Policing Approach Research Articles

Deter, detect, disrupt. An analysis of Nottinghamshire Police’s knife crime team

Nottinghamshire Police established the only dedicated team in the UK outside London, proactively locating those at higher likelihood of involvement in Knife-enabled crime. The team uses a mix of tactics under the banner of ‘deter, detect, and disrupt’ through intelligence-led and problem-oriented policing approaches. This article examines those tactics and assesses the effectiveness thereof as a case study, using a mix of statistics and wider academic research to identify potential benefits. It concludes that the approaches have reaped positive rewards, alongside other, softer, prevention and partnership approaches. There remains however a need to better define the team’s aims and purpose.

Police coercive actions and citizen complaints: a comparison of NYPD precincts

PurposeThis study explores the influence of police coercive actions during Stop, Question, and Frisk (SQF) encounters on citizen complaints of police misconduct in 76 precincts in New York City.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from NYPD's SQF reports, Citizen Complaint Review Board, and demographic measures, the analysis focuses on specific coercive actions (frisk, search, summons, physical force, and arrest) and their association with citizen complaints (excessive force, abuse of authority, discourtesy, and offensive language).FindingsBivariate and multivariate analyses revealed frequent lower-level coercive actions, such as frisks and summons, are linked to increased citizen complaints. Surprisingly, higher levels of coercive actions involving force and arrests do not substantially impact complaints, challenging conventional assumptions.Practical implicationsThe research underscores the importance of transparency, accountability, and positive police-community relations. Addressing precinct-specific characteristics influencing the relationship between coercive actions and citizen complaints is crucial for fostering a more constructive and accountable policing approach in New York City precincts.Originality/valueThis study challenges assumptions by providing a distinctive perspective on the impact of police coercive actions during SQF encounters on citizen complaints. The unexpected finding that higher levels of coercive actions, typically involving force and arrests, do not substantially impact complaints contributes to the discourse on police-community interactions, offering a nuanced understanding of the relationship between specific coercive actions and citizen complaints.

Joyriding Among Young First Nations Australians: Assessing Police Trust and Confidence Through the Lens of Youth and Key Stakeholders

Young First Nations Australians typically distrust and are reluctant to cooperate with the police. This article discusses data from a pilot intervention programme regarding First Nations young people’s involvement in car theft and joyriding. We conducted seven in-depth interviews with young Australians – most of whom identified as First Nations Australians – and six key community stakeholders who helped to deliver the programme. Our findings indicate that both sample groups held negative and distrusting perceptions of the police which, for the young people, were often precipitated by perceived discriminatory and procedurally unjust encounters with the police. We argue that heavy-handed and discriminatory policing of young First Nations Australians may perpetuate youth offending and joyriding behaviours among this group. The article argues that the police should adopt more community-oriented policing approaches to build trust with young First Nations Australians.

Intelligence-Led Policing To Reduce The Vulnerability Of Commercial Sex Workers Online In The Central Jakarta Metro Police Area

Various studies show that the crime rate against Commercial Sex Workers is very high. However, official data often shows that crimes against Commercial Sex Workers are low. This phenomenon was also found in the Central Jakarta Metro Police area. Various vulnerabilities that afflict Commercial Sex Workers in the region have been found. The evaluation was conducted to measure awareness of protection against commercial sex workers by members of the Central Jakarta Metro Police, identify reasons for underreporting of crimes by online sex workers, assess protection against online commercial sex workers, and the involvement of commercial sex workers in law enforcement. This study uses an intelligence-led policing approach based on intelligence analysis with a qualitative approach. The results show that increasing awareness of protection is still very much needed in the Central Jakarta Metro Police environment. In addition, there are still obstacles to reporting crimes by commercial sex workers. Protection against online sex workers needs to be improved, but it needs to be supported by better cooperation. It is recommended to continue to evaluate and enhance weaknesses to improve the response and protection of online sex workers.

Are We Underestimating the Crime Prevention Outcomes of Community Policing? The Importance of Crime Reporting Sensitivity Bias

One of the key policing innovations of the last three decades has been community-oriented policing. It is particularly important because it is one of the only proactive policing approaches that consistently improves citizen evaluations of the police. At the same time, a series of reviews have concluded that there is not persuasive evidence that community policing reduces crime. In this paper we argue that these conclusions are likely flawed because of what we term crime reporting sensitivity (CRS) bias. CRS bias occurs because community policing leads to more cooperation with the police and subsequently increased crime reporting. Such increased crime reporting bias adjusts crime prevention outcomes of community policing downward. We illustrate this process by reanalyzing data from the Brooklyn Park ACT Experiment (Weisburd et al., 2021). We begin by showing the specific crime categories that contribute most to CRS bias. We then use a difference-in-differences panel regression approach to assess whether the experimental intervention in Brooklyn Park led to significant CRS bias. Finally, we use bounded estimates from the Brooklyn Park Experiment to adjust meta-analytic results from prior community policing studies to examine whether the conclusion that community policing does not impact on crime would need to be revisited if CRS bias was accounted for. We find that adjusted estimates tell a very different, more positive, story about community policing, suggesting that future studies should recognize and adjust for CRS bias, or identify other measures not influenced by this mechanism.

Police responses to vulnerable populations: tracking the evolution from “zero-policing” to “co-responding”

PurposeThe paper examines the historical shifts in policing strategies towards individuals with SMI and vulnerable populations, highlighting the development of co-response models, introducing the concept of “untethered” co-response.Design/methodology/approachThis paper conducts a review of literature to trace the evolution of police responses to individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) and vulnerable populations. It categorizes four generations of police approaches—zero-policing, over-policing, crisis intervention and co-response—and introduces a fifth generation, the “untethered” co-response model exemplified by Project SCOPE in Philadelphia.FindingsThe review identifies historical patterns of police response to SMI individuals, emphasizing the challenges and consequences associated with over-policing. It outlines the evolution from crisis intervention teams to co-response models and introduces Project SCOPE as an innovative “untethered” co-response approach.Research limitations/implicationsThe research acknowledges the challenges in evaluating the effectiveness of crisis intervention teams and co-response models due to variations in implementation and limited standardized models. It emphasizes the need for more rigorous research, including randomized controlled trials, to substantiate claims about the effectiveness of these models.Practical implicationsThe paper suggests that the “untethered” co-response model, exemplified by Project SCOPE, has the potential to positively impact criminal justice and social service outcomes for vulnerable populations. It encourages ongoing policy and evaluative research to inform evidence-based practice and mitigate collateral harms associated with policing responses.Social implicationsGiven the rising interactions between police and individuals with mental health issues, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the paper highlights the urgency for innovative, non-policing-driven responses to vulnerable persons.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the literature by proposing a fifth generation of police response to vulnerable persons, the “untethered” co-response model and presenting Project SCOPE as a practical example.

Challenges of Hybrid Policing in Countering Online Fraud Networks: A Case Study from Sidrap Regency

This research aims to examine the concept of hybrid policing in the context of crime prevention, specifically cyber fraud in Sidrap Regency. This research uses an empirical legal research method. All collected data is then qualitatively analyzed to describe the problem and answer the research objectives. The results show that the characteristics of cyber fraud in Sidrap Regency exhibit anonymity and disregard for geographical boundaries, with the primary motivation of the perpetrators being personal gain. They employ fake identities and compromised devices to execute their schemes, exacerbated by technological advancements, the public’s lack of awareness, and existing regulatory gaps. Therefore, it is recommended that the POLRI renew and adapt their policing model to be more responsive to the dynamics of cybercrime by implementing a hybrid policing approach. This involves active collaboration with community organizations in prevention efforts, which are expected to increase public awareness and strengthen the cyber security network. Additionally, developing an effective knowledge management system is advised, facilitating the exchange of information and strategies for handling cybercrime cases more efficiently. For researchers, it is crucial to examine further the social and psychological impacts of cybercrime on victims, which can contribute to forming a theoretical and practical foundation for a more holistic and victim-oriented approach to preventing and handling cybercrime in Sidrap Regency.

‘In safe hands’: experiences of services users and family/support people of police, ambulance and mental health co-response

ABSTRACT People often have not received the support they needed during a mental health crisis that triggered an emergency service (911) call. In order to address this gap, an Aotearoa New Zealand Co-Response Team (CRT) was established and studied over 12 months. With co-response, specialist staff from police, ambulance and mental health services jointly attend 911-mental health crises providing simultaneous multidisciplinary input. This study employed qualitative methods to analyze the narratives obtained from 23 service users and family/supporters who experienced co-response. Themes included ’I needed help’, ‘humanistic engagement’ and ‘good but not perfect’. Participants liked the co-response model. CRT staff were praised for their kind approach, reassuring communication and practical multi-disciplinary help that differed from prior experiences. Some participants experienced poor follow-up support and some felt intimidated by the CRT police presence, recommending improved pathways and a cautious CRT police approach.

Community policing and urban safety: reinventing security in city centers

Research objective: The purpose of the study is to delve into community policing and the revolutionary changes it has brought about in terms of city centre security and safety. This research looks at how partnerships and problem-solving tactics help decrease crime and disruption in public spaces by analysing how this philosophy is integrated into police agencies.
 Methodology: This research synthesises results from current community policing approaches by drawing on a comprehensive literature review and case studies. It lays forth the efficacy of these tactics in varied urban contexts using theoretical and empirical data.
 Main conclusions: The research uncovers significant insights into how community policing fosters a collaborative relationship between law enforcement and community members, leading to improved safety and a reduction in crime. The study identifies key factors such as trust-building, proactive problem-solving, and community engagement as vital elements of successful community policing.
 Application of the study: The implications of this study are far-reaching for policy-makers, urban planners, and law enforcement agencies seeking to reinvent the approach to security in city centers. The results provide a structure for applying community policing tactics that can be adjusted to various urban environments, highlighting the significance of community engagement in establishing secure public areas.
 Originality/Novelty of the Study: This research contributes to the discourse on urban safety by providing a nuanced understanding of community policing as a method for reinventing security in city centers. It presents novel insights into the interdisciplinary nature of community policing, which intersects with urban development, social policy, and public administration. The study suggests a paradigm shift from traditional law enforcement to a more integrated, community-focused approach, potentially guiding future urban safety initiatives.

Color in police approaches in the state of Goiás: 2016-2018

Under the double premise that Brazilian society is racially unequal and that this inequality constitutes vulnerability for those who are subjected to a police approach, a study was carried out to verify if race/color characterizes patterns of the approaches carried out by the PMGO. Therefore, after eliminating the duplicities, 1,300,711 police approaches registered in the RAI of the SSP-GO were analyzed, from April 2016 to April 2018, with variables related to the police action and the person of the individuals approached, such as: nature (types approach), date/time of the incident, place of the incident, sex, color/race, date of birth, marital status and schooling. These data were compared with those of the IBGE in the continuous PNAD, which records the color/race of the inhabitants of the State of Goiás on a quarterly basis. As a result of a descriptive and non-inferential statistical analysis (Chi-Square applied to a non-representative sample), there is a negligence on the part of the military police in filling in the color/race variable in police approaches (98.8% blank), which is not mandatory to record, keeping the race variable in the invisibility field. Of the portion in which color/race was registered (1.18%), there was a 91.3% greater percentage difference in the approach of people from the male, black or brown class in relation to white people; compared to the same proportions observed in the population of the State, in the same period, there is a statistically significant difference in the sample of RAIs collected (15355 approaches; 1.18%) in the years 2016 and 2017, but not for 2018; which cannot be generalized to the entire sample space of RAIs (1,300,711 approaches).

Challenges in creating humane and equitable policing: A focus on the Global South

AbstractResearch SummaryPolice brutality is a widespread phenomenon around the world. Particularly gruesome human rights abuses in the course of policing take place in Latin America, the world's most violent region outside war zones. Democratic institutions such as competitive elections, checks and balances, and judicial independence are insufficient to prevent police from abusing their power. What factors explain that police engage in abusive behaviors, including illegal arrest, the fabrication of evidence, the use of torture to extract confessions, and the excessive use of force causing injury or death? How can societies restrain these abusive behaviors and subject police to the rule of law? Police behavior is shaped by a combination of institutional, societal, political, organizational, and individual factors. Inquisitorial criminal justice institutions, inherited from the colonial past, have persisted in Latin America until very recently. This meant that democracies in the region were born with weak due process protections that have enabled state authorities and police to abuse their coercive powers as they investigate and prosecute crimes. Police brutality is further the product of security policies. High crime rates and the presence of highly organized criminal groups have pushed many Latin American governments to adopt militarized security interventions ‐including deploying the armed forces to control crime and militarizing police forces. Populist demands for harsh policies, moreover, generate incentives for politicians to adopt security strategies that violate human rights and which, in the long run, increase violence in society. The most affected groups are the poor, people of color, and those living in impoverished minoritized communities.Policy ImplicationsIt is essential to strengthen due process protections and judicial oversight over police to reduce torture and other forms of police brutality. Police demilitarization and, under some conditions, community‐oriented policing approaches can sharply reduce the use of excessive force causing injury or death. Body‐worn cameras (BWC), moreover, can effectively be used to reduce police abusive behavior —and violence against police officers — even in high violence situations and where toxic police‐community relations prevail. One limitation of this technology is that it gives too much leeway to frontline officers to turn their cameras on. Poor supervision can further undermine police compliance with camera protocols. These problems can be overcome by assigning cameras to supervisors and using more advanced technologies that allow turning cameras on from the main station. Monetary incentives that reward police officers “to kill less” is another effective policy intervention to reduce police violence causing injury or death.

Capitalizing on patrol intelligence: practitioner receptivity to patrol-driven intelligence-led policing

ABSTRACT Intelligence-led policing (ILP) approaches seek to utilize a variety of strategies capitalizing on intelligence and analysis to reduce, address, and prevent crime or harm. Often, the application of these strategies involves a top-down approach. An exception to this is the Phoenix Police Department’s patrol-driven Intelligence Officer Program (IOP). This article examines the extent to which personnel from the department are receptive to this specific patrol-driven ILP approach. More specifically, responses from surveys of patrol officers, intelligence officers, and their supervisors are used to explore the perceived value of the program to patrol activities and the patrol function more broadly. Results suggest that stakeholders seem to be enthusiastic about the IOP. Importantly, it is demonstrated that more familiarity and engagement with programs can encourage greater receptivity to policing innovations such as patrol-driven ILP programs. Potential avenues for research are also discussed.

Smart Policing in Overcoming Sexting Emergency Among Adolescents

This research is motivated by the rampant cases of sexting among teenagers having a lot of negative impact on the victims. So protection and law enforcement are needed with the smart policing approach because sexting is a crime that utilizes technology. This study aims to determine legal protection for victims of sexting and law enforcement against sexting perpetrators through smart policing among adolescents. The type of research that the authors use is normative juridical. There are two forms of legal protection for victims of sexting among adolescents using Smart Policing, namely preventive and repressive legal protection. Preventive legal protection with Smart Policing, by providing information and appeals through social media owned by the Police. Meanwhile, repressive legal protection applies E-Policing, namely E-Dumas and online complaint websites. Law enforcement against sexting is talking about the sanctions contained in laws and regulations, namely the ITE Law and the Pornography Law. Apart from that it also pays attention to the provisions related to age, sanctions, and juvenile justice process limits, if the perpetrator of sexting is a child.
 Keywords: smart policing, sexting, adolescents

Ostensive Policing and the Police Approach: the social representations of Military Police officers on the construction of the racialized suspect

Resumo Este artigo trata da abordagem policial, analisando a construção do “suspeito nato” a partir do marcador social raça. Seu objetivo é identificar como os policiais percebem e justificam a seletividade policial baseada em atributos raciais que constroem a figura do suspeito. Para isso, foi feita uma revisão bibliográfica e foram realizadas entrevistas com 12 oficiais da Brigada Militar do RS, buscando identificar as representações sociais acerca do policiamento e do próprio fazer-policial, e como percebem a influência do marcador social raça. Cruzando dados coletados nas entrevistas com aqueles sobre a abordagem policial e a questão racial no estado, é possível afirmar que a abordagem policial é atravessada por processos de racialização que carregam consigo a construção social do “suspeito nato”, isto é, demonstram a existência de mecanismos de racialização dos suspeitos.

Analysing the scientific literature on policing approaches to disrupt child sexual exploitation

Analysing the scientific literature on policing approaches to disrupt child sexual exploitation

Treatment Strategies Demonstration of the Omnibus Law in a Democratic Policing Perspective

This research aims to analyze the handling of omnibus law demonstrations using a democratic policing approach. Democratic Policing (Democratic Policing) should be a consequence of the Polri reform agenda, a reformative agenda regarding the posture of the Polri in the political system of the Republic of Indonesia, covering the culture of Polri personnel in the implementation of national security. This research is qualitative. The results of this research explain the efforts that have been made by Polda Metro Jaya in handling the Omnibuslaw demonstration, namely; a) Pre-emptive efforts to provide advice to protesters about good demonstration procedures and inform the relevant agencies that are the target points for demonstrations and/or demonstrations, b) preventive efforts have been carried out by the Police in carrying out their duties by fixed procedures (Protap). This is intended so that the police, both individuals and units, in taking action are not seen as excessive by the public.

Overcoming ‘Sheriff Syndrome’: Exploring Young Adults’ Experiences of Policing in Northern Ireland

This article delves into the pivotal role that police encounters play in shaping the experiences of 18- to 25-year-olds who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The study is anchored in an analysis of in-depth narrative interviews with young adults, predominantly young men, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Their accounts unveil the latent risks of police approaches that may pivot on the ‘age and/or lack of maturity’ of young adults. Introducing the concept of ‘sheriff syndrome’, the research sheds light on the detrimental effects of entrenched, antecedent expectations regarding the behaviours, attitudes and (in)capacity for change of those over the age of 18 years. Participants’ accounts underscore the need for interactions that recognise and protect subjective elements of maturity, while cultivating opportunities for open, respectful and bidirectional communication between suspect populations of young adults and the police.

“Like aspirin for arthritis”: A qualitative study of conditional cyber‐deterrence associated with police crackdowns on the dark web

AbstractResearch summaryCrackdowns are law enforcement strategies based on the principles of deterrence theory, which stipulates that offenders are rational actors who will refrain from crime if perceived risks are higher than perceived benefits. Studies have shown that the effects of police street drug crackdowns are mostly short termed and followed by considerable displacement. In the early 2010s, an important part of illicit drug trades moved online to cryptomarkets, and law enforcement agencies have responded by engaging in online drug crackdowns. In this study, we focus on the perceptions of dark web users in order to determine, from a qualitative “data‐driven” perspective, whether police online crackdowns may have a cyber‐deterrent effect by analyzing 1796 forum posts. Our results show that these events trigger psychological and practical consequences that participants claim to have a conditional, although minor, deterrent effect. In the majority of cases, dark web users claimed to engage in several forms of spatial and tactical displacement.Policy implicationsOur study suggests that police crackdowns on the dark web have limited, short‐term effectiveness in curbing illicit activities. It proposes that innovative policing approaches such as problem‐oriented policing and “pulling levers/focused deterrence” strategies, which involve identifying key actors and engaging with them, be potentially extended to the dark web. While this approach is promising, it emphasizes the need for further research to assess its efficacy in the online realm, as it is a largely uncharted territory for law enforcement.

PENINGKATAN DETEKSI-AKSI BERBASIS DATA, INFORMASI, DAN KEJADIAN AKTUAL UNTUK PEMETAAN SITUASI KAMTIBMAS MELALUI PEMOLISIAN PREDIKTIF DALAM RANGKA PEMELIHARAAN KAMTIBMAS

This study aims to determine the increase in the base of action-detection based on data, information and actual incidents for mapping the Kamtibmas situation and to determine the maintenance of security and public order using predictive policing. This study uses a qualitative approach with a mix method that uses the level of understanding, attitude and orientation of police officers towards increased detection based on data, information and actual incidents which can be identified through surveys. These problems are then analyzed using the concept of predictive policing, the dimensions of predictive policing, and the basis for mapping the Kamtibmas situation with a predictive policing approach. The results of this study obtained that the data presented in this section are data obtained through interviews and tabulation results on the attitudes of research respondents. Respondents' attitudes towards the main issues studied in this study, which are related to increased detection of data and information-based actions as well as actual incidents which form the basis for compiling the Kamtibmas situation map. There has been an increase in requests for Harkamtibmas activity reports in the form of data and information from each function in the regional unit. Request this report in both digital and manual format. Data and information needed in addition to filling out centralized digital and manual report formats. Since the existence of the Presisi program, especially the emphasis on predictive policing, there has been an increasing push to increase action-detection activities and to expand information and data sources. As a consequence, improving personnel capabilities and improving operational activities also need adjustments. Therefore, this research needs to be socialized more periodically in order to increase the motivation, understanding and ability of personnel at the Satwil and Bag, Sat, sie levels in supporting increased action detection based on data, information and actual events and it is necessary to develop a mechanism for integrating and collaborating data and information from each part and function through a data center that can and is easily accessed.

Urban Crime and Policing Approaches in Nigeria

This article examined the nexus between urban crime and policing approaches in Nigeria. It looked at the reality of urban crime situation and posits that there are a number of obstacles severing crime policing in Nigerian urban centres. Using secondary sources, study found staggered law enforcement efforts, declining family values, fear, and ignorance as obstacles leading to urban crimes in Nigeria. The Routine Activity Approach of crime was adopted in the analysis of identified variables and their consequences within the context of the Nigerian State. In bridging this gap, the study recommends that city residents should restrain from carrying or carelessly displaying objects precipitating to crime in their neighborhoods; government should recruit more hands into the law enforcement agencies so that patrols are extended to all nooks and crannies of the city centres. there is need for individual security consciousness as well as system strengthening enhancement as measures to overcoming the situation.