Perceptions Of Police Officers Research Articles

Order Keepers or Immigration Agents? Latine Immigrant Views of Law Enforcement in Healthcare Settings.

Police and security presence in healthcare settings have grown. There are few studies exploring perceptions of these law enforcement agents among US Latine immigrants, who can be vulnerable to immigration enforcement actions due to past and ongoing criminalization and anti-immigrant policies. To explore Latine immigrants' perceptions of law enforcement in healthcare settings. Exploratory, semi-structured qualitative interviews asked participants about their perspectives of law enforcement in healthcare settings. English- and Spanish-speaking adult patients (n = 19) from a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Los Angeles, CA, serving predominantly low-income Latine immigrants. We used the framework method for analysis to establish a codebook and inform our thematic interpretation. We identified three themes: (1) perceptions of safety offered by police officers are separated from the role of immigration officers; (2) perceptions of police officers are integrated into broader perceptions of the healthcare system; and (3) lived experiences, including immigration status, influenced valence response to officer uniforms and perceptions of officers. Most participants viewed police officers positively as maintaining order and safety, separating them from federal immigration enforcement actions, and reflecting on local, state, and organizational "sanctuary" or immigrant-friendly policies. Individuals with precarious immigration status more often saw officers as intimidating. Immigration enforcement remained a key concern. Differentiating police and security roles from immigration enforcement in healthcare could improve Latine immigrant trust and access. Future studies should explore perspectives of Latine immigrants in localities without sanctuary laws or organizational immigrant-friendly policies.

Pre-deployment police officer perceptions of body-worn cameras in Brazil

ABSTRACT Body-worn cameras (BWCs) have gained prominence as relevant instruments in policing activities globally. Despite their increasing prevalence, limited analyses exist in Brazil concerning the use of BWCs in public safety. This study examines the pre-BWC deployment perceptions of military police officers in Brasília (Brazil) employing logistic regression models and exploratory factor analysis. Understanding variation in acceptance among different groups is crucial in guiding an organisation's implementation of BWCs. In general, Brazilian military police officers were resistant to cameras. As expected, the results revealed that police resistance to BWCs is associated with an expectation of greater control over their activities. Notably, younger officers, as well as those serving in operational units, emerged as the leading group resisting BWCs. Conversely, perceptions of usefulness, internal procedural justice, and social recognition exhibited a significant and positive impact on fostering acceptance. These aspects suggest a potential avenue for transformative change with substantive implications for adherence to internal protocols within police agencies. The perception that BWCs are useful, make police work easier, and more valuable plays a crucial role in driving their acceptance within the Brazilian context. Finally, this study underscores the policy implications stemming from individual attitudinal shifts toward BWC acceptance across diverse social groups and within police agencies.

Foreign experiences of police digital competencies and perceptions of police officers in Croatia

Cilj je ovoga rada identificirati digitalne kompetencije koje su u vrijeme pandemije bolesti COVID-19 bile potrebne policijskim službenicima koji po naravi posla najviše komuniciraju s građanima, a to su djelatnici temeljne policije, kriminalističke policije koji rade na poslovima općeg kriminaliteta i kontakt-policije. Rad se sastoji od dva dijela: nakon pregleda relevantnih inozemnih primjera pokušaja regulacije digitalnih kompetencija policije slijedi prikaz kvalitativnog istraživanja provedenog u Hrvatskoj. Tijekom prosinca 2022. godine i siječnja 2023. godine održane su četiri fokusne skupine s deset sudionika istraživanja u svakoj skupini, odnosno tri u Policijskoj upravi osječko-baranjskoj i jedna u Policijskoj upravi požeško-slavonskoj. Rezultati polustrukturiranog intervjua pokazuju da su policijskim službenicima potrebne dvije kategorije digitalnih kompetencija koje bi se mogle operacionalizirati kao temeljna digitalna pismenost i osnovna kibernetička sigurnost, a na temelju uvodno prezentiranog i relevantnog primjera dobre prakse razvoja standarda digitalnih kompetencija policije. Glavno je ograničenje ovoga istraživanja da je ono provedeno samo u jednom dijelu Hrvatske. Iz toga proizlaze perspektive budućih istraživanja u smjeru ponavljanja istog istraživanja s policijskim službenicima u drugim policijskim upravama u Hrvatskoj. Tako bi se stekla potpunija slika potreba za digitalnim kompetencijama policijskih službenika u vrijeme pandemije bolesti COVID-19.

셉테드의 보완적 수단으로서 순찰 로봇

Along with the development of AI technologies, surveillance robots are suggested as an alternative to CPTED. However, research on the perception of police officers regarding surveillance robots is scarce. To fill the gap, the current study employed the Q methodology to analyze the perception of police officers in the Busan Metropolitan, where a pilot operation for security robots has been implemented. Based on the CPTED theory, we drew a set of 25 statements across six domains. Utilizing the PQMethod 2.35 program designed for Q methodology research, the analysis classified four distinct types: Type 1 demonstrated natural surveillance and access control; Type 2 highlighted usability and maintenance; Type 3 emphasized sustainability; and Type 4 underlined natural surveillance and usability. The consensus statement included three conditions such as expanded visibility, controlling antisocial behavior, and citizens' interest and engagement with robots. Based on the analysis, this study discussed policy implications that could enhance the effectiveness of surveillance robots.

Police officer perceptions towards drug liberalization policies in the context of an overdose crisis in British Columbia, Canada

Background British Columbia, Canada, is experiencing an overdose crisis that has pushed drug liberalization policies to the forefront of the response. This study examines police officers’ perceptions of enforcement and drug liberalization policies, including support for decriminalization and regulation or ‘safer supply’, in this context. Methods Qualitative interview data were collected in September-November 2020 from active police officers involved in drug law enforcement in British Columbia, prior to decriminalization reforms being introduced in the province. We conducted a thematic analysis of this data with a focus on police officer views towards drug enforcement and drug liberalization policies. Results Policing and reforms amid the overdose crisis has shaped officer perceptions and actions towards illegal drugs and drug policies. Although officers saw overdose as a health issue, these views coincided with a strong emphasis on supply-side policing, such as drug trafficking investigations. Policing continues to be entrenched in the overdose crisis, which has impacted the way police officers view drugs and drug use, particularly, their belief that current interventions to disrupt the illegal drug market are not working. Conclusion This study advances knowledge on the motivations for promoting drug enforcement, and enacting drug policies, in the context of an overdose crisis.

Policing the COVID-19 pandemic: Police and public perceptions of enforcement of health protocols in the Fiji Islands

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a global health security concern (World Health Organization, 2020), and governments have called upon police agencies to assist control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This study looks at the new roles performed by police agencies in the context of the Fiji Islands. This study addresses two main research questions. Firstly, what are the issues and challenges faced by police officers when carrying out their COVID-19 duties? Secondly, what is the public perceptions of police officers’ effectiveness in enforcing COVID-19 health protocols? This study has utilized a mixed-method approach based on qualitative interviews with police officers and a quantitative survey of the public. The police officers' interviews reveal that police performed new health duties and ground-level police faced several challenges. The public survey findings reveal that most people were happy with police performance. We conclude by discussing the policy implications of our findings on police practice and the agenda for future comparative research in small island countries so that SIDs can learn from each other.

Public perceptions of police officers who wear pins or patches on their uniform

ABSTRACT Questions surrounding the display of pins and patches by police officers are receiving tremendous attention in Canada. However, no known research has explored how such accessories may impact public perceptions. To inform this discussion, we examined how 524 Canadians perceived an officer wearing various pins and patches. Participants rated eight photographs of the officer, once without any pins or patches and once when wearing each of the seven different pins or patches, on nine items (e.g., approachable, calm, competent). The results suggest that, compared to when wearing no pin or patch, the officer was perceived more positively when wearing the Breast Cancer Awareness pin, a Poppy, or the Gay Pride patch, but more negatively when wearing the Black Lives Matter or Punisher patch. We observed no significant effect for the Fallen Officer pin or the Thin Blue Line patch. We discuss our results with respect to research, policy, and practice.

Is Indonesian Police Violence Excessive? The Dynamics of Police Shootings, 2005–2014

In Indonesia, debates about police use of force occur in the absence of data, with empirical and theoretical consequences for how the problem of police shootings is framed and understood. This article makes a first contribution to addressing that absence by analysing the National Violence Monitoring System dataset for spatial and temporal patterns in police shooting rates across provinces from 2005 to 2014, the nine years prior to the first term of President Joko Widodo. It assesses the causal relationship between police shootings and officer perceptions of threat in the environments where they operated threat. For the period surveyed, it is found that while police shooting rates were comparatively low, police officers had a significant monopoly on firearm-related violence and operated in environments of low perceived threat. No causal relationship is found between police shootings and police perceptions of threat.

Gender (in)equality in policing: The perception of Montenegrin police officers

This paper aims to analyse the Montenegrin police officers? perception of gender equality. The findings are based on comprehensive empirical research of the perception of both male and female police officers in Montenegro, carried out in May 2020 in the form of an online questionnaire survey, and the collected data was subsequently analysed using statistical methods. The research results have indicated the key challenges faced by women in the Montenegrin police force: the perception that women should primarily perform administrative rather than managerial jobs, insufficient opportunities for career advancement, poor attitudes of executives towards women, and incidents of sexual harassment. The paper also attempts to shed light on a broader social context and the status of women in the police force by demonstrating that the inequality of women in the Montenegrin police force can be attributed at least in part to a deeprooted perception of the traditional patriarchal role of women in the family and in society.

Perception of lower back pain associated with use of body armor in police officers of the countryside specialized battalion of Ceará, Brazil.

The strict demands of the military environment, associated with the increase in violence, as well as the frequent use of body armor, can further aggravate health problems. To investigate the perception of police officers of the Countryside Specialized Police Battalion in relation to comfort, fatigue, and lower back pain, resulting from the use of body armor. This was a cross-sectional study conducted with 260 male military police officers (34.62 ± 5.83 years old) belonging to the ostensive rural police battalion in the state of Ceará, Brazil. The questionnaire related to comfort, fatigue, and lower back pain was used to identify the perception of pain from the use of body armor, with staggered responses, and the results were analyzed using the SPSS 21.0 software. Regarding the use of body armor, 41.5% of participants perceived it to be little comfortable in general; furthermore, 45 and 47.5% of military police officers considered it little comfortable in relation to weight and use during operational activities, respectively. With regard to body measurements, 48.5% reported being little comfortable, and 70% perceived that the body armor is adjustable to the body. At the end of the work shift, 37.3% complained of lower back pain, and 45.8% felt moderate fatigue. Moreover, 70.1% felt pain in the lower back after the work shift. Military police officers reported lower back pain at the end and after the work shift due to use of body armor, as well as little comfort of the protective equipment and moderate fatigue at the end of the work shift.

Comparisons of beliefs in mental health stigma in communities and those who police them

The police response towards people with mental illness (PwMI) is coming under increasingly intense scrutiny. Numerous jurisdictions have experienced incidents where the police have used force against persons who were exhibiting symptoms of severe mental illness. PwMI are subject to long-held stereotypes and stigma, and recent research indicates these negative attitudes remain, even with training and awareness campaigns. Available literature provides research on citizen and police perceptions of PwMI separately, but no recent studies have compared perceptions of police officers to those held by the members of the communities they patrol. The current study involves a comparison of residents in five southern New Jersey counties and police officers working in these same counties. Both sets of participants responded to a series of statements about perceptions of PwMI. Police were more likely to report supporting stigmatizing views of PwMI than were community members. Negative community response and rejection of police tactics may be rooted partly in differing expectations of treatment towards PwMI in crisis.

Challenges for drug checking services in Scotland: a qualitative exploration of police perceptions

BackgroundThe impact of policing practices on the engagement of people who use drugs (PWUD) with harm reduction services is well evidenced. Although the police have traditionally taken an enforcement role in responding to drug use, it is increasingly clear that they can play an important part in multiagency delivery of harm reduction interventions. Despite this, there have been no studies exploring police officer perceptions of drug checking services (DCS), which provide analytical testing of client drug samples alongside harm reduction support and advice.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 police officers to explore the policing and legal challenges which could be encountered in the delivery of DCS in Scotland.ResultsParticipants expressed general support for DCS and described this support as part of a wider organisational shift towards public health-oriented policing. Participants also discussed different potential approaches to the policing of areas surrounding DCS including: formal limits on police presence around the service and/or stop and search powers in relation to personal possession; the effective decriminalisation of personal possession within a specified boundary around the service; and informal agreements between local divisions and DCS outlining expected policing practices. Any formal limitation on the capacity of police officers to respond to community concerns was viewed as problematic and as having the potential to erode public confidence in policing. Participants also highlighted the potential for frontline officers to utilise discretion in ways which could undermine public health goals. Legislative change, or national strategic guidance from relevant stakeholders, was seen as a means of providing ‘cover’, enabling local divisions to support the operation of drug checking.ConclusionsDespite a small sample of participants, this study summarises key challenges to be addressed in the implementation and operation of DCS in Scotland, and more widely. The paper concludes with suggested opportunities to develop approaches to policing that can facilitate rather than impede implementation and operation of these services.

Post break-up stalking: Police-officers'perceptions.

Stalking is characterized by persistent unwanted behaviors and can disrupt the lives of victims. Its prevalence has been increasing with time. Due to therecent criminalization of stalking in Portugal and its being an understudied phenomenon, the objective of this study is to assess the perceptions of police officers (n=1212) about stalking post intimate relationship breakup. We developed an adaptation of the questionnaire "Reasonable Perceptions of Stalking", using vignettes that describe stalking scenarios with the manipulation of severity, and victim and perpetrator sex. The main effects of severity, as well as the victim and the perpetrator's sex, were significant intrasubject variables in the perceptions of stalking and its severity, criminality, victim alert, fear of violence, victim-blaming, and the need for intervention. Participants' sex, previous training, and personal and/or professional experience with stalking were also significant variables concerning participants' perceptions. Our findings show that gender stereotypes are still perpetuated and have important implications for police officer training and intervention.

Police officer perceptions of diversity efforts: a disconnect between the goals and the methods

ABSTRACT Diversifying law enforcement agencies to reflect the communities they serve has continued to be a difficult task worldwide. Research has focused on evaluating diversity initiatives in terms of staffing demographic changes, but the perspective of officers working in departments aiming to diversify is often missing. This study examines officers’ perceptions of diversity initiatives in practice. Qualitative analysis indicated officers were supportive of diversifying; however, nearly all officers, regardless of gender or race/ethnicity, were concerned with the methods used. Findings revealed that officers: 1) doubted the merit of their own achievements, 2) perceived promotion/assignment practices as ambiguous, 3) felt politics created symbolic changes, and 4) wanted to inform future diversity efforts. Findings suggest that officer perspectives, particularly from underrepresented groups, are needed to better understand why diversity initiatives have yielded minimal change and to build more effective practices to increase diversity and retain diverse personnel.

외사 경찰의 국제공조수사 인식에 대한 탐색적 연구

This study aims at exploring the subjective perception of law enforcement practitioners who work in the field of foreign affairs and INTERPOL. In particular, the present study focuses on examining the perception of Korean police officers regarding the necessities and the ways of building international cooperation with foreign police officers. The numbers of dangerous criminals who had fled overseas have been dramatically increased in South Korea. International Criminal Police Organization(INTERPOL) refers to the international organization that supports worldwide partnerships of police in order to combat transnational crimes and arrest the offenders fleeing overseas. Numerous criminals who tried to flee overseas have committed various types of transnational crimes such as cyber crimes, trafficking in persons, and other organized crimes avoiding investigation of INTERPOL. Few studies have been conducted about the attitude and perception of policemen who work in the sectors of foreign affairs and INTERPOL in South Korea. The current study emphasized the significance of the perceptions of police officers about utility of INTERPOL for re-arresting criminals who fled overseas and subjective opinions of police officers about red notice for combating transnational crimes. Furthermore, this study concentrated on the comparative police cooperation strategies in terms of assigning the effectiveness of “KOREAN DESK Police Officers” regarded as Korean liaison officers who work in foreign countries. Data were drawn from the total number of 317 police who had participated in survey from 4, December to 7, December, 2020 with the support of Korean National Police Agency. Result demonstrated that specific training and education for police officers are required in the field of foreign affairs due to the lack of perception about non-red notice issues of INTERPOL and insufficient international cooperation systems with foreign police departments. Further policy implications will be discussed.

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast”: An in-depth examination of police officer perceptions of body-worn camera implementation and their relationship to policy, supervision, and training

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast”: An in-depth examination of police officer perceptions of body-worn camera implementation and their relationship to policy, supervision, and training

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast”: An in‐depth examination of police officer perceptions of body‐worn camera implementation and their relationship to policy, supervision, and training

AbstractResearch SummaryThis study uses interviews with 23 police officers from a small police department to conduct an in‐depth examination of their perceptions of three critical but understudied areas related to body‐worn camera programs: the implementation and policy‐making process, supervision, and training. The focus is on understanding the factors which contribute to, or undermine, body‐worn camera integration and acceptance.Policy ImplicationsIncluding patrol officers directly in the implementation and policy‐making processes might help increase officer acceptance of body‐worn cameras (BWCs), and the identification of potential implementation problems (especially around BWC activation, civilian notification, and minor violations of department policies). Moreover, police departments may need to anticipate resistance from features of the traditional police culture toward certain BWC uses and consider how these might be overcome. One suggestion is to conduct regular reviews of BWC footage with officers as a learning tool to help guide discretion on BWC use (especially around recording protocols), to help reframe BWCs as an innovative technology for improving street‐level performance, and to provide routine reminders to officers of the importance of BWC activation and civilian notification for achieving their potential benefits.

Building resilience: a case study of occupational factors influencing levels of ‘happiness’ for Abu Dhabi police officers

Abstract The policing and security community globally is in a race against time to develop strategies for improving mental health well-being amongst the profession. For professionals across the multiple contributing areas supporting police officer well-being, i.e. medical practitioners, psychologists, management professionals, mentors, coaches, counsellors, understanding contributing factors from the experience, and perception of police officers is a critical contributing area of research (Baker et al., 2020; Deschênes et al., 2018. Psychosocial factors linked to the occupational psychological health of police officers: preliminary study. Cogent Psychology 5(1): 1426271; Purba and Demou, 2019. The relationship between organisational stressors and mental wellbeing within police officers: a systematic review. BMC Public Health 19(1): 1286) The aim of the study reported in this paper was to evaluate the influence of work factors of organizational rewards, job characteristics, and factors relating to working in a public service agency on an officer’s perception of happiness. A survey was distributed to police officers in the Abu Dhabi police force, with an inferential analysis conducted to examine the relationships between work factors and levels of officer happiness. The findings identified employee perception of organizational rewards, job control, task significance, frequency of feedback, desire for helping others as primary reasons to work in the police, and opportunities available to help others in society were all predictors of police happiness. This article discusses specifically the employees’ perception of rewards at work and job characteristics as determinants of happiness. The findings contributing to development of future organizational response for enhancing officer well-being and importantly inform in building resilience to mental health illness for police officers.

Antilocution and trust in the workplace: Perceptions of higher education trained police recruits in England and Wales

Abstract This study seeks to examine the relationship between antilocution and trust in the workplace by reflecting on the perceptions of police officers who are undertaking the new Higher Education (HE) pathway into the policing profession in England and Wales. This relationship is considered through Allport (1979). ‘The Nature of Prejudice. New York, NY: Perseus’ concept of antilocution and the lens of trust in the workplace, to understand how new police students think they are regarded by their policing colleagues and its impact on practice. Utilizing a survey of police students from five different forces in England and Wales, indicative results suggest that, whilst broadly supportive of new police officers, there may be some division regarding their education and training pathway through higher education, engendering levels of prejudice and bias towards the new recruits. Police student responses indicate that many of them feel that more is expected of them and that they are under closer supervision because they have undertaken the Higher Education route. Arguably, this prejudice and bias have an adverse effect on trust within the workplace, a concept which is front and centre of policing which ultimately can have a negative impact on public safety and security. The results of this study indicate that the interaction between new recruits (out-group) and established colleagues (in-group) is complex and not straightforward, and suggested implications for police practice are presented.

Factors Influencing the Psychological Stress Perception of Police Officers: The Case of Tianjin City

To investigate the factors influencing the psychological stress perceptions of police personnel, a cross-sectional study was conducted in August 2021 on 133 auxiliary police officers and 178 civilian police officers in 14 grassroots police stations in Tianjin using the Demographic Variables Questionnaire, Social Support Scale, Relative Deprivation Scale, Negative Coping Scale, Emotional Exhaustion Scale, and Psychological Stress Perception Scale to analyze the current situation of their psychological stress perceptions and their influencing factors, using random forest analysis to rank the importance of independent variables that may affect the psychological stress perceptions of police officers, and selected variables to be included in a multiple linear regression model to analyze the magnitude of the effects of different independent variables on psychological stress perceptions. The final random forest and multiple linear regression analysis results showed that the six independent variables of relative deprivation, negative coping style, emotional exhaustion, gender, social support, and job position were the relevant factors affecting the psychological stress perception scores of police officers, indicating that the three stressors of work, society, and individual and the coping style mediating system jointly influenced the psychological stress perception of police officers.