Policing Issues Research Articles

Policing Beyond Macpherson: Issues in Policing, Race and Society by M. Rowe (Ed.)

Policing Beyond Macpherson: Issues in Policing, Race and Society by M. Rowe (Ed.)

Dimensionality Analysis as a Computerized Tool for Strategic Planning in Policing and Security

Multidimensional scaling is a useful addition to the toolkit of the crime or security analysts, made possible by the advent of desktop computing power. Three uses of this graphical statistical tool are as follows: (a) forming policy initiatives and making resource allocations; (b) analyzing terrorism threats and dynamics; and (c) performing structural analysis of performance data. Dimensionality analysis is compared with more commonly encountered techniques such as factor analysis, cluster analysis, and correspondence analysis, and their relative merits discussed. Data used to illustrate dimensionality analysis are drawn from the crime statistics on US cities, terrorism incidents in Israel, and performance indicators for American police departments, but the methods presented are broadly applicable to a wide variety of policing and security issues and the same principles apply to other forms of data.

U.S. Border Patrol Critical Issues in Policing: 21st Century Challenges in the National Border Patrol Strategy

As part of the new and vigorous emphasis on national security initiatives in the post-September 11, 2001 era in America, the U.S. Border Patrol is one of the agencies in the Department of Homeland Security striving to meet their strategic objectives proposed in the National Border Patrol Strategy (NBPS), published in September 2004. In an effort to better understand the key policing issues in reaching the main goal of full operational control of the border, the present study offers a critical discussion of the NBPS and the five chief objectives identified, including (1) establishing a substantial probability of apprehending terrorists and weapons as they attempt illegal entry between ports of entry; (2) deterrence through improved enforcement; (3) the ability to detect, apprehend, and deter smugglers of humans, drugs and other contraband; (4) the use of 'Smart Border' technology and (5) the reduction of crime in border communities and improvement in quality of life in these areas. The primary challenges to these goals are assessed as they relate to public policy, national security and the salient role of agency partners. Language: en

A local authority perspective

This article considers how recommendations from the Caulkins and Reuter paper in this edition could be implemented at a neighbourhood level. The authors, the Chief Executive and Police Borough Commander for the London Borough of Barnet draw on their experience in Barnet. They argue that crime is not just a police issue and that a harm‐reduction approach to enforcement fits in well with a multi‐agency response where the role of the local authority is critical and the approach is responsive to the needs of residents.

The neglect of police unions: exploring one of the most important areas of American policing

Police unions are widely recognized as having a major influence on American policing, with respect to day‐to‐day management, disciplinary procedures, and police–community relations. Despite this important influence, however, police scholars have neglected police unions. The reasons for this neglect are not clear, as scholars have investigated other highly sensitive police issues such as the use of excessive force and corruption. This paper examines the most important dimensions of the impact of unions on policing and outlines an agenda for future research.

Searches

ABSTRACT Racial profiling is an important issue in contemporary policing. Racial profiling research has primarily involved two things: (1) examining traffic stop data, and (2) using a benchmark or baseline in the discovery of racial profiling. A smaller literature has examined the searches to uncover racial profiling. The purpose of the present study is to examine traffic stop data-in particular searches-in understanding racial profiling. Using data more than 40,000 traffic stops from Louisville, Kentucky, the present study found that race is one of many factors that are used in the determination of a search. The policy implications of this finding are discussed.

Responding to firearms assisted suicide in Ireland: A review of core concerns and lessons from abroad

Between 1980 and 2004,725 firearms assisted suicides (FAS) were registered in Ireland. This paper provides the first review of legislative, policing, and clinical issues surrounding the ownership of firearms by those at risk of self-harming behaviour and suicide. Consideration is given to the firearms climate in Ireland over the past 30 years, including legislative developments since the shooting of John Carthy in Abbeylara in 2000. Efforts to curb firearms suicides abroad are discussed, and this forms the backdrop for the consideration of similar measures here.

Book Review: Policing beyond Macpherson: Issues in Policing, Race and Society

Book Review: Policing beyond Macpherson: Issues in Policing, Race and Society

Areal policing and public perceptions in a non‐urban setting: one size fits one

PurposeA neighborhood‐based notion of the distribution of policing services is a hallmark of community policing philosophy. The purpose of this research is to focus on two policy issues: are there significant differences in important policing issues among the different communities, and what factors within the Sheriff's control might account for these differences?Design/methodology/approachIn 2002, the Ada County Sheriff's Office (ACSO), servicing the area around Boise, Idaho, carried out a survey of citizens stratified across four areas: two contract communities, one non‐contract community, and the unincorporated remainder of the county.FindingsThe survey found significant variation in perceptions of crime and disorder, in perceptions of safety, in social cohesion, and in attitudes toward deputies and to the sheriffs office. Findings suggested the importance of local policy through the tailoring of services to local needs. However, some community factors appeared to provide limits on the extent to which the police could respond to dissatisfaction with their services, regardless of adaptive strategy.Originality/valueOnly limited empirical research has studied neighborhood variation in citizens' perceptions of differences pertinent to policing services, and virtually no such research has been carried out outside urban areas. This research fills this gap.

A Conversation with Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Commander‐in‐Chief of the Dubai Police, United Arab Emirates

This report provides the views of Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Commander‐in‐Chief of the Dubai Police, United Arab Emirates, on several issues of contemporary policing. In his statements, Tamim comments on the recent developments in the Dubai Police. Among the issues discussed by him are human rights, specialization, technology, cultural diversity, management, and international cooperation as they relate to policing in general and especially to policing in Dubai.

Terrorism and Civil Libertarian Pessimism: Continuing the Debate

Dirk Haubrich, in this issue of Policing & Society, repudiates my article (Waddington, 2005) analyzing civil libertarian arguments that rely on “slippery slopes” on the grounds that the situation p...

Crime and criminal justice in modern Japan: From re-integrative shaming to popular punitivism

Although Japan continues to be one of the most crime-free economically advanced countries, crime was a crucial issue in the 2003 general election (for the first time since WWII) and a 2004 survey showed that the proportion of the public that thought crime was getting worse had doubled since 1998. Here, we have examined recorded crime and victim surveys in relation to violent offences, to assess the extent to which the public's view of increasing crime is based on sound evidence. We found that in the late 1990s, a specific series of police scandals in Japan fundamentally changed the way the press reported policing issues. These changes provoked policy reactions that ensured that more ‘trivial’ offences were reported, boosting overall crime figures. The resulting ‘myth of the collapse of secure society’ appears, in turn, to have contributed to increasingly punitive public views about offenders and sentencing in Japan.

Does It Exist? Studying Citizens’ Attitudes of Racial Profiling

A controversial issue in policing is the alleged use of racial profiling by police to stop, search, question, or frisk citizens. Currently, only a small amount of empirical research exists concerning the practice of racial profiling. The empirical evidence that does exist has shown substantial minority over-representation in both police stops and searches. Moreover, almost all studies to date have focused on empirical study of police practices, thus leaving out one crucial element—the perspective of citizens. In this study, the authors use data from a random sample of New York City residents to study their perceptions of—and experiences with—racial profiling. In particular, factors are examined that relate to the perception that racial profiling is widespread, justified, and the extent of direct experience that citizens have had with racial profiling.

Police Practice in Hong Kong and New York: A Comparative Analysis

Despite their geographic and national differences, there are remarkable similarities between the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) and the New York City Police Department (NYPD). The purpose of this study is to compare contemporary police practices in these two police organisations and thereby to obtain a better understanding of current policing issues in general. We offer this comparative assessment within the context of our descriptions of the overall organisation and operations of the HKPF and the NYPD. While we find some differences, these differences are eclipsed by the similarities between the two police forces in their hierarchical structure and their core police activities such as crime control, emergency response, order maintenance and community relations. We end the paper with a brief discussion of the implications of these structures and operations for policing in general.

‘Boozers and Bouncers’: Masculine Conflict, Disengagement and the Contemporary Governance of Drinking-Related Violence and Disorder

The links between crime, violence and male offending are now more deeply researched in a growing international literature that understands much antisocial and criminal behaviour as a social resource for the attainment and protection of masculine identities. Nevertheless, the tie between masculinity and nonoffending has been much less explored. This focus group study of understandings of public drinking-related conflict and violence among young male drinkers and security officers in a combined urban and rural district of New South Wales illustrates the significance and complexity of these links. Masculine concerns inform a readiness for involvement with conflict and its enjoyment through the prominence of issues of social status, gender policing, honour and carnival during different social occasions. But this must be understood in relation to the different masculinity ‘projects’ (Connell, 1995) that contrast security officers with an idealised professional self-image and the majority of drinkers, from a more violent minority. A surprisingly common pattern of ‘respectable’ masculine subjectivity informs disengagement from serious violence. This is often characterised by an exaggerated view of the rational male self as safe and in control of most social interaction in dangerous public contexts. The pitfalls of this may even be enhanced by the new influence of campaigns around ‘risky’ public drinking that aim to instill ideals of responsible self-governance.

Policing Neighbourhoods: Exploring the Geographies of Crime, Policing and Performance Assessment

Recent developments under the Public Service Reform agenda in the United Kingdom have increasingly focused upon public accountability and the needs of local communities. Similarly, crime, fear of crime and the efficacy of public service delivery have become central to the domestic political debate in recent years, with all three main political parties campaigning on local policing issues in the run up to the 2005 General Election. This article explores the drive for robust performance assessment frameworks across different policing geographies and highlights some of the inconsistencies between the new localism agenda and current data infrastructures and analytical techniques. The significance of neighbourhood composition is expressed, and the potential of local analytical techniques for both performance assessment and resource determination is highlighted. Specifically, the value of geodemographic neighbourhood typologies, spatial analysis and geographical expertise in the evaluation of policing performance and the refinement of local service delivery is discussed.

Gambling-Related Violence: An Issue for the Police?

The co-relationship between addiction, violence and gambling is only just emerging. Police intervention may be needed in two main areas: (i) violence caused as a result of gamblers taking out their anger over losses on their partners; and (ii) violence caused by gamblers taking out their anger over losses on either the staff of the gambling premises or on other punters. This article reviews the research in this area and concludes that gambling-related violence can and does occur, and that when it does, it is definitely an issue for the police.

Encyclopedia of law enforcement

Although there is a plethora of studies on crime and punishment, law enforcement is a relatively new field of serious research. When courts, sentencing, prisons, jails, and other areas of the criminal justice system are studied, often the first point of entry into the system is through police and law enforcement agencies. Unfortunately, understanding of the important issues in law enforcement has little general literature to draw on. Currently available reference works on policing are narrowly focused and sorely out-of-date. To this end, a distinguished roster of authors, representing many years of knowledge and practice in the field, draw on the latest research and methods to delineate, describe, and analyze all areas of law enforcement. This three-volume Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement provides a comprehensive, critical and descriptive examination of all facets of law enforcement on the state and local, federal and national, and international stages. This work is a unique reference source that provides readers with informed discussions on the practice and theory of policing in an historical and contemporary framework. The volumes treat subjects that are particular to the area of state and local, federal and national, and international policing. Many of the themes and issues of policing cut across disciplinary borders, however, and several entries provide comparative information that places the subject in context. Key Features / Three volumes cover State and Local, Federal, and International law enforcement / More than 250 contributors have composed over 400 essays on all facets of law enforcement / An editorial board of the leading scholars, researchers, and practitioners in the field of law enforcement / Descriptions of United States Federal Agency law enforcement components / Comprehensive and inclusive coverage, exploring concepts and social and legal patterns within the larger topical concern / Global, multidisciplinary analysis Topics Covered / Agencies, Associations, and Organizations / Civilian/Private Involvement / Communications / Crime Statistics / Culture/Media / Drug Enforcement / Federal Agencies/Organizations / International / Investigation, Techniques / Investigation, Types of / Investigative Commissions / Law and Justice / Legislation/Legal Issues / Military / Minority Issues / Personnel Issues / Police Conduct / Police Procedure / Policing Strategies / Safety & Security / Specialized Law Enforcement Agencies / Tactics / Terrorism / Victims/Witnesses

Gender issues in policing: do they matter?

PurposeThis study aims to examine gender issues in a sample of male and female police officers in Norway.Design/methodology/approachThree gender issues were considered: perceptions of equal opportunity, possible reasons for differences in male and female career opportunities, and experiences of sexual harassment. Data were collected from 766 police officers in Norway using anonymous questionnaires, a 62 percent response rate.FindingsFemale officers indicated significantly lower levels of equal opportunity perceptions, more reasons for career opportunity differences (particularly discrimination), and more sexual harassment than did male officers. Female officers reporting lower levels of equal opportunity perceptions were less job‐satisfied, more cynical, rated their quality of leadership lower and indicated more health complaints. Female officers experiencing more sexual harassment also indicated less job satisfaction. Finally, female officers offering more reasons for career differences (particularly discrimination) reported less job satisfaction, and lower professional efficacy.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research needs to examine gender issues in policing in greater depth using qualitative methodology. Data collected used self‐reports ,raising the possibility of response set tendencies. Results may not generalize to other countries or other professions.Practical implicationsSuggestions for addressing gender issues in organizations are offered.Originality/valueProvides current information on consequences of gender issues in policing in a cross‐cultural context.

Criminal Justice Policy Transfer To Post-Soviet States: Two Case Studies Of Police Reform In Russia And Ukraine

The aim of this article is to review the impact of two British research projects on the policies and practices of local police forces in two former Soviet states: Russia and Ukraine. Using a case study approach, the article explores the ways in which the political, cultural and ideological context within which the police operate, and reform is being attempted, shape attitudes towards reform amongst the police and the public, and the outcomes achieved. The article draws upon an evaluation of the impact of two independent 3-year applied research projects, which aimed to investigate specific crime and policing issues in Russia and Ukraine, implement pilot projects and evaluate their impact in order to make recommendations for more general criminal justice policy reform. The overall results of the projects suggest that, despite significant interest in the concept of police reform and the adoption of western concepts, particularly at the local level, significant barriers to large-scale policy transfer persist, many of which are largely beyond the influence of local practitioners and western reformers.