Police College Research Articles

Designing a graduate entry route for police recruits: lessons from a rapid evidence assessment of other professions

ABSTRACTPolicing in the UK is currently undergoing changes to the training and attained qualifications of entry level police officers. The College of Policing is in the process of developing three entry routes into the profession, one of which is a graduate conversion course for those new recruits who hold, at a minimum, a Bachelor’s degree. The objective of this research was to gather evidence on existing conversion courses to inform the development of this route. A rapid evidence assessment was undertaken to a narrative synthesis of the literature on graduate conversion courses in other professions. Fifty-one studies were identified and coded. Four main themes emerged from the available evidence as being central. These themes – learning styles, translating theory into practice, teaching methods and assessment were cross cut by pedagogical sub-themes of collaborative learning, and reflective practice. Policy and practice implications for a policing conversion course are drawn out to guide development and delivery of police training and education in the 21st century.

Developing a knowledge base for crime prevention: lessons learned from the British experience

During the past 20 years, there have been several initiatives, led by the British government, to improve crime prevention by informing policy and practice with research. Two in particular stand out for the scale of the investment: The first was the establishment of the Crime Reduction Programme (CRP) in 1999. The CRP was supposed both to be based on what was already known from research and also to improve the evidence base and was scheduled to run for a decade. The CRP involved an unprecedented financial commitment to improving the knowledge base of crime prevention. The second was the establishment of the What Works Centre for Crime Reduction (WWCCR) in 2013. The WWCCR attempts both to distil findings from high quality research on what works in crime reduction in a form that would be readily accessible to and useable by decision-makers, and to encourage original research to improve the knowledge base. We touch more briefly also on the creation of the National Police Improvement Agency in 2007 and its successor body, the College of Policing in 2013. The core mission of both has been to professionalise policing (including police efforts to reduce crime) by making policing more evidence based, and the College of Policing has been home to WWCCR. This paper will provide a critical account of these major efforts to bring evidence to crime reduction and discuss lessons that can be learned from their experience.

Perceptions and Misunderstandings of Polygraph Testing - Comparison between Police Officers and College Students -

Perceptions and Misunderstandings of Polygraph Testing - Comparison between Police Officers and College Students -

Research on the Countermeasures of Public Security Organs in the New Era Railway Police College Police Integrity Research

By reviewing the achievements of the public security organs in the full and rigorous governance over the police since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, this paper deeply analyzes the problems existing in the current public security organs in advancing full and rigorous governance over the police, and proposes the countermeasures to promote the management of the police in a new era, which are of great significance to the construction of public security organs and a disciplined political and legal team.

Body-worn cameras and officer perceptions: a mixed-method pretest posttest of patrol officers and supervisors

ABSTRACTThe adoption of police body-worn cameras (BWCs) is likely inevitable. This technology has significant implications for police–community relations, enhanced trust and transparency, and complaint investigation. Little is known about officer, or supervisor, attitudes toward BWCs. These dimensions are critical as officer investment and agency policy influence BWC usage and effectiveness. This research uses a mixed-method approach, pairing officer surveys with focus groups of patrol officers and focus groups of supervisors. University police officers participated in the survey using a census approach with near full participation. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected pre- and post-implementation to address attitudinal changes toward BWCs. Results indicate officer and supervisor support for BWCs. Many of the concerns that officers raised in the pretest, including fear of negative evaluations, internal investigations, and technology issues, were not realized. Connecting officer and supervisor perspectives provides guidance for agencies considering adoption and/or implementation of BWCs.

Police integrity in China

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the contours of police integrity among Chinese police officers. Specifically, this study explores how Chinese police evaluate integrity based on official policy governing interactions, discipline governing infractions, views of seriousness, and willingness to inform when others engage in misconduct.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 353 police officers were surveyed representing those attending in-service training program at a Chinese police university in May 2015. Questionnaires containing 11 scenarios describing police misbehaviors were distributed to officers during classes.FindingsThere was a strong correlation between officers’ perceptions of rule-violation, misconduct seriousness, discipline, and willingness to report. Additionally, preliminary results suggest there exists a code of silence among Chinese officers, and that Chinese officers hold a lenient attitude toward the use of excessive force.Research limitations/implicationsThis study utilizes a convenient sample, which restricts the generalizability of the results.Practical implicationsThe results indicate the existence of code of silence among Chinese officers and their lenient attitude toward the use of excessive force.Originality/valueAlthough there has been a growing body of research examining police integrity in both western democracies and transitional societies, China as the largest developing nation in the world and with a unique police system (falls somewhere between the centralized model and the integrated model) is understudied. This study addresses this gap in previous literature by exploring the contours of police integrity among Chinese police officers.

Embodied Interventions: Feminist Communication Pedagogy and Rape Culture

On August 30, 2016, amid a discussion of a mandated e-mail notification from the Christopher Newport University Police Department about a campus sexual assault that had occurred the previous week, ...

Cloninger's temperament and character dimensions and dopaminergic genes: DAT1 VNTR and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms.

the objective of this study was to examine the associations between Cloninger temperament and character dimensions with the DAT1 VNTR and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms. The study was conducted on 101 subjects, consisting of students of the Police College in Zagreb and staff of the Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital in Zagreb. The Cloninger Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) was used to test personality traits. A main effect of the DAT1 VNTR polymorphism was found on the subscale self-directedness - SD2 (F=5.18, df=1, p<0.05), where a higher result was detected in carriers of the 9/9 genotype (M=7.33, SD=0.51) than those carrying the 10-repeat allele (M=6.02, SD=1.36). Also for the COMT Val158Met polymorphism, main effects were found on the subscales: NS3 (novelty seeking) (F=5.18, df=1, p<0.05), where a higher result was found in carriers of the Val allele (M=5.03, SD=2.22) than in carriers of the Met/Met genotype (MD=4.76, SD=2.37), SD3 (self-directedness) (F=5.18, df=1, p<0.05) where a higher result was found in carriers of the Val/Val genotype (M=4.50, SD=0.78) than in those carrying the Met allele (M=3.80, SD=1.31); C3 (cooperativeness) (F=5.18, df=1, p<0.05), where a high result was found in carriers of the Val allele (M=5.68, SD=1.25) than those carrying the Met/Met genotype (M=5.08, SD=1.11); and ST3 (self-transcendence) (F=5.18, df=1, p<0.05), where a higher result was found in carriers of the Met/Met genotype (M=3.46, SD=2.37) than carriers of the Val allele (M=2.69, SD=1.84). Two significant interactions were detected, on the subscale NS3 (novelty seeking) (F=5.18, df=1, p<0.05), and on the subscale C2 (cooperativeness) (F=5.18, df=1, p<0.05). Cloninger's (1987) hypothesis about negative relationship between novelty seeking and dopamine was confirmed on allele level, because higher novelty seeking was found in Val allele carriers comparing to Met/Met genotype carriers.

Job satisfaction among frontline police officers in China: the role of demographic, work-related, organizational and social factors

ABSTRACTThis study was intended to add to information about the underinvestigated policing studies in China. The possible impact of demographic characteristics, work-related variables, and organizational management and social variables on police job satisfaction was investigated. Data were collected through a self-report survey administered to a sample of sworn police officers training in a national police university in China (N = 393). Results indicated that work-related characteristics associated with variety and stress, and organizational variables associated with professional development and peer cohesion were the most important predictors of job satisfaction in this sample of police officers.

Was university liable for campus safety officer's actions involving a student's false arrest?

While Butler University Police Officer Anthony Rivera was on foot patrol in the early morning hours of April 18, 2015, he overheard a noisy altercation between a male and a female nearby.

Extending the remit of evidence-based policing

Evidence-based policing (EBP) is an important strand of the UK’s College of Policing’s Police Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF), itself a component of a professionalisation agenda. This article argues that the two dominant approaches to EBP, experimental criminology and crime science, offer limited scope for the development of a comprehensive knowledge base for policing. Although both approaches share a common commitment to the values of science, each recognizes their limited coverage of policing topics. The fundamental difference between them is what each considers ‘best’ evidence. This article critically examines the generation of evidence by these two approaches and proposes an extension to the range of issues EBP should cover by utilizing a greater plurality of methods to exploit relevant research. Widening the scope of EBP would provide a broader foundational framework for inclusion in the PEQF and offers the potential for identifying gaps in the research, constructing blocks for knowledge building, and syllabus development in higher level police education.

1980 Askeri Darbesi`nden 15 Temmuz 2016`ya kadar süreç içinde FETÖ/PDY`nin kamu ve siyasi yapıya yönelik yerleşme faaliyetleri

On 15th July 2016 at 21.05, the general initiative of the Fettullah Terrorist Organization / Parallel State Constitution (FETO / PSC) has been suppressed before it didn't reache its destination because of social common sense, the democracy of the people, and the attitude of the political and bureaucratic staff, especially the President and the Prime Minister. July 15, a day to be removed with one of the most dirty and bloody undertakings of our history; past blows and coup attempts and the results and evaluation of each direction along with. With the 1980 Military Coup, the elements of the FETO / PSC, which increased the efforts to settle in the state mechanism within itself and formed strategies in this context, placed military schools, law and political sciences for the judiciary, security and political system, especially Turkish Armed Forces, and disciples to police colleges, prepared to capture the key points, especially starting with the PKK in 1984, along with the threats in the political environment by taking advantage of the advantages provided to him by the administrative and bureaucratic staff has begun to settle. This move, which he easily finds in the conservative parties, has opened the way for his empowerment and his rapid and steadfast staffing within the state. The purpose of this study is; to analyze the staffing activities in the period of power beginning with the conservative parties, the elements of the FETO / PSC that found the field of life with the 1980 Coup were systematic for the Turkish Armed Forces embarkation of military schools, law and political sciences and police colleges for the judiciary, until the July 15, 2016.

Student and Police Partnerships: Cultivating Student Success and Community Development

Scholarship on service-learning and experiential learning increasingly demonstrates benefits for student access and success, but evidence is still needed of the impact of these strategies on sustainable development of communities and their infrastructure. This case study examines a university Police and Society course that partners with four police departments to use both experiential learning and service-learning in the form of ride-alongs, simulation trainings, and written and physical examinations, as well as hosting a police–community relations event. Focus groups of students and officers reveal how service-learning and experiential learning build capacity for police–community relations. Orienting students toward officer procedures, requirements, and culture creates a learning opportunity for both students and departments, while police–community relations activities humanize officers and build public understanding and trust.

The impact of values, bias, culture and leadership on BME under-representation in the police service

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to critically examine whether the individual values and bias of police officers could be frustrating attempts to achieve black and ethnic minority (BME) representation within the police service, especially at senior levels. It focusses on the micro-individual level, examining perceptions, values and attitudes towards equality and diversity, unconscious bias and the impact of leadership in addressing these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reviews the literature on values, police culture and leadership. It draws upon data produced from a very small study undertaken within a local police service specialist unit where the author was employed, by means of semi-structured interviews with a selection of staff and senior officers, and values and attitudes surveys. Data were examined from a national survey of BME officers and Human Resources Leads, conducted by the College of Policing’s BME Progression 2018 Programme. Finally, unconscious bias test data of samples of police officers, including senior leaders and HR professionals were examined.FindingsThe interview data show that equality and diversity are perceived to be largely embedded by organisational members. This is contradicted by the data from the values and attitudes survey which show that equality is not fully embedded in the culture, and the data from BME officers survey supports this. Leader role models and behaviours were found to play a crucial role in embedding these values, along with training. The findings also demonstrated a higher level of unconscious bias among senior officers and HR professionals, responsible for recruitment and selection, than police employees in general.Research limitations/implicationsThis exploratory research is concerned with policing in England and Wales. The very small sample limits inferences possible in the findings but is highly relevant to current and future policing.Practical implicationsThe paper highlights some potential barriers to achieving a representative police service at an individual rather than organisational level and makes a number of recommendations on the role of leaders now, and crucially in the future, to fully embed equality and diversity into police culture to address under-representation, a phenomenon which has plagued the police service throughout its entire history.Originality/valueThere appears to be a dearth of studies examining the issue of under-representation at the micro-individual level within British police organisations. The current, exploratory research study seeks to contribute to closing this gap.

Police leadership: the challenges for developing contemporary practice

PurposeIn recent years, police leadership integrity and standards have been positioned as central to the professionalisation agenda of the police service England and Wales (College of Policing, 2015). The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges for developing innovative, more people-oriented approaches to leadership in a command environment like the police.Design/methodology/approachA case study approach in one UK police constabulary was adopted. In all, 38 semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior police officers from chief constable to inspector rank. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed.FindingsPolice officers drew on managerial and command discourses in their understandings of leadership. Perceptions of the situation, particularly in terms of perceived risk and visibility, influenced leadership practices in the constabulary.Originality/valueCurrent research and policy places emphasis on “what works” in police leadership; the meanings of leadership to police officers is overshadowed by a focus on effectiveness. Through the use of semi-structured interviews, this research captures police leaders’ understandings of themselves and their leadership. The findings reveal that, at a time when police leadership needs to become more innovative and people focussed, the pressures and complexities of contemporary policing mean that police officers retreat to leadership that is command-based and driven by the primacy of business needs.

Promote accountability, transparency to build trust, grow professionalism

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A focus on accountability and transparency can lead to improvements in your unit. A program review conducted by an outside consultant helped officials in the Northwestern University Police Department create a roadmap for improvement, said Gloria Graham, assistant vice president and deputy chief of police. She spoke at the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators annual conference.

‘It’s a Profession, it Isn’t a Job’: Police Officers’ Views on the Professionalisation of Policing in England

This article focuses on police officers’ views on the professionalisation of policing in England against a backdrop of government reforms to policing via establishment of the College of Policing, evidence-based policing, and a period of austerity. Police officers view professionalisation as linked to top-down government reforms, education and recruitment, building of an evidence-base, and ethics of policing (Peelian principles). These elements are further entangled with new public management principles, highlighting the ways in which professionalism can be used as a technology of control to discipline workers. There are tensions between the government’s top-down drive for police organisations to professionalise and officers’ bottom-up views on policing as an established profession. Data are presented from qualitative interviews with 15 police officers and staff in England.

Implementation fidelity in a loosely coupled system: the challenges of maintaining consistent ‘problem theory’ and ‘programme theory’ in a multi-force training pilot

ABSTRACTThis paper considers the organisational and institutional structures involved in the design and delivery of a police training pilot in England in 2015. The training pilot was implemented in six English police forces, and was developed by the College of Policing to improve police use of stop and search powers. Drawing on observations of training sessions and interviews with trainers, trained officers, training designers and national stakeholders in the design process, the paper examines the differences in delivery across forces, and considers key (dis)connections within the communications processes between and within police organisations. The paper examines the institutional and organisational aspects of this attempt to reform police behaviour, and demonstrates the importance of organisational boundary navigation in reform initiatives. This approach challenges predominant conceptualisations of resistant police (sub-)cultures as the main barrier to reform. More specifically, the paper considers clarity in problem theory and programme theory as inherently complex in police training interventions and illuminates the challenges of translating high-level goals into training-room activities. This is particularly the case where multiple forces are involved, each undertaking their own process of translation and interpretation of the training goals and methods. Following an examination of the findings, the implications of these findings for the ways in which police institutions can seek to improve implementation fidelity are explored, as well as the broader challenges for maintaining consistent standards of practice across multiple organisational boundaries.

Challenges and Aspects of Cyber Security of the Republic of Croatia

Abstract The development of the information and communication technology (ICT), regardless of its many advantages, unfortunately has its disadvantage - the abuse of the cyberworld. The global character of cyberspace is specific in terms of national legislation and its view of specificities. Some countries adopted the recommendation of the Convention on Cybercrime of the Council of Europe (Official Gazette NN-MU 9/02, 4/04) and amended their national legislation, whereas others kept implementing their criminal law solutions, which are outdated and cannot reach the level of this type of criminal offences. Consequently, governments are inclined to cooperate and exchange information about this type of crime due to the fact that the criminal offender may be anywhere, and the offence itself can take place at a great distance from the offender. In September 2015, the government of the Republic of Croatia adopted the National Cyber Security Strategy and the Action Plan for the Implementation of the National Cyber Security Strategy, the first allencompassing strategy of the Republic of Croatia on cyber security. The paper also focuses on the role of the Police College in the Action Plan for the Implementation of the National Cyber Security Strategy.

Focus on strategic planning to improve campus safety

In the nearly four years Kim Lemaux has been chief of police at the University of Texas at Arlington, crime on campus has dropped dramatically. When the Texas Association of College and University Police Administrators chose her department as the 2016 Pacesetter Police Department of the Year, the 37 percent decrease in reported crime was one factor in the honor.