Perceptions Of Police Research Articles

Trauma Exposure and Trauma Symptoms as Predictors of Police Perceptions in Latinx Youths.

The Latinx immigrant youth population composes nearly a quarter of all children in the U.S. and are a high-risk group for police encounters. Based on perceptions of Latinxs as criminals, increased enforcement actions against Latinxs in the U.S., and failures of policing and police brutality in immigrants' home countries, we expected that immigrants who reported increased trauma exposure and symptoms would have more negative perceptions of police. This study utilized data from 107 recently immigrated Latinx youth to examine how trauma exposure (Child Trauma Screen) and symptoms (Child PTSD Symptoms Scale) related to perceptions of police (Criminal Sentiments Scale-Modified). Consistent with the proposed hypotheses, trauma symptoms evidenced a significant main effect in relation to perceptions of police, B = .115, t = 2.35; p = .021, such that greater trauma symptoms were associated with more negative perceptions of law enforcement. Though trauma exposure did not evidence a significant main effect in relation to perceptions of police, B = .254, t = 1.46; p = .146, moderation analyses indicated that trauma exposure was associated with more negative perceptions of police, B = -.019, t = -2.08; p = .040. However, this interaction effect indicated that when both trauma symptoms and trauma exposure were high, less negative perceptions of police were observed. The present study provides novel data on police perceptions in young Latinx immigrants. Findings highlight the need for improved community relations and culturally responsive strategies between law enforcement and communities of color.

The merits and risks of body-worn camera footage in domestic and family violence incidents and legal proceedings: a study of police perceptions and experiences

ABSTRACT There has been significant investment by police agencies in the use of body-worn cameras (BWCs). Preliminary evidence suggests that when used in the context of domestic and family violence, BWC footage may strengthen evidential cases and prosecutions. There is, however, a paucity of research examining the merits of and risks posed by the use of BWC footage in DFV incidents and legal proceedings. Notably absent in much of the literature are the views and experiences of police officers who, as initial owners of BWC footage, are likely to affect how it is produced and interpreted. This paper presents findings from the first Australian study to examine how police officers, as users and operators of BWC technology, perceive the use of BWC footage in DFV-related civil and criminal legal proceedings in two Australian state jurisdictions: Western Australia and Queensland. While broadly supportive of BWC technology, police respondents, especially those from specialised DFV units, identified various benefits and limitations to using BWC footage in the context of DFV, including that BWCs have the potential to capture DFV upon police call-outs, but can be limiting insofar as they do not show ongoing patterns of violence. Our findings highlight the importance of exercising domain-specific, rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach when it comes to understanding the benefits and limitations of BWC technology.

Public Perceptions of Police in Fiji

Members of the public may have positive, negative, or mixed perceptions of police. Previous research has demonstrated that public perceptions are shaped by their experiences and interactions with police and can influence trust, perceived legitimacy, and future cooperation. Limited research has examined public perceptions of police in small island developing states. This article explores public perceptions of police in Fiji, an island state in the Pacific region. This study employed a mixed-method approach based on qualitative interviews ( n = 21) and quantitative surveys ( n = 150). The findings show that only a minority of the participants had a favorable view of police, while the majority had a negative perception. The results reveal that police corruption and brutality are two significant concerns of the public that the Fiji Police Force will need to address to gain public respect, trust, confidence, and legitimacy.

A qualitative comparison of how people who use drugs' perceptions and experiences of policing affect supervised consumption services access in two cities.

Police presence near Supervised Consumption Services (SCS) and other harm reduction services has been shown to hamper access to these critical facilities for People Who Use Drugs (PWUD). However, few studies document the empirical nuances of these contextually dependant police-PWUD relationships, and how PWUD' experiences and perceptions of policing near harm reduction services shape SCS access. If the goal is to increase SCS uptake, understanding the complexities of PWUD-police relations near SCS is imperative for guiding both formal policy and informal best-practices. We report findings from a larger qualitative study on PWUD' experiences with SCS in two Canadian cities. Data were collected through 75 face-to-face interviews and observations with street-involved PWUD near local SCS in Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta. Participants' perceptions of and experiences with policing varied across jurisdictions. Participants in Calgary reported concentrated police presence in and near SCS, in addition to harassment, negative encounters, fears about getting arrested, and experiences of being displaced from the area. Participants in Edmonton, despite also reporting heavy police presence near SCS, reported feeling relatively safe from police intervention and harassment, within SCS and the surrounding area. Rather than the presence/absence and quantity of policing near SCS, our findings show that the quality of policing experienced in the community shapes PWUD' perceptions, experiences, and willingness to access SCS.

빅데이터 분석기술을 이용한 자치경찰제 도입 전후 인식 연구

The reason for the introduction of the autonomous police system is closely related to the ideology of local autonomy guaranteed by the Constitution, and the democracy of security administration that reflects the participation of residents and the autonomy of local communities is key. Against this background, the main affairs of the self-governing police in Korea are centered on resident-friendly and public security. It is expected that the self-governing police will need the interest, understanding, cooperation, and participation of local communities and local residents to secure the security of the local community and solve various problems. This study aims to derive implications and provide basic data for the development of autonomous police by using the search volume related to autonomous police before and after the introduction of the autonomous police system, news, and SNS. According to the research results, first, search volume and news volume increased according to specific issues, but after the introduction of the system, search volume decreased while news volume increased. It can be understood that a large number of news are derived according to various issues about the autonomous police system, apart from people's interest. In order to attract local residents' attention and help them understand, efforts should be accompanied by exploring and applying promotional means other than media reports, and measures to secure finances to prepare an environment in which various policy methods can be proposed. Second, it can be inferred that there is still a lack of understanding and many questions about the autonomous police in that keywords related to form, timing, and method of introduction were highlighted through analysis of keywords related to news search before and after the introduction of the autonomous police. In order to enhance the public's understanding of the autonomous police and to establish a stable settlement, the government and related ministries should increase state support of cities and provinces and expand the authority of provincial governors to provide a foundation for operating in accordance with the purpose of the system. In addition, it is necessary to make efforts to dispel concerns by preparing measures to compensate for the shortcomings of the autonomous police system. Third, before and after the introduction, people's perception of the autonomous police was found to have changed positively on SNS, and it can be interpreted as expressing expectations for the autonomous police not long after the system was implemented. Therefore, in order for local police to dispel people's concerns and meet the expectations expressed, it will be necessary to supplement legal and institutional devices to secure the expertise and internalization of local police, including related ministries and institutions.

Perceptions of Police Among Kenyan Female Immigrants in the United States

We explored how highly educated and middle-class Kenyan female immigrants perceive their encounters with the police in the United States, including the decision to access the criminal justice system in response to their victimization. We found a positive correlation between perceptions of procedural justice and cooperation among Kenyan women immigrants. Conversely, prior victimization was inversely associated with help-seeking among these women. When Kenyan female immigrants perceived high police effectiveness in dealing with IPV, they were more likely to feel obligated to obey the U.S. police. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Investigating the prevalence and utility of police body-worn cameras in the George Floyd protests

PurposeUnlike protests against police brutality in the past (2014 and earlier), police officers responding to First Amendment-protected demonstrations in summer 2020 likely were wearing body-worn cameras(BWCs). This study seeks to understand police perceptions of the effects of BWCs when used in the George Floyd protests.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use survey data from 100 agencies with federally-funded BWCs to assess the prevalence of BWC deployment to George Floyd protests and perceived benefits and limitations of the technology within this unique context.FindingsAbout three-quarters of agencies encountered some level of demonstration/protest related to the killing of George Floyd, and the majority of those deployed BWCs during these demonstrations. Respondents indicated evidentiary value of footage was a key reason for doing so, and at least three preconditions for a civilizing effect were present.Originality/valueResearch has documented numerous benefits associated with BWCs, from reductions in use of force and citizen complaints to evidentiary value. However, the extent to which BWC benefits extend to public protests is unclear. The George Floyd protests represent an opportunity to understand the prevalence and usefulness of BWCs in policing public protests.

Blue First and Foremost: Female Descriptive Representation, Rape, and the Justice Gap

The degree to which female political actors influence policy is hotly debated in political science. However, relatively little research considers how women’s representation in the police influences policing outcomes. We argue that increasing women’s representation should be associated with increases in rape report rates but should not be associated with changes in rape arrest rates. We expect public perceptions of female police to affect victims’ willingness to report and cooperate with the police, but the masculine, hierarchical, and complex nature of police investigations of rape will make it difficult for those increases in reporting to translate into increases in arrests for those crimes. We leverage unique police administrative data from 1987 to 2016 and find that although women’s representation is associated with increased rape report rates, there is no relationship with rape arrest rates, highlighting an important justice gap. Our article has implications not only for the study of female representation and representative bureaucracy but also provides insights into how descriptive representation may be limited by institutional culture, norms, practices, and procedures.

Post Endsars Protest: Exploring Subjective Perception of Police Victims in Lagos, Nigeria

This study examined public perception of police in post endsars mass protest. The aim of the study was to verify public relationship with police as spillover from violent mass protest. The study was hinged on value-added theory. Six-hundred respondents were surveyed and criteria for inclusion was victim of police brutality. Exploratory design was adopted using quantitative method. Sampling method consisted of purposive and accidental. Lagos was purposively chosen as epicentre of endsars protest; victims of police brutality were chosen purposively. Accidental method applied to select participants in the study. Data were collected and analysed quantitatively using descriptive and inferential statistics. Analytically, 78.5% male participated in the survey, mean age of respondents was 44.5. Subjective perception of police in pre-endsars was classified and consisted of fine officer (21.3%), disgusted officer (33.0%) and compromising officer (45.7%). Police rating in post endsars protest was classified. Thus, 71.5% rated police as partially law abiding and 18.3% felt police misconduct persisted. In the post protest, Level of police brutality was rated low given the score mark 40%. Using regression model, demographic characteristics predicted victims’ intention to participate in violent protest against police brutality (R.324, R2 .50). The model was significant at p<.000. Victims’ age (mean=1.5), occupation (mean=2.4), income (mean=1.9) and sex (mean=4.1) predicted protest intention against police. Level of police brutality in post Lagos endsars protest was low, consequent upon endsars protest. It is recommended that treatment of offenders by police should be guided by rules and regulations. Police require sound training to uphold ethnic of policing.
 
 Received: 14 March 2022 / Accepted: 30 April 2022 / Published: 5 May 2022

Protest policing and public perceptions of police. Evidence from a natural experiment in Germany

Protest policing and public perceptions of police. Evidence from a natural experiment in Germany

Protest policing and public perceptions of police. Evidence from a natural experiment in Germany

ABSTRACT Understanding when, to what extent, and in which contexts high-profile police actions influence trust in and legitimacy of the police is important because police perceptions are associated with cooperation, compliance and, eventually, trust in the state itself. The current study uses a quasi-experimental design to assess changes in public attitudes toward the police after the violent police dispersal of a protest movement against a new railway station project in Stuttgart on 30 September 2010. We found little to no change in several dimensions of perceptions of police and legitimacy, specifically measures of trust in police, moral alignment, procedural fairness, and obligation to obey the police. However, respondents interviewed after the event saw the police as more unduly influenced by political pressure. The results suggest that the impact of high-profile incidents of police violence may depend on institutional context, media response, and post-incident reconciliation strategies.

Learning from indigenous youth to build relations and earn trust in policing

As part of a local police service’s larger organizational change initiative, this study explored trust in policing. A cultural safety lens was used to hear Indigenous youths’ truths and experiences. Methods comprised three focus groups with 19 participants (age 18-30 years) in the spring of 2019. Researchers employed a three-phase procedure to code and analyze the data. Findings highlight factors that led to participants’ mistrust and perceptions of biased policing. Participants also recommended four ways for police to gain their trust through education, community engagement, respectful relations, and accountability. Implications for practice ensure a culturally safe approach for police and other mainstream organizations to follow for institutional changes that promote trust and reconciliation. Conclusions and next steps follow for an iterative, dialogical process for cultural safety.

A Study on the Adaptation to the South Korean Society for the Survival of the North Korean Defectors: With a Focus on Job Satisfaction according to the Period of Service of the South Korean Security Police

Purpose: The Korean Peninsula of the Northeast Asia is the only divided country in the world, and unlike South Korea, North Korea is isolated from against the rest of the international community due to the socialist ideology and oppression of its dictatorship, and the human rights of the North Koreans are very serious given the economic sanctions. The number of the North Korean defectors is increasing each day. Hence, through the job satisfaction according to the period of service of the security police, who can directly or indirectly support the North Korean defectors in South Korea, which is the most frequently selected by North Korean defectors, a plan for the North Korean defectors for settling in the South Korean society has been presented. Method: In this study, among police officers in the security department as of 2020 who had experience in work related North Korean defectors, 100 trainees in the Police Human Resources Development Institute were surveyed via self-administration method. Among the collected survey questionnaires, 91 were selected as valid samples, excluding those whose answers were incomplete or missing. Results: First, there is a difference in the job satisfaction according to the total period of service in the police organization. As a result of the analysis performed, Q-3 and Q-4 were high at the 5% level. As for Q-5, 20 years or longer turned out to be higher at 1% level than 6 or longer and 10 years and less and 11 or more years and 15 years or less. Q-3 is a response for “I have considerable discretion in performing my job.” Q-4 is a response for “I think that the division of duties and the relationship of authority and responsibility among the organizational employees are clarified and efficient work assignment is made.” Second, there is a difference in the police’s job satisfaction according to security and service period among police organizations. As a result of the analysis performed, at the level of 5%, as for Q-1, 10 years or longer turned out to be more satisfied with their current job and position as a police officer than 2 years or less. Q-1 is a response for I don t think the salary level is low compared to my job.“ Conclusion: Given the unfortunate political and historical experiences of the South Korean society, there is a critical perception of the security police, and it is necessary to strengthen the capabilities of the security police to support the North Korean defectors. Naturally, there may be criticisms as such, but it is worth considering schol-arly from the point of view of the modern liberal state philosophy such that the state exists to protect the lives and bodies of the people and human security, which has gradually expanded its scope entering the 21st century.

Perspective towards North Korean Defectors according to the Educational Background, Rank, and Job Acquisition Path of South Korean Security Police Protecting North Korean Defectors

Purpose: In this study, after the North Korean defectors enter into South Korea and undergo education and training for a certain period, they are transferred to the police and take the first step towards their settlement in the South Korean society under the protection of the security police for a certain period of time. This means that the security police officers are playing and performing such a crucial role in the process of their settlement and social adaptation for the North Korean defectors. Hence, the purpose of this study is to analyze the perception and attitude of the security police towards the North Korean defectors and explore a policy related plan for the impact on the North Korean defectors successful settlement in the South Korean society. Method: In this study, the perception and attitude towards the safety awareness of the North Korean defectors was analyzed through the Self-Administration Method applied survey of 100 police officers in the security department of the Police Human Resources Development Institute, which is the police educational institution of South Korea. Among the main variables for measurement, educational background, rank, and job acquisition path were used. In particular, among the various characteristics of security police, the study has focused on how the safety awareness of the North Korean defectors varies according to the educational background and rank job acquisition path of the security police department. Results: As a result of the analysis performed, it turned out that the higher the educational background of the security police, the higher the safety awareness of the North Korean defectors. Across most of the questions which demonstrated statistical significance in terms of the job acquisition path, it turned out that the security police officers from the executive candidates evaluated the safety awareness of the North Korean defectors far more positively than the general police officers or special recruits. Conclusion: In order for the security police officers from the relatively low educational background and the general police officers to renew more voluntary and active safety awareness of the North Korean defectors, it is first necessary to improve the overall job acquisition path of the entire police organization, including the security police. The negative evaluation of the North Korean defectors by the security police officers with a relatively low educational background and general police officers may be a kind of negative reaction to the problem which the security police organization is constantly undergoing changes according to the government s political inclinations. Hence, in the future, the government, political circles, and the police leaders should not make abrupt changes to the security police organization according to the government s political orientation and microscopic changes in terms of the inter-Korean relations.

The association between police officers in schools and students’ longer term perceptions of police as procedurally just

AbstractResearch SummaryMuch debate exists regarding the use of police inside schools and their impacts on students. Some argue that the use of School Resource Officers (SROs) could foster positive perceptions of police. However, no research exists examining whether SROs affect perceptions of police later in life. Further, research has not evaluated how differing SRO roles impacts lasting perceptions of police. Using a regression analysis on a sample of 328 college students, this study investigated whether there is a relationship between SRO presence during the middle‐ or high‐school years and current perceptions of local law enforcement in terms of procedural justice (neutrality, voice, trust, respect). Additionally, we compared the impacts of various SRO roles including an enforcement only approach, a mixed approach (i.e., law enforcement and an additional activity such as teaching) and a full triad approach (i.e., law enforcement, teaching, and mentoring) on these perceptions. The results reveal differential impacts on perceptions depending on whether the SRO was used in middle versus high school as well as the role typology of the SRO. Though small, there were mostly negative relationships between SRO presence in middle school and lasting perceptions of procedural justice for local police, though the use of a full triad model mitigates this negative effect. In contrast, SRO usage in high school has small yet positive effects on longer term perceptions of police, but only when performing a mixed or full triad approach.Policy ImplicationsPolicy makers and school administrators should reconsider the use of SROs in middle schools as the exposure to these officers early on is associated with more negative lasting impressions of police. However, the use of SROs in high schools can be beneficial for fostering long‐term perceptions of police so long as these officers are engaged in activities beyond pure law enforcement.

Australian police perceptions of women’s police stations

ABSTRACT Women’s police stations that are designed to receive victims of gender-based violence first emerged in Latin America in the 1980s. In Argentina, these stations have unique aspects like multidisciplinary staffing that could guide responses elsewhere. Police responses to domestic and family violence (DFV) in Australia have continually failed victims and require much improvement. Responses combining police and other services are not completely alien to Australia, and are not too dissimilar from women’s police stations. We undertook a survey of Australian police (n = 78) to assess which aspects of Argentina’s stations could inform new approaches to DFV policing. Our survey finds that Australian police support some aspects of this approach to policing DFV, such as multidisciplinary stations (74%). There was significantly less support for stations staffed predominantly by women (19%). Combined with review of evaluations of Australian co-locational responses, research implications for practice suggest a broader trial of co-locational responses in Australia.

Police perceptions of problem-oriented policing and evidence-based policing: evidence from England and Wales

ABSTRACT The history of policing is littered with reform programmes, which aim to improve effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy. Problem-oriented policing (POP) and evidence-based policing (EBP) are two popular and enduring reform efforts, both of which have generated significant researcher and practitioner attention. There are important similarities between POP and EBP: both approaches provide a framework intended to improve the outcomes of policing. There are also key differences, however, in terms of their main objectives, standards of evidence and units of analysis. Despite both approaches being widely advocated and implemented, presently little is known about police practitioner understanding of the relationship between POP and EBP, both in principle and in practice. To address this gap, this paper draws on survey (n = 4,141) and interview (n = 86) data collected from 19 police forces in England and Wales in 2019 to explore police practitioners’ views on the relationship between POP and EBP, and the extent to which these two approaches inform contemporary police practices. Our findings indicate that respondents generally viewed the two approaches as complementary and important frameworks for orienting police work. However, respondents also drew attention to how the two approaches are not always connected organisationally nor in the minds of police personnel. In addition, challenges were identified in the application of both approaches in practice. Our results suggest that more needs to be done to maximise the potential of POP and EBP, both separately and synergistically. The article concludes by suggesting some ways in which this might be achieved.

Police officers’ perceptions of a dynamic sex offender risk assessment tool (the ‘SHARP’) and registered sex offenders

The current study reports on survey results of 10 participants responsible for assessing the risk of recidivism of sex offenders on a police sex offender register. The survey aimed to gather the insights of police officers currently utilising a dynamic risk assessment tool, the ‘SHARP’. The SHARP includes four risk factors and one protective factor frequently associated with sexual recidivism: Sexual deviance, History of supervision violation, Antisocial orientation, Risky environment and Protective factors. The research combined quantitative and qualitative responses to ascertain police officers’ perceptions of a sex offender register and the SHARP. Participants were satisfied with the use of the SHARP, including their ability to code factors such as sexual deviance. Qualitative results revealed favourable attitudes towards the SHARP, especially around the SHARP’s usefulness as improved by the inclusion of dynamic risk factors. This research provides direct insights into police perceptions of the register and SHARP risk assessment tool.

Race and Ethnicity Differences in Police Contact and Perceptions of and Attitudes Toward the Police Among Youth

While investigations examining the effects of direct and vicarious police stops on youth attitudes toward the police have been limited, even less research has explored how these processes vary by race/ethnicity. Thus, this study uses the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) to examine how race/ethnicity shapes: (1) the relationship between direct and vicarious police stops and youth attitudes toward police and (2) how the contextual nature of these stops (intrusiveness) influence youth perceptions of police. The results suggest that direct and/or vicarious police contact can generate negative attitudes toward police among black, Hispanic, and in some cases, white youth, though these effects vary across type of police stop and type of attitude. When a direct stop involved more officer intrusiveness, black youth reported less respect and more negative perceptions of procedural justice. As such, policymakers and criminologists should consider how race/ethnicity influences youth attitudinal responses to police encounters.

How people appraise their government: corruption perception of police and political legitimacy in Africa

AbstractRecent protests against police brutality in Nigeria and the Arab Spring, which was sparked by an incident of police brutality in Tunisia, led to public demands that brought political reforms. This paper explores the question, how do citizens evaluate their government in regards to corruption? Using the Afrobarometer Wave 6 dataset, I investigate the relationship between the public's perception of police and upper-level government officials’ corruption in African countries. Due to lack of transparency, the public has no direct information from upper-level bureaucracy but can evaluate corruption of upper-level government officials through direct experience with police. My finding demonstrates that regardless of regime type, the corruption perception of police influences the corruption perception of upper-level government officials. The public cues to evaluate their government quality are likely derived from interactions with police. Therefore corruption perception of police can affect government legitimacy.