ABSTRACT Recent high-profile cases have drawn attention to police deviance, compromising public trust in the police. This paper focuses on understanding police deviance as it pertains to both police misconduct, corruption, and criminal behavior. Previous qualitative studies often focus on specific aspects of police deviance (e.g. sexual misconduct and corruption), resulting in a body of related yet disconnected misconduct-related research. This paper aims to provide a wholistic understanding of police deviance by synthesizing findings from extant qualitative research. Our meta-synthesis highlights the role of both organizational and individual-level factors in influencing police deviance. These findings have implications for the development and implementation of preventive measures that police agencies may adopt to mitigate police deviance.

ABSTRACT Extant literature indicates that police misconduct is a byproduct of systemic deficiencies which are best addressed at a structural level. Conversely, most reformative strategies have narrowly focused on individual-level police and police organizations as targets of change to address misconduct. However, external influences such as police unions have largely been overlooked as targets of change in existing accountability structures. This paper addresses the influence of external agencies in institutional reform strategies following the professionalization of the police in North America. By examining contractual relations in collective bargaining agreements, the limitations in current reformative strategies on organizational, individual, and legal levels will be addressed to elucidate the role that police unions can play in bringing about police reform.

High-profile cases of police violence have given rise to contentious debates, yet scholars know little about why individuals interpret violent police encounters differently. We fielded a survey experiment in Germany designed to probe whether the victim’s identity matters to public opinion (N = 15,941). Our design approximates the way news events unfold sequentially over time, allowing us to measure whether eventual discriminatory beliefs persist even in the face of mounting evidence. We show that respondents are less likely to consider the actions of the police to constitute misconduct when the victim has an immigrant name compared to a traditionally German name. Discriminatory beliefs remain even when respondents are informed about evidence confirming that misconduct occurred. Our analysis shows that these results are driven by right-wing respondents, with both moderates and extremists exhibiting discriminatory beliefs and a resistance to updating. These findings help illuminate why debates over policing are so intractable.

This research addresses an often-overlooked opportunity for police reform: the predictive value of prehire misbehavior data for reducing posthire police misconduct. While most reform efforts focus on officers' actions after they are hired, our findings highlight the impact of rigorous screening before hire. We examined how specific prior employment and nonwork misbehaviors related to general occupational instability, trouble in previous law enforcement roles, prior temper problems and violence, and irresponsible behaviors predicted future misconduct among 6,075 police officers tracked over 5 years. Notably, some prehire behaviors significantly elevated risks of citizen complaints and misconduct-related lawsuits, with hazard ratios up to 14.59. Contrary to common assumptions, candidates with prior law enforcement experience showed increased liability, including excessive use of force, suggesting that this background does not inherently reduce misconduct risk. After identifying the strongest predictors of police misconduct, we also examined their relation to termination for cause and assessed how agency decision makers respond differently to prehire versus posthire misbehaviors. By integrating findings on the predictive value of specific prehire misbehaviors, we offer targeted, evidence-based guidance and actionable recommendations for police agencies and policymakers. This work provides a scientifically grounded foundation for effective and consistent police screening decisions, offering a framework for establishing long-overdue national police hiring standards. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Labor informality is a global phenomenon characterized by precarious working conditions. This study aimed to analyze the socioeconomic factors influencing the informal economy in downtown Neiva-Huila using a descriptive mixed-methods approach. A total of 90 street vendors were surveyed, mostly Colombian women (51.11%) from low socioeconomic backgrounds and with low to medium educational levels. A significant 93.33% entered informality due to a lack of formal job opportunities. The median income was COP $1,000,000, with 8-hour workdays. About 52.22% lacked access to formal financing, citing fear of debt, strict requirements, and high interest rates as barriers. Participants also reported challenges such as weather conditions, insecurity, police harassment, and institutional neglect. In conclusion, informality in Neiva reflects precarious labor conditions, financial exclusion, and limited institutional support. Workers call for state assistance, access to credit, and inclusion in public policies to improve their living conditions and promote social inclusion.

After serving as the 19th Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice (2021–2025), Kristen Clarke has returned to the world of academia. Her federal work involved leading the prosecution in high profile cases, expanding enforcement of federal hate crimes law, confronting modern day redlining by banks and addressing police misconduct.

Abstract Despite the Supreme Court ruling on the matter in July 2023, the correct test for police misconduct for use of force (the use of force test) in England and Wales remains contested. This paper explores how the largely subjective criminal law test preferred by police stakeholders is inconsistent with addressing the institutional racism within the Metropolitan Police highlighted in the Casey Review. In doing so, it makes a novel contribution to police accountability debates by developing a new analytical framework which allows arguments concerning police accountability processes to be more clearly articulated and assessed. The framework envisages three axes of accountability. The conduct axis relates to the actual levels of force used against citizens. The cultural axis concerns the extent to which police accountability processes provide meaningful oversight of police managers and professional standards departments, while the constitutional axis is engaged with the balance of power at the various parts of the police accountability system. Plotting the relative impact of more subjective or objective use of force tests along each axis allows clarity of debate concerning the consequences of the preferred test and thereby highlights the mitigation necessary in relation to the negative consequences of a choice in either direction.

Purpose Investigating complaints against police misconduct is vital to accountability, and this task is commonly delegated to Internal Affairs (IA) units within large police departments. IA units vary considerably in the degree to which they find evidence of misconduct in their investigations, but there has been little exploration of this issue. Extant research suggests this variation could be attributable to either features of the citizen complaint process or to the quality or intensity of IA unit investigations, so we more closely examine this issue. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses data from a 2019 survey sent to the IA units of 436 large police departments, of which 128 responded and provided complaint dispositions. Fraction regression is employed to analyze those data. Findings Departments which provided specialized training to their IA officers upon appointment and those departments that engaged in collective bargaining sustained a lower proportion of complaints than those that did not. All other variables were not found to be significant and thus suggest that neither the majority of features of the citizen complaint system nor the quality of IA investigations affect the outcomes of citizen complaints. Originality/value While research has examined the proportion of sustained complaints before, no studies to date have been able to include citizen complaints or IA unit-specific features.

Women migrant informal traders face numerous vulnerabilities worldwide. In developing countries, women engaged in informal trading constitute a significant portion of the workforce within the informal economy. Many of these women originate from African countries and initially seek employment opportunities within South Africa's informal sector. This study aims to examine the participation of Congolese refugee women in the informal economy within local markets in Durban. Employing a qualitative research methodology, data was collected from ten Congolese women who confront various challenges, including family responsibilities, police harassment, documentation obstacles, and limited access to financial services. Participants were selected using snowball sampling between 2008 and 2009. The findings indicate that approximately 90% of the women engage in entrepreneurial activities to compensate for the lack of formal employment opportunities, thereby improving their livelihoods and contributing positively to the wider community. The study highlights the important role played by Congolese women in Durban’s informal economy and underscores the need for gender-responsive policies. Implementing such policies can empower women informal traders and support the socio-economic development of Durban.

This study investigates career-ending police misconduct that occurs with little or no prior warning. Using administrative data from a large policing agency in the United Kingdom, we examine the predictive value of unsubstantiated complaints and related career characteristics for career ending misconduct. While unsubstantiated complaints were correlated with minor complaint types and overall complaint volume, they showed no clear relationship with career ending misconduct. Among officers with unsubstantiated complaints, however, significant predictors included duty type, frequency of transfers, and, most notably, the presence of secondary employment. A separate analysis of officers who committed “spontaneous” career ending misconduct—without any history of prior complaints—revealed no consistent demographic or career predictors. These findings challenge the utility of traditional early warning indicators among officers without complaint histories. We conclude that early intervention approaches must be refined to reflect multiple misconduct trajectories.

Inconsistent condom use represents the most proximal behavioral risk factor for acquisition and transmission of sexually transmitted infections, including human immunodeficiency virus. However, certain situations hinder female sex workers from practicing consistent condom use. This study aimed to assess the pooled estimate of inconsistent condom use among female sex workers and identify factors associated with it. This study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, 2020 reporting checklist. Electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos, Hinari, and Science Direct), Google Scholar, and other university repositories were searched until March 20, 2024, based on the eligibility criteria. Three independent reviewers screened the titles, abstracts, and full texts. Two independent reviewers extracted the data. The Joanna Briggs Institute quality appraisal checklist was used. The Higgin's I² test was used to quantify heterogeneity. Pooled analysis was conducted using a random-effects model. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were done. Publication bias was assessed using Egger's regression test and funnel plot. The pooled prevalence and statistical association were declared at a p-value < 0.05 with the 95% CI. A total of 24 studies involving 23,496 female sex workers with a median age of 27.3 years were included. The overall pooled prevalence of inconsistent condom use among FSW in Africa was estimated at 46.73% (95% CI: 37.60, 55.86), I² = 99.59%, and p = 0.00. Condom availability (AOR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.50, 0.92), depression (AOR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.00, 2.30), no education (AOR = 1.87; 95% CI: 1.19, 2.93), two or more nonpaying clients (AOR = 2.90; 95% CI: 1.51, 5.54), having >9 current client number (AOR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.74), violence (AOR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.33, 2.27), and police harassment (AOR = 2.28; 95% CI: 1.03, 5.05) were significant factors. Inconsistent condom use was high in Africa. Factors including availability of condoms, depression, and education, having two or more nonpaying clients, client numbers, violence, and police harassment were significant factors. Strategies like improving peer education, providing mental health support, empowering women, and improving female sex workers educational status, ensuring condom availability, and strengthening supply for easily accessible condoms can decrease inconsistent condom use and protect FSWs from STI including HIV.

Some Realism About Criminal Justice Localism

Anti-black police violence and harassment have been identified as public health issues. However, studies have primarily focused on direct and/or vicarious police encounters. A dearth of studies has also examined vigilance related to future police encounters, and to our knowledge, no studies have examined all 3 kinds of police-related stress among African American women. We employed a latent class analysis (LCA) approach to identify classes of African American women ( N = 422), aged 30 to 46, based on the patterning of various forms of self-reported police-related stress: direct, vicarious, police-related vigilance for self, and police-related vigilance for children. We then examined associations between latent class membership and carotid intima media thickness (IMT), a marker of cardiovascular risk. We identified 3 latent classes of police-related stress: (1) high child vigilance-high personal exposure, (2) no child vigilance-high personal exposure, and (3) moderate child vigilance-low self vigilance-low personal exposure class. Findings from the fully adjusted model reveal that the no child vigilance-high personal exposure class had lower common carotid artery (CCA) IMT than the high child vigilance-high personal exposure and moderate child vigilance-low self vigilance-low personal exposure classes. Vigilance for children's future police encounters may be associated with increased cardiovascular risk in African American women. Agency, system, and policy-level solutions may be needed to reduce anti-black police violence and improve the cardiovascular health of this high-risk population.

State Regulation of Federal Police

This study examines the micro-sociological effects of Bihar's 2016 alcohol prohibition law, focusing on Madhepura as a case example. The "dry law" was intended to reduce domestic violence, enhance public health, and improve socio-economic conditions, especially for women. Although official accounts praise its achievements, the situation on the ground in areas like Madhepura presents a more complex reality. Utilizing primary interviews, secondary sources, and statistical data, the research investigates shifts in family dynamics, the emergence of illegal liquor trade, health impacts, and pressures on institutions. Results indicate a decline in domestic violence and increased household savings in certain communities, but also highlight significant growth in black-market liquor, cases of methanol poisoning, and instances of police misconduct. The paper advocates for a more balanced, community-focused prohibition strategy that includes rehabilitation, alternative employment options, and harm reduction measures.

This study investigates the sociocultural challenges faced by transgender, Hijra, and Khawaja Sira individuals in Pakistan. The existing studies, the analysis identifies a persistent and interlocking system of stigma, discrimination, and structural exclusion that shapes transgender lives across the life course. Findings reveal that social rejection begins within the family and is reinforced by hostile school environments, limited access to education, and the absence of institutional safeguards. These early experiences of marginalization extend into adulthood through discriminatory healthcare practices, widespread violence, police harassment, and systemic denial of legal protections. The study demonstrates that healthcare settings are among the most stigmatizing environments, contributing to severe mental health vulnerabilities, including depression, anxiety, and suicidality. Economic exclusion further constrains life opportunities, forcing many transgender individuals into precarious informal work due to limited employment options and institutional bias. Although Pakistan has enacted progressive legislation, including the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018, a significant implementation gap persists, undermining the law’s transformative potential. Despite these challenges, community structures such as the guru chela system offer important sources of cultural identity, belonging, and resilience. Overall, the study concludes that transgender marginalization in Pakistan is structural rather than incidental, requiring multi sectoral reforms across education, healthcare, policing, legal institutions, and public discourse. Meaningful inclusion will depend on coordinated, culturally grounded policies that address the root causes of stigma while strengthening institutional accountability and protecting the dignity and rights of transgender citizens.

Police in Nigeria have been alleged to be involved in misconduct in daily papers across various states of Nigeria. This aberrant behaviour among the police called for an investigation into police misconduct. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and validate the PPM scale to fill the knowledge gap. The study used a mixed-method design involving qualitative and quantitative methods. The study was conducted in two phases. The first phase involved item generation through Focus Group Discussion (FGD), and twenty police officers were involved. The second phase involves the administration of a questionnaire, and 1,275 sampled police officers attend to the questionnaire. The cross-validation design through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) yielded six-dimensional factors that explain the 75.57% variability on the scale, including humiliation, emotion, authority, mutilation, victimization, and assault. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) through goodness-of-fit statistics was run as a composite of EFA and yielded four factors after some questionable items and two factors were eliminated. The reliability analysis revealed that the scale is reliable. The newly developed scale can be applied to diagnose the involvement of police personnel in misconduct, allowing police administrators and police service commissions to formulate policies that will eliminate police misconduct. The scale can also be integrated into the police personnel training manual to give them a better and more comprehensive understanding of the psychological aspects of police misconduct and their implications for police and security. Keywords: Police misconduct, psychometric properties, victimization, assault, humiliation.

In South Africa, the means of livelihood of informal public transport (IPT) operators are compromised because of harassment and intimidation from police and other state actors in the transport industry. This study sought to examine the impact of police harassment on the well-being of transport operators in Durban. Data for this study were gathered through interviews conducted with metro police officers, taxi owners, rank managers, rank marshals, traffic officers, and transport committee stakeholders in Durban, South Africa. In all, twenty-two interviewees were sampled. The study revealed that both the police and the IPT experience harassment. Harassment by state actors against IPT is evidenced in the abuse of power, demand for a bribe, use of insolent words, and wrong and unjustified legal issuance of traffic fines/tickets. Study evidence from Durban suggested that risky or unconventional traffic behaviour among the IPT operators was related to harassment experiences from the police at the workplace. This is argued to have contributed to negative workplace and home psychological behaviours among IPT operators in Durban. The study contributes to the limited knowledge on Informal Public Transport Operators’ Well-being and Harassment Experiences in Durban, South Africa. Most importantly theoretical understanding of well-being and how individuals, such as the police, contribute to the well-being of IPT.

Gender-based violence (GBV) has been a key yet understudied predisposing factor of poor HIV outcomes among people living with HIV (PLHIV) and other key populations (KPs) in Abuja, Nigeria. This systematic review attempted to integrate the research evidence on the prevalence, patterns, and health consequences of GBV among PLHIV, female sex workers, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs. Consistent with PRISMA guidelines, seven studies were identified following a detailed search of peer-reviewed databases and grey literature, and their features, GBV measures, and results are summarised in structured extraction tables. Quantitative data indicated a steady high prevalence of GBV (54.2% -82.3%), with the most significant burden being on criminalised KPs. GBV was associated with lower antiretroviral therapy adherence, loss of continuity of care, and lower rates of suppressed viral load, with effect estimates of 2.4 times the risk of not taking antiviral medication and a 42% vs. 68% decrease in the chance of having the virus controlled. Qualitative data revealed police harassment, violence by clients, community rejection, stigma, and trauma to be the processes that promote disengagement from HIV services. In summary, all the evidence shows that GBV is actuarial as a central syndemic contributor to weakening the outcome of HIV in Abuja. The review concludes that the treatment continuity, mental health, and viral suppression require addressing the GBV. It suggests integrated trauma-informed care, services that are KP-friendly, community empowerment intervention, structural reforms, such as police sensitisation and protective policy, to decrease violence and reinforce HIV response activities in the Federal Capital Territory.

Body-worn camera (BWC) footage often circulates on social media following police misconduct events. Although intended to provide objective evidence, BWC footage results in different perceptions about whether the police behaved justly. This study examined why people interpret the same video-recorded event differently by assessing differences by participant race and political ideology. We hypothesized that there would be more variability in procedural justice judgments about an unjust BWC video compared to a just BWC video. Based on the group engagement model, we expected Black and liberal participants to perceive both BWC videos as more procedurally unjust than White and conservative participants, with effects operating through baseline procedural justice perceptions, identification with the officer, and identification with the driver. Adult White and Black participants from Prolific were randomly assigned to watch either a procedurally just or unjust BWC traffic stop video. They self-reported their perceptions of procedural justice. As expected, there was more variability in procedural justice perceptions of the unjust BWC video than the just video. Liberal-leaning participants believed the BWC video was less procedurally just than conservative-leaning participants. Contrary to our hypothesis, Black participants had more positive procedural justice perceptions of the BWC videos than did White participants. A serial mediation analysis revealed that these demographic differences typically operated through baseline procedural justice perceptions and identification with the officer and driver. Perceptions of BWC videos are subjective, and this study suggests there may be more variability in perceptions of unjust than just police behavior. To improve relationships with the community they serve, police should focus on behaving in ways that the public is more likely to perceive as consistently procedurally just. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).