressure, the signaling role of the policy, and other forms of social control) rather than induced by organized crime itself.

СОВРЕМЕННЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ ПРЕДУПРЕЖДЕНИЯ ПРЕСТУПЛЕНИЙ В СФЕРЕ СЕМЕЙНО-БЫТОВЫХ ОТНОШЕНИЙ

In the article, based on the analysis of modern crime in the sphere of family and household relations, approaches to the problems of prevention and prevention of various forms of domestic violence are formulated. The article is devoted to modern problems of preventing domestic crimes by legal and General social measures, the main factors that determine the existence of modern domestic crime are considered. Some reasons and conditions of criminalization of the family and domestic relations at the present stage of development of society are analyzed. The main areas of activity of police district commissioners as the most significant subjects of counteraction to offenses in the domestic sphere. The necessity of improvement of the main directions of combating modern crimes in the sphere of domestic relations and of improving law enforcement, including internal Affairs bodies, particularly local police officers, aimed at the prevention of domestic crimes and offences in the domestic sphere.

“Religion Carries Out a Very Important Mission...”. Interview with Damir Mukhetdinov, First Vice-Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) of the Russian Federation

Damir Mukhetdinov got his higher education at the Institute of Arabic Language of Umm al-Qura University in Mecca (Saudi Arabia). Then he graduated from the Department of International Relations of Nizhny Novgorod State University and got a master’s degree, then - PhD (Political Science). He is the first deputy chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation, a member of the Presidium of the Council of Muftis of Russia, a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, rector of the Moscow Islamic Institute, professor of St. Petersburg State University, a member of the Commission on Improving Legislation and Law Enforcement Practice of the Council for Cooperation with Religious Associations under the President of the Russian Federation, a member of the working group of the Commission on Religious Associations under the Government of the Russian Federation, a member of the Public Council of the Federal Agency for Nationalities. He was awarded the medals of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the European part of Russia “For Merit” and “For Spiritual Unity”; by Mufti Ravil Gainutdin decree was awarded the highest award of Muslims of Russia - the Order of Honor “Al-Fakhr”, the Order of Muslims of Russia “For Merit”. The interview comprehends the role of Islam in the modern world, including its role in maintaining peace and stability in regions of Islam. Particular attention is paid to cooperation and development of relations between the Russian Federation and the Eastern countries, including the CIS states, through religious channels. Damir Mukhetdinov emphasizes the importance of improving Islamic education in Russia, as well as the development of such scientific areas as Oriental studies, Islamic studies, Theology.

Improving law enforcement’s response to non-fatal strangulation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a coordinated effort to improve the law enforcement response to non-fatal strangulation in the context of domestic violence. Design/methodology/approach The authors compare law enforcement identification and documentation of strangulation in domestic violence cases before and after the implementation of a strangulation-specific training program in one Central Florida County. Findings The results indicate preliminary support for the effectiveness of training law enforcement, suggesting that the response to strangulation can be improved with comprehensive law enforcement training. Practical implications An improved response by law enforcement may have the potential to increase offender accountability of non-fatal strangulation – a potentially deadly assault. Originality/value The study is the first to evaluate strangulation-specific training efforts of law enforcement. Results point to opportunities that can be taken to improve law enforcement’s response to non-fatal strangulation in domestic violence.

ПРИНЦИПЫ СОВЕРШЕНСТВОВАНИЯ КОММУНИКАТИВНОЙ МОБИЛЬНОСТИ СОТРУДНИКОВ ОРГАНОВ ВНУТРЕННИХ ДЕЛ, ОБУЧАЮЩИХСЯ В ИНСТИТУТЕ ПОВЫШЕНИЯ КВАЛИФИКАЦИИ

The article examines communicative mobility as a professionally valuable quality of law enforcement officers, justifies the necessity of its formation in advanced training courses. The authors introduce a system of principles, which integrates the provisions of andragogy, additional professional education and methodology of law enforcement officers’ professional training. The principles of systematicity, continuity, openness and variability, learners’ collective activity allow improving law enforcement officers’ communicative mobility in advanced training courses.

Identifying Key Knowledge Gaps to Better Protect Biodiversity and Simultaneously Secure Livelihoods in a Priority Conservation Area

Global agreements like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Achi Biodiversity Targets (ABTs) aim to secure human well-being and to protect biodiversity, but little progress has been made in reaching these aims. The key role of biodiversity in securing human well-being is rarely considered a priority – instead short-term economic profits benefiting a few are prioritized. Particularly where local livelihoods rely on resources of protected areas for immediate survival, top-down enforced biodiversity conservation often increases social inequality, hunger and poverty and thus regularly fails. Identifying key knowledge gaps helps to adjust political priority setting and investment strategies to assess conservation threats and improve natural resource management. Since acting usually occurs at a local or regional scale, we focused on a priority conservation area in one of the world’s poorest countries — the dry deciduous forests of western Madagascar. We aimed to identify key knowledge gaps in this area which need to be filled to better protect biodiversity and simultaneously ensure well-being of the local poor. We consulted 51 predominantly Malagasy experts using questionnaires. These questionnaires listed 71 knowledge gaps we collated from the literature which the experts were asked to rank by importance. Experts were encouraged to list additional knowledge gaps. Averaging the scores of all experts, we identified the top 10 knowledge gaps. Two political knowledge gaps addressing the need to determine strategies which improve law enforcement and reduce corruption ranked highest, followed by an ecological one concerning appropriate restoration and a socio–economic one regarding economic benefits locals gain from biodiversity. The general knowledge gap perceived as most important addressed strategies for long-term funding. Only one additional knowledge gap was identified: the impact of climate change-driven human migration from southwestern to central western Madagascar on socio–economic problems and its impacts on natural resources We linked the identified top 10 knowledge gaps as well as the additional knowledge gap suggested by experts to the SDGs, ABTs and 2 °C target of the Paris Climate Agreement, and discussed why these gaps were considered a priority. This research highlights important ecological, socio–economic and political research priorities and provides guidelines for policy makers and funding organizations.

THE IMPACT OF THE INDONESIAN TAX ADMINISTRATION REFORM ON TAX COMPLIANCE AND TAX REVENUE

This study investigated the impact of the Indonesian tax administration reform on tax compliance and tax revenue. I used merged provincial-level data obtained from two main sources: Directorate General of Taxes (DGT) and Indonesia Statistic, and I applied multiple regressions with a fixed-effect model. I find that individual taxpayer compliance was positively affected by the tax administration reform. Tax revenue, however, was negatively affected by the tax administration reform due to DGT’s productivity problem meaning that tax potency variables did not affect tax revenue after the tax administration reform was completed. The findings identify several areas for improvements and suggest several policy implications. First, improving administration in Small Taxpayer Office (STO) especially for individual taxpayers is needed. Second, tax revenue strategy focusing on individual taxpayers is needed to materialize improvement in individual taxpayer compliance into tax revenue. Third, problem in productivity suggests that DGT should improve its input side by improving law enforcement, widening delegated authority, and increasing budget allocation.

RESTAURANT TAX IN BANDUNG

Purpose: Culinary industry has enabled Bandung to be one of the favorite tourist destinations in Asia and culinary tourist destinations in Indonesia. The presence of the culinary industry, besides being able to increase the income of local people, also contributes to the increase in Local Own Revenues. This research aims to identify the potential of restaurant tax for local own revenues and the problem relating to the collection of restaurant tax in Bandung City.
 Methodology: This research used quantitative descriptive and the qualitative method. The quantitative descriptive method was used for calculating the potential of restaurant tax, while the qualitative method with a case study approach was used for explaining the problems in managing restaurant tax. Data collection techniques were conducted through observation, interviews, and literature review.
 Results: The result of this research is expected to be useful for determining the strategy for enhancing restaurant tax revenues of Bandung City. The research result shows that restaurant tax in Bandung City is one of local taxes potential for giving a contribution to Local Own Revenues of Bandung City, which is of 12.9% during the last three years.
 Implications: Realization of restaurant tax during the last two years (2015-2016) has exceeded the target. It indicates that the potential of restaurant tax can be optimized. However, there are some difficulties in the collection of restaurant tax, there are some potential loss problems such as restaurants that do not pay up the tax according to the real potential of tax and some owners of restaurants (including catering) who have not yet been recorded as taxable subjects. It is also affected by the system of tax collection which is a self-assessment one. In the future, BPPD should improve law enforcement, tax audit, and tax collection in order to enhance local taxes from the restaurant sector.

The German Act on Improving Law Enforcement on Social Networks (NetzDG): A Blunt Sword?

On 1 October 2017, the German law with the rather cumbersome title Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz, which literally translates to “Network Enforcement Act”, entered into force. This federal law aims to improve law enforcement in social networks by calling providers of social net-works to account in order to act on online speech that is punishable under domestic criminal law. During the legislative process and in the materials accompanying the law, the legislator repeatedly stressed that the law is necessary to respond to a (perceived) proliferation of hate speech and fake news on social media. Facebook, one of the very few social networks to which the Act will apply, expressed its concerns harshly during the legislative proceedings: the bill was deemed imprecise, unconstitutional and a threat for freedom of opinion in Germany. The bill did not only stir criticism from social media companies, also many legal scholars and the scientific research service of the German Parliament raised their concerns. Against the severe criticism, the Act also attracted attention beyond Germany with in particular the United Kingdom and France eyeing on its impact in practice. With the first anniversary of the NetzDG, this paper will look at the past, present and future of the highly controversial law and examine the impact of the law that has been rated as to seriously impair human rights online when it entered into force.

Assessment of the Key Drivers of Forest Cover Change and Its Associated Livelihood Impacts in Yabello District, Borana Zone, Ethiopia

Land-use/land-cover change is a significant cause, or forcing function of global change and the medium through which many human responses to global change will occur. Analyzing the key drivers of forest and land use land cover change (LULC) is an effective way of assessing the impacts of land use/land cover (LULC) changes in ecosystem function. A study was conducted to assess the key drivers of forest cover change and land use land cover change (LULCC) and its associated impacts on the livelihoods of the study area. About 128 respondents were interviewed to assess possible causes of the forest cover change and LULCC. The result of survey assessment indicated that recurrent drought (100%), wood extraction (100%), increased in human population size (99.2%), infrastructural expansion (settlement expansion and road construction) (81.3%), policy and institutional factors (70.3%), economic factors (64.9) and expansion of cultivation (32.1%) and social-cultural factors (26.6%) were largely responsible for the observed LULC changes in the study area. Consequently, change in forest cover and land use, land cover were affected different livelihood strategies of the communities like; human resources, forest production, crop and livestock production, financial and their social capital resources. Thus, collaborative forest management arrangements with the local communities and improved law enforcement strategies were essential to ease the present human influence on the natural forest and enhance sustainable management.

Do Female Officers Improve Law Enforcement Quality? Effects on Crime Reporting and Domestic Violence

AbstractWe study the impact of the integration of women in U.S. policing between the late 1970s and early 1990s on violent crime reporting and domestic violence (DV). Along these two key dimensions, we find that female officers improved police quality. Crime victimization data reveal that as female representation increases among officers in an area, violent crimes against women in that area, and especially DV, are reported to the police at significantly higher rates. There are no such effects for violent crimes against men or from increases in the female share of civilian police employees. Furthermore, increases in female officer shares are followed by significant declines in rates of intimate partner homicide and non-fatal domestic abuse. These effects are all consistent between fixed effects models with controls for economic and policy variables and models that focus exclusively on increases in female police employment driven by externally imposed affirmative action plans following litigation for employment discrimination.

Adequacy of law enforcement and prosecution of economic crimes in South Africa

PurposeEconomic crime is a serious challenge to business leaders, government officials and private individuals in South Africa. Given the important role of law enforcement, prosecution and sentencing in deterring economic crimes, the purpose of this paper is to determine if law enforcement, prosecution and sentencing practices are deemed to be adequate in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data from Web-based and manual questionnaires were used to empirically analyse the perceptions of sentenced economic crime offenders and role-players regarding the statement that law enforcement and prosecution practices of economic crimes relating to fraud, corruption or tax evasion in South Africa are not adequate. The final realised sample included a total of 345 from the various populations of key role-players and a total of 82 economic crime offenders from a Gauteng-based correctional institution. Mann–Whitney U tests were used to test for significant differences between the views of role-players and economic crime offenders.FindingsThe majority of both groups of respondents is of the opinion that law enforcement, prosecution and sentencing practices in South Africa are not adequate with regard to economic crime offences, although statistically significant differences exist in the degree of agreement. The challenge is therefore to prosecute more economic crime offenders by improving law enforcement, prosecution and sentencing practices. The study also revealed that people have a reluctance to speak out about fraud, corruption or tax evasion or to report such offences for various reasons.Originality/valueThe research assisted in identifying the challenges economic crime presents and the shortcomings in current law enforcement, prosecution and sentencing practices in South Africa.

NEW PROBLEMS, OLD SOLUTIONS? A CRITICAL LOOK ON THE REPORT OF THE HIGH LEVEL EXPERT GROUP ON FAKE NEWS AND ON-LINE DISINFORMATION

This article discusses the actual contemporary problems of the spread of fake news, information wars and disinformation campaigns. The authors analyze recent European initiatives in the field of opposing disinformation on the Internet, among which are the report of the High level expert group of the European Commission on fake news and online disinformation (HLEG) and the “Act to improve law enforcement in social networks” (NetzDG). Based on a wide range of political theories and approaches to the problem of fake news, the authors propose to enhance and amend the key principles of HLEG 5.

The PII Solution to Mental Healthcare Delivery: Prevention, Intervention, and Integration.

In this essay, the author proposes a new, integrated model for mental healthcare delivery called the PII solution, which builds on the successes of federal government programs and state initiatives. The PII solution includes prevention, intervention, and integration. As a community-centered approach, PII leverages existing programs in concert with new approaches to meet the diverse needs of patients with the spectrum of mental health disorders, from low risk to high risk. The PII solution can be applied to any subgroup in society to create a comprehensive plan to combat mental illness. In this essay, the author uses the PII solution to (a) build upon public-private partnership initiatives that have reduced emergency department utilization and costs for behavioral health patients, (b) improve law enforcement's proficiency in identifying and deescalating situations involving potentially violent individuals with a serious mental illness, and

Financial Privacy in a Free Society

Financial and personal privacy is a key component of life in a free society, where individuals enjoy a private sphere free of government involvement, surveillance, and control. The U.S. financial regulatory framework is largely inconsistent with these ideas, and it is long past the time for fundamentally reforming the information exchange and reporting system that has grown over the past three decades. The current regulatory regime is overly complex and burdensome, and its ad hoc nature has likely impeded efforts to combat terrorism, enforce laws, and collect taxes. To better meet the needs of the citizens these laws are meant to serve, regulators must develop better information about the costs and benefits of the current regime, especially given that the current framework appears grossly cost ineffective. This paper provides a quantitative estimate of the cost of the current AML regime, recommends seven reforms to move the U.S. toward an improved financial privacy regime that protects individuals’ privacy rights while improving law enforcement’s ability to apprehend and prosecute criminals and terrorists.