Police Response Research Articles

Working patriarchies? Police and criminal justice responses to domestic abuse in Scotland 1960–1990

Post-war Scotland remained a deeply patriarchal country. Domestic abuse was common yet widely under-reported by the women it affected. This article argues that police and criminal justice agencies in Scotland 1960–1990 were ‘working patriarchies’ which created significant barriers to reporting. Oral history narratives from domestic abuse survivors, police and criminal justice professionals reveal deeply patriarchal workplaces and practices designed to maintain longstanding traditions of the patriarchal family. These inhibited reporting, denied women access to safety and justice in private life and contributed to women’s continuing inequality in post-war Scottish society.

Police prosecutors and LGBTIQ intimate partner violence, victims, and perpetrators: an empirical study

This paper reports on a survey exploring whether police prosecutors in the Queensland Police Service can recognise and respond appropriately to intimate partner violence (IPV) in the LGBTIQ community. Utilising an online survey featuring hypothetical vignettes of IPV involving LGBTIQ people, it sought to understand police prosecutors’ recognition of, and response to, IPV situations involving LGBTIQ people; the likelihood of IPV occurring in LGBTIQ relationships; and whether friendships, interaction (social and professional), and levels of trust in LGBTIQ people shape their perceptions of LGBTIQ victims, perpetrators, and IPV itself. Contributing new knowledge into the extant policing literature examining policing of IPV, the results of this study offer a unique insight into police prosecutors and LGBTIQ IPV and their inability to clearly distinguish between perpetrators and victims in LGBTIQ IPV scenarios, particularly where coercive control is involved, or a transgender person is the victim. We argue that enhancing police prosecutors’ recognition of, and response to, IPV situations in the LGBTIQ community is important because of the key role that prosecutors play in LGBTIQ peoples’ access to justice and responding appropriately to their needs as victims and perpetrators. The results from this study have international significance regarding developments in policing policy and practice and IPV recognition, and what this means for operational policing guidelines and better policing response when prosecuting IPV situations involving LGBTIQ people.

On Effective Campus Attack Response: Insights from Agent-Based Simulation for Improving Emergency Information Sharing System Design and Response Strategy

Information sharing systems are a critical component of emergency response—especially in campus attack situations that unfold very rapidly. The design of effective information sharing systems is often difficult, however, due to a lack of data on these assault events. This work takes an agent-based approach to simulate three campus emergency information sharing system design alternatives in the context of a college campus knife attack, and incorporates data from on-campus student surveys and parameter tuning experiments. Alternatives are evaluated according to: (1) improved student attack response outcomes; and (2) effective institutional response to the attack. The results confirm that increased awareness supports rapid emergency reporting, but an important gap exists between students’ awareness and their ability to respond effectively, which depends on a number of campus-specific factors. A strong positive impact is seen from safe and efficient information sharing with authorities. This impact depends largely on reporting system implementation qualities, as opposed to campus-specific factors. On a campus in China, WeChat was used as a basis for messaging models. The simulation results show a 9% drop in casualties and a 22% faster police response time from a text-based reporting system using “base” WeChat features instead of traditional phone reporting. Our results also project a 30% drop in casualties and 52% faster police response time using a system designed around a WeChat Mini Program or stand-alone campus emergency reporting app. These outcomes suggest a number of recommendations for improving outdated campus emergency information-sharing systems and response strategies.

The impact of COVID-19 on police officer activities

ObjectiveThis study examined the impact of COVID-19 on police reactive and proactive activities in Houston, Texas. Seven types of police officer reactivity and three distinct categories of proactivity were examined. MethodsWeekly calls for service data from January 1, 2018-December 31, 2020 were analyzed through interrupted time series using ARIMA models. ResultsPolice responses to property, traffic-related activities, and service-related calls all decreased when compared to previous years. A significant increase was observed for violent crime calls. Self-initiated activities performed by specialized crime units significantly decreased, but there was a significant increase in self-initiated patrol. Activities performed by a specialized response unit initially increased, but then went back to pre-pandemic levels following the death of George Floyd. ConclusionsObserved decreases in reactivity may be attributed to changes in citizens' routine activities. COVID-19 was associated with increased demands for police responses to violence, consistent with extant research. A unique contribution of this study was the incorporation of officer proactivity. Changes to proactive patrol could also be attributed to changes in the routine activities of citizens. This study adds to the growing body of literature examining the impact of COVID-19 on police services.

Reducing racial disparities in crime victimization: Evidence from employment discrimination litigation

Black Americans are substantially less safe than white Americans, with persistently higher risks of crime victimization. One possible cause of racial disparities in crime victimization may lie in racially disparate law enforcement responses to crime experienced by Black and white victims. We leverage idiosyncratic variation in the litigation of law enforcement agencies for racially discriminatory employment practices to identify changes in the nature of the police response to Black crime victimization. Using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey between 1979 and 2004, and a series of estimators appropriate for difference-in-differences designs with staggered treatment, we find that litigation over racially discriminatory employment practices in law enforcement agencies decreased Black crime victimization by magnitudes ranging between 24 - 27%, but had no discernible impacts on white crime victimization, reducing the pretreatment racial gap in crime victimization by 73 - 82%. Decreases in Black crime victimization appear in the first year after litigation onset, consistent with efforts by litigated departments to address racial disparities in the police response to reported crime.

Five Pillars: A Framework for Transforming the Police Response to Rape and Sexual Assault

The ‘justice gap’ for cases of rape and sexual assault is well-documented. Despite our rich understanding of the problem, its visibility in the public sphere, and state commitments to increasing charge and conviction rates, the justice gap is getting larger in the Western World. On a practical level, police are gatekeepers of outcome justice—arrests, charges, and convictions. As representatives of the state and society, police also wield significant symbolic power in defining the faultline between behaviour that is deemed ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. In this article we propose a theory-based and practice-oriented framework for transforming the police response to rape and sexual assault that draws on the large body of feminist literature on sexual violence and criminal justice responses, in combination with policing literature. This framework comprises five pillars: (1) suspect-focused investigations; (2) disrupting repeat offenders; (3) a procedural justice approach to victim-survivor engagement; (4) officer learning, wellbeing, and organisational change; and (5) the use of data. We conclude with a discussion of its practical implementation and empirical validation.

Exploring “ideological correction” in digital news updates of Portland protests & police violence

This paper critically examines 48 digital news updates to six New York Times online articles collected through 181 captures via the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine (WBM), a web scraping tool, pertaining to federal military and local police responses to Portland protests published in headlines, sources, quotes, hyperlinks, the order of information presented, and articles’ main thrusts of meaning. Through this analysis, we call for the notion of “ideological correction” to represent an additional element of the liquidity of journalism in this case — shifts in news explanations of single articles that altered the articles’ focus on and characterizations of law enforcement and protesters — sometimes even under the same, original headline and article URL.

Police Responsiveness into Behavioural Health Crisis

Law enforcement, the representative image of the official power among the public and community, is important to maintain its integrity and legality when executing its power enshrined by the laws. Yet, the debate regarding the abuse of the police power had gained tremendous mistrust within the community, flagging the insensitiveness of the law enforcement in handling suspects who are vulnerable upon arrest. This could be detrimental to build up the integrity and the accountability of the police in the eyes of the public. The purpose of this article seeks to propose a proactive alternative that could be utilized to manage the incidence of behavioural health crisis of arrested persons more effectively and efficiently. In achieving this objective, the criminal procedure in Malaysia is discussed. This is followed by a doctrinal analysis on the manner of the arrest required for the responsiveness into behavioural health crisis. It is observed that the outreach of procedural justice into the suspects who are mentally vulnerable is not in the common address within our existing criminal procedure. A conclusion could be outlined that a proactive alternative is arguably crucial to improve the existing circumstances. The intervention is expected to be a novel approach to improve the literacy of the law enforcement with behavioural health crisis which includes the criminal procedural justice to be addressed effectively and efficiently.

Legal regulation and features of official investigations in the bodies of the National Police of Ukraine

The article considers the peculiarities of conducting official investigations in the bodies of the NationalPolice of Ukraine and the existence of problematic issues in the field of documenting violations committedby police officers. Ways to eliminate aspects of problematic issues that arise when documenting the facts ofpolice officers (employees of enterprises, institutions of organizations that are in employment) at work in astate of alcohol, drugs or other intoxication. The focus is on the characteristics of administrative and legalmechanisms of administrative and disciplinary responsibility of police officers.During the study of the peculiarities of official investigations in the National Police, there was a need toaddress deficiencies in regulations governing the inspection of alcohol, drugs or other toxic intoxication ofemployees of enterprises, institutions and organizations, as well as law enforcement agencies. , proposed:1. Amend the Instruction on the procedure for detecting signs of alcohol, drug or other intoxication in driversor under the influence of drugs that reduce attention and speed of reaction, approved by a joint order ofthe Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine from November 9, 2015 52 1452/735on the grounds and procedure for conducting an inspection on the subject of intoxication of employees ofenterprises, institutions, organizations, law enforcement agencies or consider the feasibility of adopting aseparate regulation. 2. Amend the Disciplinary Statute of the National Police of Ukraine, approved by theLaw of Ukraine of March 15, 2018 № 2337-VIII in terms of inclusion in the obligations of a police officer to be examined for service in a state of alcohol, drugs or other intoxication, and in case of refusal to passsuch examination to equate it to confirmation of the fact of being in the service in a state of intoxication.

Operational response: Policing persons with mental illness in Australia

Across the globe, policing persons with mental illness (PWMI) in crisis involves significant police work. Police must respond effectively to individuals whose behaviour and language are often erratic, and who may be intoxicated or experiencing psychosis. In Australia, police are often criticised for inappropriately handling mental health crises in the community and for differentially policing PWMI in crisis. To better understand Australian police response to PWMI in crisis, this study conducted interviews with 25 operational police officers working in one of the largest Australian state police organisations. The findings indicate that police response to PWMI in crisis is underpinned by trial-and-error practices, because officers are insufficiently trained to manage PWMI in crisis, and police are resistant to accept tasks considered ‘welfare work’. Officers are also relieved when response to PWMI in crisis includes mental health practitioners. We argue that whilst the availability of interagency schemes in Australia is generally restricted to metropolitan areas, effective policing response to PWMI in crisis should include a collaborative response between police and mental health practitioners.

Enhancing the policing response to COVID-19 with media engagement: The United Arab Emirates experience

Abstract Global evaluations of response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Global Clinical Practice (a network of 12,942 clinicians from 151 countries), and the Global Response to Infections Disease have consistently rated the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as one of the most effective medical responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. In parallel, according to the 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer, public trust in the UAE government is 81%—a leading score in the Middle East. While widespread miscommunication rumours, and lack of coordination was observed in the early phases of COVID-19 globally, the UAE case demonstrates a comprehensive positive approach and experience. The research reported in this paper aimed to understand the role of media in the police response in relation to COVID-19 risk management in the UAE. Content analysis of documentary and data sources was conducted from public COVID-19-related meta-data sources. The findings suggest pre-defined conducive legislative and institutional structure, professionalism of media and police, and collaborative approaches among implementing agencies contributed to the success of the early phase COVID-19 risk management in the UAE. This research contributes to the body of knowledge in pandemic and infodemic risk management through analysis of the UAE experience.

Protest policing strategy and human rights: A study of End SARS protests in Nigeria

ABSTRACT In this study, we adopted the negotiation management model (NMM) and the elaborated social identity model (ESIM) to assess and match with global best practices the conduct of personnel of the Nigerian Police Force during the End SARS protest. We used the descriptive mixed-method research design to answer the research questions after taking stock of some achievements recorded by SARS and critical factors that led to the protest. We discovered, among others, that the Nigerian Police Force lacks a functional public complaint mechanism through which members of the society can express their grievances concerning the activities of personnel of the force. Further, the orthodox belief that a dominant show of force would compel protesters to comply with government directives failed during the End SARS protest. Our finding validates H. F. Guggenheim Foundation Guide that the police's response to peaceful gatherings as if they were riots and their failure to prevent a violent development at an early stage would lead to the degeneration of protests. The study makes recommendations on achieving a peaceful and well-managed protest if a demonstration becomes inevitable.

Review of exponential rise in domestic violence amid COVID-19: theories and perspectives

The need for continuous research on domestic violence could be more espoused by the exponential increase in domestic violence, such that characterized the global reign of corona virus. Domestic violence cases have been on the rise in South Africa since 1994; and despite the existence of legal protections and statutory instruments that attempt to hinder domestic violence, there continues to be prevalence of violent behaviours across different families. Indisputably, the outbreak of coronavirus has created myriads of consequences for justice system in South Africa and the world at large. Due to the outbreak, the South African government announced a lockdown to mitigate the spread of the virus. Nonetheless, within a span of one week of the lockdown, the South African Police Services (SAPS) reported a shocking rise in the number of gender-based violence cases, which was approximately reported as 89000. The lockdown primarily suggests that victims be locked with the perpetrators for a period until it is deemed safe to end the lockdown. Using a systematic review of the empirical literature, the paper provides a quadripartite criminological perspective (comprising differential association theory, classical theory, frustration-aggression theory and social bond theory) on the rise of domestic violence during the outbreak of the virus. It further explores the aftermaths of COVID-19 on criminal justice system in terms of dealing with diverse cases of domestic violence in the Republic. Factors pertaining to issues of access to justice system during the lockdown, poor police response and victim reporting, sense of helplessness by victims, delayed justice, as well as victim support, system are significantly evaluated

Examining Factors Related to Departmental Adoption of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Models: A Survey of Police Chiefs.

In an effort to improve police responses for handling incidents involving people with mental illness (PWMI), many police departments have adopted the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model. However, to date, there has been very little published research that has focused on examining factors related to the adoption of CIT models through the lens of police chiefs. To help fill this gap in the literature, the current study used data collected from a sample of 204 police chiefs in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to examine variables related to departmental adoption of the CIT model. Findings show that several factors (e.g., chief training, chief educational attainment, and departmental resources) were associated with departmental adoption of the CIT model. Policy implications and suggestions for future studies based on these findings are discussed within.

Unfounding the Ideal Victim: Does Christie's Ideal Victim Explain Police Response to Intimate Partner Sexual Assault?

Nils Christie's (1986) ideal victim is said to receive "complete and legitimate status as a victim." Many victims of intimate partner sexual assault (IPSA), are not given this status, resulting in their cases being unfounded. The current study evaluates 16 years of reported IPSA cases (n = 1,558) in a large municipal police department in the midwestern United States. Through multivariate logistic regression this study evaluates which factors lead a reported IPSA case to be unfounded. Further, it examines how the IPSA victim fits into the concept of the ideal victim. The results indicate that several variables representing the ideal victim criteria are influence in unfounding IPSA cases; however, many are the opposite of what might be expected based on Christie's work. Results further indicate that race (victim race, detective race, racial composition of district) has a substantial impact on IPSA cases being unfounded.

Police encounters with individuals perceived as having intellectual or developmental disabilities: an examination of encounter characteristics from two studies

PurposeVery little is known about the frequency and nature of police contacts with individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DDs). The purpose of the study is to examine the characteristics of police contacts with persons with I/DD and how they differ from other behavioral health-related encounters.Design/methodology/approachThe authors draw on data from two large National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded studies of police response to mental/behavioral health crises and the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) approach. Both projects used the same incident report form. The authors examine detailed information from 219 calls in which officers perceived that the subject had I/DD, either alone or co-occurring with a mental illness or substance use disorder and compared them with calls in which I/DD was not indicated (n = 1,305).FindingsCalls with subjects with I/DD most frequently occurr ed in homes or on the street and were resolved without formal action. The most frequent subject symptoms/behaviors noted were confusion and anxiety. Some differences from calls with individuals without I/DD were noted in term of presentation and outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsData relied on officer perception of subject having I/DD, which may miss more subtle indicators.Social implicationsThere is a need for specific research attention to police contacts with persons with I/DD that differentiates those contacts from other behavioral health-related encounters.Originality/valueThere is still much the authors do not know about police contacts with persons with I/DD. However, findings provide a preliminary glimpse into the nature of these contacts and suggest they may differ somewhat from other behavioral health related police encounters.

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.

Theorising victim decision making in the police response to domestic abuse

The paper provides a conceptual argument for the importance of understanding victim decision making in responding to cases of domestic abuse. It applies core elements of decision-making theory to illustrate how victims may undergo different forms of thinking, could be affected by bias, consider gain and loss differently, and suffer from decision inertia. Suggestions are provided on how this perspective could be used in practice to deliver a victim empowerment approach in policing. However, the paper also expresses the importance of the theory’s limitations, especially around external validity, and suggests that research across various disciplines is critical to determine whether the perspective could be placed onto an empirical footing.

Explaining the Use of Traditional Law Enforcement Responses to Human Trafficking Concerns in Illicit Massage Businesses

Traditional police tactics such as rapid response and reactive enforcement continue to dominate the police response against human trafficking despite knowledge about the challenges and potential harm of using these tactics. Through the case of illicit massage businesses (IMBs), this study examines why police continue to rely on strategies that have received little empirical support. In-depth interviews with police, prosecutors, and other practitioners indicate that citizen concerns about human trafficking trigger police responses such as reactive investigations, sting operations, and shutdowns of IMBs. While law enforcement officials recognize the limited effectiveness and potential harm of the current response, adapting how police respond to IMBs is challenged by perceptual and institutional barriers. With these findings, the study contributes to the research and theory on traditional policing and informs targeted and victim-centered anti-trafficking efforts.

Developing Community Co-designed Scenario-Based Training for Police Mental Health Crisis Response: a Relational Policing Approach to De-escalation

Using the current empirical landscape of police responses to people in mental health crisis as a backdrop, this methods paper makes an argument for the central role of collaborative co-design and production by diverse community experts and stakeholders to build transformative specialized training for frontline officers. Subject matter experts (SMEs) from across key domains participated in focus groups and curriculum creation, with outputs being the co-development of a conceptual approach and an innovative experiential learning training program. Part 1 unpacks the team’s conceptual development of a relational policing approach. This humanized method is shaped by procedural justice, trauma-informed, person-centred, and cultural safety frameworks. Part 2 details the co-production of a novel problem-based training method for a police service in Southern Ontario, Canada. The program centres on the acquisition of core competencies related to relational policing, de-escalation, and mental health crisis response. The training was designed to bring learners through a spectrum of authentic crisis scenarios: from observer-participant scenarios informed by Forum Theatre methods and targeted SME feedback to a range of high-fidelity assessment simulations that test officers’ abilities to effectively communicate, de-escalate, and make decisions under stress. This program offers repeated opportunities for officers to practice alternative crisis management strategies in scenarios that might otherwise result in the use of force.