Police Quarterly

Publisher:: Sage Publications, Inc.
Publication date:: 2021-09-06

ISBN:: 1098-6111

Issue Number

Latest documents

Re-examining the Use of Force Continuum: Why Resistance is Not the Only Driver of Use of Force Decisions
Policing research and use of force policies have been guided by the continuum model for the past several decades. The continuum specifies a relationship between the amount of resistance a suspect presents and the amount of force that an officer should use to respond to or overcome a given level of resistance. In this paper, we show that resistance alone is an insufficient indicator of the necessity and level of force to be used both conceptually and empirically. We argue for the inclusion of considerations of perceived threat in the analysis of use of force incidents—both in policy and in research. Our analysis also reiterates the importance of police culture in understanding use of force decisions.
Testing the Effects of a Problem-Solving Policing Strategy on Crime Outcomes: The Promise of an Integrated Approach
Police problem-solving is one of the most recognized innovations of recent decades, and evidence provides practitioners with hope in their challenges to affect crime. Yet, practitioners need more than hope as they struggle to implement and institutionalize this innovation. This paper shares the results of an integrated problem-solving intervention situated within a comprehensive approach. A Case of Place intervention served as an instrument of problem-solving, which became institutionalized through analytical and Compstat changes. The intervention guided police and crime analysts through problem-solving processes, ensuring attention to each problem-solving step. Using interrupted time-series, post-intervention results revealed a significant reduction in aggravated assaults, motor vehicle breaks, and robberies, as compared to pre-intervention patterns. Additionally, organizational shifts moved the department towards the goal of holistic problem-solving. This study reveals positive results from the Case of Place problem-solving instrument and may offer a path to address the analytical and institutionalization shortcomings of problem-solving.
Testing the Effects of a Problem-Solving Policing Strategy on Crime Outcomes: The Promise of an Integrated Approach
Police problem-solving is one of the most recognized innovations of recent decades, and evidence provides practitioners with hope in their challenges to affect crime. Yet, practitioners need more than hope as they struggle to implement and institutionalize this innovation. This paper shares the results of an integrated problem-solving intervention situated within a comprehensive approach. A Case of Place intervention served as an instrument of problem-solving, which became institutionalized through analytical and Compstat changes. The intervention guided police and crime analysts through problem-solving processes, ensuring attention to each problem-solving step. Using interrupted time-series, post-intervention results revealed a significant reduction in aggravated assaults, motor vehicle breaks, and robberies, as compared to pre-intervention patterns. Additionally, organizational shifts moved the department towards the goal of holistic problem-solving. This study reveals positive results from the Case of Place problem-solving instrument and may offer a path to address the analytical and institutionalization shortcomings of problem-solving.
“Police Sexual Violence: A Study of Policewomen as Victims”
Police sexual violence (PSV) is an understudied but critically important topic in police research. This paper uncovers and examines an extremely hidden form of PSV: sexual assaults of female police officers by male police officers. Our qualitative analysis reveals how male police officers of widely varying ranks and years of experience sexually assault female police officers. Victims reported that the number of male police officers who sexually assault female police officers is small; however, victims reported that these officers are often serial offenders who also assault professional staff and citizens. Victims identified available investigative processes and reporting protocols, but they were afraid to report incidents due to concerns about potential retaliation from administrators and co-workers, limited career advancement or termination, being negatively viewed by co-workers, and simply not being believed. Victims believed that certain hypermasculine aspects of their agency and profession's culture allowed acts of PSV to happen, go unreported, and re-occur. We make several recommendations for how police administrators can address and prevent PSV in their agencies.
“Police Sexual Violence: A Study of Policewomen as Victims”
Police sexual violence (PSV) is an understudied but critically important topic in police research. This paper uncovers and examines an extremely hidden form of PSV: sexual assaults of female police officers by male police officers. Our qualitative analysis reveals how male police officers of widely varying ranks and years of experience sexually assault female police officers. Victims reported that the number of male police officers who sexually assault female police officers is small; however, victims reported that these officers are often serial offenders who also assault professional staff and citizens. Victims identified available investigative processes and reporting protocols, but they were afraid to report incidents due to concerns about potential retaliation from administrators and co-workers, limited career advancement or termination, being negatively viewed by co-workers, and simply not being believed. Victims believed that certain hypermasculine aspects of their agency and profession's culture allowed acts of PSV to happen, go unreported, and re-occur. We make several recommendations for how police administrators can address and prevent PSV in their agencies.
Using Network Analytics to Improve Targeted Disruption of Police Misconduct
Research into police misconduct traditionally considers the correlates and antecedents of misconduct among individual officers, as a means of disruption or prevention. However, more recently, deviance among police has been considered through network perspectives. This study considered 7755 allegations of misconduct accrued by 1495 officers from the Baltimore Police Department between January 2015 to January 2020. A social network analysis was employed to consider the characteristics and differences of misconduct networks between assignments and to identify key officers within these networks. Findings suggested that the misconduct networks of patrol assignments functioned marginally different to investigations or specialist duties. Discrete communities of misconduct were identified within each assignment, including a small number of officers that were particularly important to supporting these networks. This study holds practical implications for the identification and disruption of misconduct networks among law enforcement agencies.
Using Network Analytics to Improve Targeted Disruption of Police Misconduct
Research into police misconduct traditionally considers the correlates and antecedents of misconduct among individual officers, as a means of disruption or prevention. However, more recently, deviance among police has been considered through network perspectives. This study considered 7755 allegations of misconduct accrued by 1495 officers from the Baltimore Police Department between January 2015 to January 2020. A social network analysis was employed to consider the characteristics and differences of misconduct networks between assignments and to identify key officers within these networks. Findings suggested that the misconduct networks of patrol assignments functioned marginally different to investigations or specialist duties. Discrete communities of misconduct were identified within each assignment, including a small number of officers that were particularly important to supporting these networks. This study holds practical implications for the identification and disruption of misconduct networks among law enforcement agencies.
“Take a Break!”: A Qualitative Study of Shift-Duty Police Officers’ On-The-Job Breaks
This qualitative study examined on-the-job breaks taken by shift-duty police officers. We explored the nature of on-the-job breaks among officers, their perception of these breaks as helping them to recover and replenish resources, and what factors shaped their on-the-job breaks. Data were collected from 21 shift-duty police officers via semi-structured interviews. Findings show that on-the-job breaks were categorized into official and unofficial breaks, each of which had fairly distinctive characteristics. The timing, activities engaged in during breaks, and subjective experiences during breaks were thought to determine the effectiveness of on-the-job breaks. Officers reported that the adverse impacts of skipping a break tended to exceed the benefits of taking a break. On-the-job breaks were shaped by various work and non-work factors. As the first study delving into on-the-job breaks among shift-duty police officers, this study expands our understanding of specific strategies employed by police officers to deal with ongoing work demands.
“Take a Break!”: A Qualitative Study of Shift-Duty Police Officers’ On-The-Job Breaks
This qualitative study examined on-the-job breaks taken by shift-duty police officers. We explored the nature of on-the-job breaks among officers, their perception of these breaks as helping them to recover and replenish resources, and what factors shaped their on-the-job breaks. Data were collected from 21 shift-duty police officers via semi-structured interviews. Findings show that on-the-job breaks were categorized into official and unofficial breaks, each of which had fairly distinctive characteristics. The timing, activities engaged in during breaks, and subjective experiences during breaks were thought to determine the effectiveness of on-the-job breaks. Officers reported that the adverse impacts of skipping a break tended to exceed the benefits of taking a break. On-the-job breaks were shaped by various work and non-work factors. As the first study delving into on-the-job breaks among shift-duty police officers, this study expands our understanding of specific strategies employed by police officers to deal with ongoing work demands.
Re-examining the Use of Force Continuum: Why Resistance is Not the Only Driver of Use of Force Decisions
Policing research and use of force policies have been guided by the continuum model for the past several decades. The continuum specifies a relationship between the amount of resistance a suspect presents and the amount of force that an officer should use to respond to or overcome a given level of resistance. In this paper, we show that resistance alone is an insufficient indicator of the necessity and level of force to be used both conceptually and empirically. We argue for the inclusion of considerations of perceived threat in the analysis of use of force incidents—both in policy and in research. Our analysis also reiterates the importance of police culture in understanding use of force decisions.