Police Organizations Research Articles

Transformations in the police organization in the early 1920s

The main aspects of changes in the organization of the police in the early 1920s have been revealed. At that time there was a complex, controversial, but quite consistent formation process of the police in Ukraine as a law enforcement agency. Significant changes in the organization of the police have been noted. The functions of the police and criminal investigation were separated, which, as time proved, was a mistake. In 1923, there were changes in the structure of the police, closely related to the administrative reform in the republic. County and parish police departments were replaced by circute and district police departments. The expansion of circutes and districts had led to a corresponding expansion and strengthening of local police departments, which was positive. The number of police in 1921–1923 decreased by 20 times, which had led to negative consequences. The qualification of many police officers was low, they lacked basic literacy. In the early 1920s, the issue of further development and structure of the police, centralization and decentralization of its bodies was not sufficiently resolved. The issue of the relationship between the police and other public and private bodies was also not settled. Training in the police was not organized, the use of technical means in its activities lagged behind. However, in 1923 a number of important legal acts regulating the organization and activities of the police were adopted. These are, first of all, the Rules of Service and the Police Disciplinary Statute. In the first of the named documents, it was stated that persons who joined the police and investigation service are considered civil servants. This was of significant importance for raising the social status of police officers. According to their official status and type of activity, police and detective workers were divided into the following categories: a) regular staff, which was subdivided into command staff of the police, detectives and police officers; b) political staff; c) administrative staff; d) clerical staff; and e) non-staff personnel. The Police Disciplinary Statute was a new type of departmental legal act. It was the first to define the concept of police discipline. Incentive for integrity and strict liability for violation of official duties by police officers were foreseen. Serious violations, which were qualified as criminal offences, entailed judicial responsibility for the police officer.

Individual and Psychological Characteristics of Law Enforcement Officers as a Basis for Effective Psychological Selection of Personnel for Modern Police Organizations

The distinguishing features of a specific type of modern law enforcement activities (criminal police, patrol police, security police, pre-trial investigation bodies, district police officers) require a law enforcement officer to have certain individual and psychological characteristics, the absence of which make it impossible to successful perform their service tasks. Individual and psychological characteristics must be taken into account during the psychological selection of personnel for law enforcement agencies. The aim of the research is to undertake the comparative analysis of the individual and psychological characteristics of law enforcement officers who carry out various types of law enforcement activities. 986 law enforcement officers engaged in various types of law enforcement activities took part in the research. The research was carried out on the basis of a systematic approach using an optimal set of psychodiagnostic techniques. Professionally significant individual and psychological characteristics of law enforcement officers who undertake various types of service activities were singled out. It was found that the representatives of the criminal police and security police units are emotionally more stable compared to other categories of police officers. On the other hand, high levels of confidence, independence and leadership are expressed among patrol officers and investigators. Police officers in all types of law enforcement activities are particularly characterized by high self-control, responsibility, conscientiousness, thoroughness, and discipline. The obtained data will contribute to the improvement of the mechanism of psychological selection of personnel for modern police organizations.

Chronic stressors and burnout in Dutch police officers: Two studies into the complex role of coping self-efficacy.

Burnout complaints are high for Dutch police officers. According to Hobfoll's Conservation of Resources theory, resources such as coping self-efficacy can play an important role in the burnout process. The aim of this study was to investigate the buffering effect of coping self-efficacy on burnout, as well as a possible depletion effect of burnout on coping self-efficacy. As such, this research consists of two studies namely, a two-wave study (N = 166) and three-wave study (N = 95) on Dutch police officers. They expand on previous research regarding coping resources and police burnout. Both studies show that the chronic stressor, work scheduling, was positively associated with burnout. Also, coping self-efficacy weakened the effect of work scheduling (Study 1) and workload (Study 2) on burnout. Moreover, there was a direct negative relationship between burnout and coping self-efficacy. The results indicate that burnout can lead to lower coping resources, initiating a potential cycle of resource loss and burnout. Further investigation into this depletion effect is required to provide police officers and organisations with tools to prevent burnout.

Health, Safety, and Wellness Concerns Among Law Enforcement Officers: An Inductive Approach.

Background: Although studies have assessed the impact of occupational risk factors on the health of law enforcement officers (LEO's), few have involved (LEO's) as informants in ways that allow their points of view to be heard directly. Thus, the objective of this study is to explore the occupational health, safety, and wellness (OHSW) concerns of (LEO's). Methods: (LEO's) working in Quebec, Canada were invited to answer an open-ended question regarding their OHSW concerns. Using a multi-stage content analysis, the collected answers were analyzed and coded by two members of the research team to identify the most recurrent concerns of (LEO's). Findings: Five themes relating to the OHSW concerns of (LEO's) were identified, namely, the work schedule, occupational stress, work equipment, workplace health promotion, and operational risks. Furthermore, our analyses highlighted differences in the concerns of (LEO's) based on their level of experience and sex. Conclusions/Application to Practice: This study addresses a gap in the literature on the OHSW concerns from the perspective of (LEO's). Overall, our results support that the work schedule and occupational stress associated with law enforcement are the two most recurrent concerns of (LEO's). Thus, the results of this study further stress the need for police organizations to implement strategies and policies, which could mitigate the deleterious effects of these hazards on the overall wellness of (LEO's).

Strengthening the Integrity of Police Education Students in the Republic of Croatia as an Anti-corruption Measure

Inspiration for the work and the problem (s) addressed by the work: The important role of the police in preventing and sanctioning corruption, as well as the existence of police corruption that hinders the fight against corruption in society, were the inspiration for analyzing data on corrupt actions of police officers and conducting research among participants in police education in the Republic of Croatia on the perception of corruption in the police and measures to combat it.
 Purpose of the work(scientific and / or social): This research aims to present data on corruption in the police and determine its perception among two categories of police education students (students of basic education for the profession of police officer and police officers in specialist education) and determine what measures they considered the most appropriate to fight corruption.
 Methodology / Design: Data on corrupt actions of police officers and the results of a survey of police education participants, using statistical analysis, are presented in text and table
 Limitation of research / work: Statistics of corrupt actions of police officers include only that part of those actions that are detected and prosecuted, while respondents' attitudes contain a certain dose of (subjective) impressions gained from personal experience, and respondents may be marked with the intention to present themselves and colleagues in a better light than they really are.
 Results / Findings: Data confirm the existence of police corruption problems. The results of the survey indicate that the respondents are familiar with corruption in the police. It is worrying that the respondents do not have a completely negative attitude towards all corrupt practices, ie that they are not ready to report every corrupt act, and it is positive that they think that by raising awareness about the harmfulness of corruption and other measures it is possible to reduce this phenomenon.
 General conclusion: Corruption in the police organization makes it difficult to enforce the law and fight corruption. Preventive and repressive measures should be used to minimize police corruption.
 Justification of the research / work: This research can be used in the planning and implementation of educational activities among participants in police education programs and for the adoption and implementation of plans and measures for the prevention and sanctioning of corrupt practices in the police.

Work engagement, burnout, and the motivation to serve among law enforcement officers during the COVID-19 pandemic and community protests in the USA

Abstract In recent years, law enforcement officers in the USA have faced substantial new demands due to the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide community protests for racial justice and police reform. To understand the impacts of these new demands, this study investigates changes in officer work engagement and burnout over time and the role of public service motivation (PSM) in sustaining high work engagement and attenuating burnout. Using survey data collected in 2019 and 2021 from all officers working in a state-level police organization in the Midwest region of the USA, we find not only that officer work engagement has decreased and burnout has increased but also that PSM is an important predictor of officer work engagement. Contrary to our expectation, we also observe a positive relationship between PSM and burnout among frontline officers in 2019 and no evidence of a relationship in 2021. These findings confirm the adverse impacts of COVID-19 and community unrest on officer work engagement and burnout and suggest that PSM generally enhances officer work engagement but under certain conditions may also increase officer burnout.

On the Prevention and Control of Public Security and the Modernization Construction of Police Organizational form in the Pearl River Delta

With the deepening development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the water security situation is becoming increasingly tense and causing frequent illegal and criminal incidents on the water, which has brought great harm to the economy and people's lives in the Bay Area. On the surface of the public security analysis, the public security organs to the importance of the water police is the direct reason of the deterioration of the water security situation. The deep factors include the existing problems in the form of police organization form in the Pearl River Delta, the lack of police talents in foreign-related waters, the formation of mass prevention and mass governance network by unrelated people, the urgent need of water-related laws, and the fuzzy police organization form in water waters. The prevention and control of public security in waters should start from strengthening the legal standardization and unity construction of water area public security law enforcement, developing the academic education of water area police officers, cultivating professional water area police talents and strengthening the joint prevention and cooperation mechanism of public security in the Pearl River Delta region.

Towards gender equality reform in police organisations: the utility of a social justice approach

ABSTRACT Recent investigations into sex discrimination, sexual harassment and predatory behaviour within police organisations have led to a range of gender reforms that aim to create more inclusion, respect and safety. These reforms have tended to be female-focused and designed to support greater equality for female police. This paper reports on an interview-based study that sought to understand and address resistance to gender equality reform within a large police organisation in Australia. The paper draws on Nancy Fraser’s model of social justice to consider the capacity of particular reforms to reproduce and/or transform the organisation’s hierarchical structures and masculinised cultures. Fraser’s model is presented as enriching current understandings about how the policy aims of gender equality might be realised in police organisations through a broader focus on supporting political, cultural and economic justice for all. The paper concludes by considering the practice implications of this social justice approach for police organisations.

Predicting the police code of silence in China: does rural or urban setting matter?

PurposeThis study aims to examine disparities in the code of silence between rural and urban police officers in China.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from a national police university in China in 2017. In total, 608 Chinese police officers were surveyed, all of whom attended the in-service training program at the university.FindingsResults suggest that rural officers in China are more likely to embrace the code of silence than their urban counterparts. Additionally, this study demonstrates significant influences of such organizational and environmental factors as police type, agency location and perception of misconduct seriousness on adherence to the code of silence.Research limitations/implicationsThis study used a convenient sampling approach, which restricts the generalizability of the results.Practical implicationsGiven the stronger code of silence among rural officers, there should be more efforts devoted to cultivating a positive ethical climate within rural police organizations. These efforts may need to come from higher levels of government, given the administrative structure in China. In addition, police supervisors in rural agencies should play an important role, given that they are the first line of defense in detecting and responding to misconduct, and are essential in fostering and sustaining a good ethical environment within the police agency.Originality/valueUsing unique policing data collected from China, this study addresses an important gap in the literature regarding research on rural-urban differences in the police code of silence.

Israeli Border Police Commanders’ Perspectives on Leading Ad Hoc Teams during Routine and Emergency Operations

This study asks the question, How do police commanders view leadership in ad hoc formations during assigned operations? In the era of a post-heroic society, security organizations have adopted the negation of risk and the avoidance of violence as important principles. These principles are reflected in the perceptions of those leading ad hoc teams. This article presents an analysis of thirteen in-depth interviews with experienced members of the Israel Border Police who are in command of companies up to the level of battalion. The narratives of the commanders reveal a distinction between a “mission” and an operational “event” as they acknowledge the “flammability” of tasks during command operations in both Israel and the West Bank. We conclude that much of the commanders’ confidence during such operations stems from their close knowledge of the operational arena as well as the practical operational experiences they have had. Specifically, the article concludes that commander competence is manifested by the combination of their leadership style and the intimate knowledge they possess about the professional qualities of the participants in the diverse ad hoc teams they command made up of personnel from military, police, and security organizations.

Condições organizacionais para o policiamento baseado em evidências: uma proposta a partir da literatura internacional

Abstract Many areas of study, particularly the field of public administration, have demonstrated how shared evidence has gained relevance in academic research. Against this backdrop, police organizations - responsible for sustaining the political order and being the body with legitimacy to use force - are characterized by supporting their decision-making processes in traditions and conventions. Faced with the various problems of legitimacy, which result in trust issues with its different audiences, the notion of evidence-based policing (EBP) has gained notoriety. Although Brazil has traditions in the field of public security studies, this debate is incipient. In this sense, this theoretical essay aims to reflect on the organizational conditions necessary for implementing EBP based on international experiences. We present a history of EBP and discuss a matrix that enables its practical application. We propose a framework regarding implementation requirements based on four fields: assessment, leadership, technology, and networks. Finally, we consider the need to centralize intelligence activities in the decision-making contexts of these organizations to establish professionalism that takes place through planning actions based on the use of science as ballast for organizations of police agencies.

Policing the pandemic: Frontline officers’ perspectives on organisational justice

Much of the literature on the policing of the coronavirus pandemic reflects research that has been extra-organisationally focused, examining the prospective impact of the police approach to applying the public health legislation on relationships with the public and the potential impact on police legitimacy. Less research has been intra-organisationally focused; investigating the potential affect on police officers of policing during an extraordinary public health crisis, which has required them to navigate an ambiguous and constantly fluctuating legislative and policy landscape that has driven significant changes to internal working practices and operational procedures within their organisational environment. Using original empirical data from a small multi-method study within one Division of a United Kingdom police force, we examined the issue from an organisational justice perspective; exploring perceptions of intra-organisational fairness, and how these may have directly impacted upon the responses of frontline officers during the pandemic. We argue that in this period, both organisational processes and their resultant outcomes did not meet normative expectations, as they discriminated against officers with public-facing (frontline) roles. This directly impacted upon the officers’ experience of the ‘organisational climate’. The resulting sense of organisational injustice felt by frontline officers reduced their morale, impacted upon relationships with senior officers, and nurtured feelings that they were not being treated with respect, dignity and trust. We conclude by discussing the potential implications of the study for police organisations and their leaders, outlining opportunities for organisational learning and consider the need for the development of policy that complements notions of organisational justice.

What Can Go Wrong When Everything is Right? Using Organizational Justice to Understand Police Misconduct and Improve Personnel Systems

Despite decades of attention paid to police reform, cases of office misconduct still continue to plague policing organizations. Assuming that organizations may still experience such officer malfeasance even when attempting to pursue best practices, we aim to explore how things can go wrong when everything else seems right. Specifically, we rely on trickle-down models of organizational justice, group engagement, and social identity to articulate how otherwise desirable organizational outcomes may produce detrimental outgroup biases. Based on our theoretical premise, we articulate specific changes that may be made to personnel systems that can avoid such officer misconduct in policing contexts.

Gender equality reform and police organizations: A social justice approach

AbstractAttention to gender equality in paramilitary organizations such as policing has increased in recent times following numerous reports identifying high levels of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and predatory behavior. It is well recognized that gender inequality will not be addressed without transforming the hierarchical and masculinized cultures of policing organizations. Less well recognized is the significance of situating and aligning gender equality reforms within a broader focus on organizational justice. This article illustrates this significance through reviewing key literature in the space of gender equality and policing and organizational justice and policing. It examines the ways in which gender equality reform has been approached in policing organizations with the aim of highlighting the possibilities and problematics of female‐focused approaches and broader social justice approaches. The article's contribution is theoretical. It utilizes the social justice theorizing of Nancy Fraser to enrich insights from the organizational justice, gender equality, and policing literature to articulate a productive and comprehensive approach to addressing gender and other forms of injustice within policing organizations.

Police Investigators' Perceptions of the Challenges Associated With Interviewing Adult Sexual Assault Complainants.

Although police organizations have devoted considerable effort to training investigators in evidence-based witness interviewing techniques, there is some suggestion that current practices do not meet the multifaceted requirements of sexual assault cases. Here, we assessed the specific challenges inherent in conducting interviews with adult sexual assault complainants, by conducting in-depth interviews with 21 experienced investigators from both Australia and New Zealand. The challenges that investigators identified fell into three broad themes: meeting the evidential needs of sexual assault investigations, establishing credibility, and managing complainant vulnerabilities. We discuss how the investigative interview process might be modified in line with these challenges.

Adapting Fingerprints Within the NSW Police Force: An Historical Examination of the Geographical Barriers and Implications for Rural and Regional Policing

In the 1890s and 1900s, societies in Western nations, and in particular densely populated cities like London and Paris, became overtly concerned with the need to identify ‘habitual criminals’. In response, in 1903, NSW became the first Australian state to develop a designated fingerprint section or bureau within their police force, which, following international trends, was very much focused on metropolitan NSW. According to Cauchi and Knepper (2009), fingerprint technology as a form of criminal identification “was the mark of cosmopolitan police organization” (p. 74). Criminal identification was principally identified as a problem in the rapidly growing cities, and thus, fingerprinting resources were directed to those areas. As a result, for the first few decades of use, fingerprint identification in rural and regional areas was limited. For example, only officers in metropolitan NSW were trained in fingerprint identification and comparison methods, and police around regional NSW were expected to take finger-print exhibits to metropolitan areas for analysis. The limitations in technology available during the initial period of fingerprinting resulted in regional NSW police facing more barriers to the use of fingerprint identification technology than their metropolitan counterparts. To understand these barriers and the limitations of fingerprinting in rural areas, this paper explores the initial introduction of fingerprinting into the NSW Police system from 1903-1930, focusing upon the challenges and barriers experienced by regional police agencies in using what is now one of the most common forensic identification tools available to police worldwide.

A Framework for Measuring Performance of Nigerian Police Force Organization

The Nigerian Police Force as an organisation is mandated to ensure public safety through maintenance of law and order. Despite its old history, the rate of criminal activities such as armed robbery, kidnappings for ransom, killing of innocent citizens, ethno-religious conflicts in many parts of Nigeria is on the increase. Previous studies have indicated factors that contributed to underperformance of Nigerian Police Force, but there is an insufficient attention given on how to measure the performance of Nigerian police as a public service organisation, especially by using the new performance management approach. This study deploys a framework for measuring performance of police organisation in Nigeria. The study uses literature on performance management drawing practices from both private and public sector context to propose a framework for measuring performance of Nigerian Police Force. The Input-output-outcome model is used to support the study. The study finds out that Input-outputoutcome model could have the potential of improving performance of Nigerian Police Force. The study concludes that despite lack of clear outcome quantification, input-output-outcome model of performance management practice could be a tool for improving and measuring the performance of Nigerian Police Force.

A Framework for Measuring Performance of Nigerian Police Force Organization

The Nigerian Police Force as an organisation is mandated to ensure public safety through maintenance of law and order. Despite its old history, the rate of criminal activities such as armed robbery, kidnappings for ransom, killing of innocent citizens, ethno-religious conflicts in many parts of Nigeria is on the increase. Previous studies have indicated factors that contributed to underperformance of Nigerian Police Force, but there is an insufficient attention given on how to measure the performance of Nigerian police as a public service organisation, especially by using the new performance management approach. This study deploys a framework for measuring performance of police organisation in Nigeria. The study uses literature on performance management drawing practices from both private and public sector context to propose a framework for measuring performance of Nigerian Police Force. The Input-output-outcome model is used to support the study. The study finds out that Input-outputoutcome model could have the potential of improving performance of Nigerian Police Force. The study concludes that despite lack of clear outcome quantification, input-output-outcome model of performance management practice could be a tool for improving and measuring the performance of Nigerian Police Force.

A Framework for Measuring Performance of Nigerian Police Force Organization

The Nigerian Police Force as an organisation is mandated to ensure public safety through maintenance of law and order. Despite its old history, the rate of criminal activities such as armed robbery, kidnappings for ransom, killing of innocent citizens, ethno-religious conflicts in many parts of Nigeria is on the increase. Previous studies have indicated factors that contributed to underperformance of Nigerian Police Force, but there is an insufficient attention given on how to measure the performance of Nigerian police as a public service organisation, especially by using the new performance management approach. This study deploys a framework for measuring performance of police organisation in Nigeria. The study uses literature on performance management drawing practices from both private and public sector context to propose a framework for measuring performance of Nigerian Police Force. The Input-output-outcome model is used to support the study. The study finds out that Input-outputoutcome model could have the potential of improving performance of Nigerian Police Force. The study concludes that despite lack of clear outcome quantification, input-output-outcome model of performance management practice could be a tool for improving and measuring the performance of Nigerian Police Force.

Workplace aggression, wellbeing, and job satisfaction: The specificity in border police organizations.

In male-dominated work contexts, the challenges faced by women and their impact on wellbeing and work attitudes have been documented, most extensively in other than police organizations. This study was conducted as a cross-sectional quantitative descriptive correlational predictive study to validate a model of relationships among workplace aggression, job satisfaction, and wellbeing at work with a sample of 1,066 female and male officers from the Romanian Border Police. The results obtained in the study showed that no differential gender effects were found, although women reported higher levels of workplace aggression than men (1.61 vs. 1.52; F = 4.20, p = 0.04). Also, workplace aggression significantly and negatively predicted job satisfaction (R2 = 0.27) and wellbeing at work (R2 = 0.31). In conclusion, although this research is an exploratory approach to the study of workplace aggression in the Romanian police organization, it can generate interventions that would lead to the reduction of undesirable behaviors such as verbal aggression, malicious jokes, discrimination, perception of inequalities, gossip, and defamatory words. In the future lines of research, different sources and conditions of victims and witnesses can be considered the. We also studied the limitations of the study and the future lines of research.