Category: Police

Interest in Police Patrol Careers

This is an interesting report that looks at possible causes of why people are not pursuing a career in policing.

Why, we wondered, despite the robust and increasing numbers of entry-level positions in police patrol, was the career of police patrol work such a “hard sell” with the current potential applicant pool? Also, why were some of those very individuals seemingly interested in specialized police work (e.g., detective or investigator, K9 officer, narcotics officer)

but averse to patrol officer positions? Were these potential applicants fearful of the selection process (i.e., invasive background investigations and social media oversight)? Were these people deterred from police patrol careers because of the perception that the initial training expectations were too rigorous (i.e., academy physical training and the challenge of attending a lengthy academy)? Another consideration which grew out of this conversation was the potential inability or failure of police agencies to possibly address basic recruit expectations, namely assistance with the application process, realistic job preview, and mentoring

aquila.usm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi

D.C.’s Aggressive Confiscation Of Illegal Guns Leaves Residents Feeling Targeted : NPR

This is an excellent example of Procedural Justice.

The police department in Washington, D.C., has seized thousands of illegal weapons, but an investigation finds that 4 out of 10 cases of illegal gun possession are dismissed in court.
— Read on www.npr.org/2018/10/24/659980871/d-c-s-aggressive-confiscation-of-illegal-guns-leaves-residents-feeling-targeted

Combating Prostitution – No Right Turn?

Los Angles is trying to combat prostitution with “No Right Turn” signs.

It is a creative way to disrupt the prostitution activity by preventing the solicitor and the prostitute from quickly leaving the main street by taking a quick right turn onto a secondary neighborhood street where the negotiation can be finalized or the sex act can take place.  This is a good example of combining Broken Windows policing and Problem Solving.  The article can be found HERE

Problem-oriented policing: matching the science to the art | Crime Science | Full Text

Dr. Sparrow is one on my favorite Criminal Justice authors.

This paper is an edited version of the Jerry Lee Lecture delivered at the Stockholm Criminology Symposium in 2018, the year in which Professor Herman Goldstein was awarded the Stockholm Prize in Criminology in recognition of his contribution to public safety through the development of problem-oriented policing. This paper examines the significance of a problem-oriented approach and seeks to establish the right balance among, and appropriate role for, a broad range of diverse contributions that scholars and analysts can make to support effective problem-solving. It explores the distinctive contributions of experimental criminology and program evaluation to problem-oriented work, and contrasts the inquiry techniques typically employed by social scientists and by natural scientists. The goal of this paper is to usefully “round out” the role that scholars are prepared to play in advancing effective problem-solving practice.
— Read on crimesciencejournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40163-018-0088-2

D.C.’s Aggressive Confiscation Of Illegal Guns Leaves Residents Feeling Targeted : NPR

This video is an excellent example of “demand side” tactic for reducing guns. It also show how a policing strategy impacts a community.

The police department in Washington, D.C., has seized thousands of illegal weapons, but an investigation finds that 4 out of 10 cases of illegal gun possession are dismissed in court.
— Read on www.npr.org/2018/10/24/659980871/d-c-s-aggressive-confiscation-of-illegal-guns-leaves-residents-feeling-targeted

On problem-oriented policing: the Stockholm lecture | Crime Science | Full Text

Dr.  Goldstein is one of my favorite Criminal Justice Authors.

This paper is an edited version of the speech given upon being awarded the 2018 Stockholm Prize in Criminology. After a brief introduction, the paper describes the concept of problem-oriented policing (POP), first proposed in 1979. It goes on to assess the extent to which the police have adopted POP, and its current status. POP is, in the immediate sense, aimed at a reduction in the incidence or severity of the problem on which attention is focused, and, in the broader sense, at improving the fundamentals of policing in a democratic society.
— Read on crimesciencejournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40163-018-0087-3

Crime victim vs. public nuisance | Modern Policing

This article points out an apparent flaw in many public nuisance laws — they can penalize crime victims. In the case of domestic violence, some victims who have called the police multiple times have crossed a threshold that put their home into the public nuisance category, particularly risky when renting from a landlord. Others have…
— Read on gcordner.wordpress.com/2018/10/13/crime-victim-vs-public-nuisance/

Run-down, abandoned buildings pose problems for law enforcement – News – The Topeka Capital-Journal – Topeka, KS

A 2016 study of blight on 32 Topeka city blocks found an increase in number of police calls, code violations and dollars spent when there were abandoned buildings in an area.The study, conducted by Wichita State University, found that about $31,100 in additional personnel resources were needed to complete code violation cases in city blocks with abandoned housing present rather than those without.The effects of abandoned housing in those areas were significant: police response frequency to city
— Read on www.cjonline.com/news/20181014/run-down-abandoned-buildings-pose-problems-for-law-enforcement

The Wichita State 2016 REPORT