Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology最新文献

Contact between officers and individuals demonstrating cognitive impairment (IDCIs) has increased in frequency and intensity, often involving use of force. Detecting this impairment and responding accordingly remains a high priority for agencies seeking to improve interactions. This observational study utilizes archived BWC footage accessed in a secure laboratory through a partnership with the police agency. Applying the Clinician-Rated Dimensions of Psychosis Symptom Severity (CRDPSS) to a sample of 446 police-public interactions, this research applies systematic social event modeling (SSEM) documenting observational cues, the duration of those cues, and how officers validate those cues. Results indicate co-occurring cues, dispatch-initiated calls, and contacts involving cues of depression have a higher likelihood of emotion dysregulation and increasing levels of intensity.

The safety of police officers and the community is compromised by shift work and work demands. Retention rates are declining globally, and recruiting new police officers is increasingly challenging. A contributing factor is organizational stressors, with nightshifts potentially increasing the risk of disturbed sleep, increased stress, and burnout; 642 Australian police officers answered a cross-sectional survey: 379 worked nightshifts and 263 dayshifts. Regardless of shift, a majority reported their stress (70%) and burnout (60%) as ranging from moderate to extremely high. Contrary to initial expectations, nightshift work did not significantly deteriorate sleep quality or intensify stress and burnout. These findings suggest that excessive workloads and the stressful environments encountered by police officers may primarily drive the burnout process. Additional research is required to determine the underlying factors and devise strategies to alleviate the adverse effects on the physical and mental health of police officers.

Statistics are used in the police, for example, to show changes in crime trends over time and to provide evidence for the effectiveness of crime prevention measures. Statistical literacy is the ability to understand and draw sound conclusions from statistical data; therefore, it contributes to professional competencies in police work. In the present study, the handling of statistics and probabilities by police commissioner trainees is examined in more detail, focusing on risk literacy. Using police-related scenarios, it is examined whether biases can occur in the assessment of probabilities and risks, as is the case in other professions. Both the conjunction fallacy and the base rate neglect could be demonstrated and are discussed in terms of their relevance for training and police work in general.

This project, conducted in one Canadian province, investigated whether a train-the-trainer model of supervision and peer review could improve the interviewing skills of police officers new to interviewing children. At 6 police services, 2 “interview specialists” were chosen by criteria (e.g. having conducted > 30 interviews with children), commitment (minimum 2 years to project), and performance evaluation of a mock and field interview. Specialists received additional training on leading group peer review and individual supervision. They carried out these activities over a 9-month period with 3–4 trainees (new interviewers) per site. Trainees’ interview performance was evaluated with mock and field interviews pre and post intervention. Qualitative interviews about project feasibility were carried out with the specialists at the end of the project, and the results of those interviews comprise the focus of this paper. At the time of the qualitative interviews, only 9 specialists and 5 sites remained in the project. Their interviews revealed that organizational buy-in was critical theme. Other emergent themes were that (different) training is needed for all levels of interviewing experience including interview specialists, that peer review formats are not one-size-fits-all across services, and that fostering a culture of peer review enhances cohesion. 

Swedish police are implementing a new model for investigative interviewing. Previous research has highlighted that investigative interviewing is difficult to operationalize and teach to recruits. This study aimed to understand what Swedish police teachers value as important interpersonal skills for investigative interviewing as well as what strategies and struggles these teachers face when teaching recruits. Interviews were conducted with six experienced interviewing teachers at Swedish police training programs. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The teachers described that taking the interviewee’s perspective and accepting responsibility to build rapport, as well as social and situational flexibility were important skills for interviewers to process. When describing their strategies and struggles in teaching, the teachers described the need to bridge theory and practice, train flexibility through diverse scenarios, adjust to students’ social maturity and ability to self-reflect, and work with limited resources. This study also highlights how interviewing teachers express a need for adequate time and resources to be able to help recruits develop the necessary skills for interviewing.

Little is known about how defendant and victim religion influence juror decision-making outcomes in cases of extreme violent crime. The current study sought to examine whether defendant age (16- vs. 35-years-old), and defendant and victim religion (Christian vs. Muslim) influenced mock-jurors’ perceptions and verdict decisions in a religiously motivated mass shooting context. Participants (N = 321) read a mock-trial transcript describing the alleged mass shooting occurring at a place of worship. Participants were asked to provide verdict decisions, rate their perceptions of the defendant and victim, and answer questions related to religious bias and moral outrage toward the defendant. Overall, defendant religion influenced mock-jurors’ judgments such that Christian defendants received more guilty verdicts and less favourable perceptions than Muslim defendants, and victims were perceived more favourably when the defendant was Christian. Moreover, victim religion only influenced guilt ratings, such that mock-jurors were more likely to assign higher guilt ratings to a defendant when the victim was described as Muslim. Moral outrage partially mediated the effect of defendant religion and mock-juror perceptions of the defendant. The results of this study concluded that while defendant age and victim religion have little influence, defendant religion is greatly influential to juror decision-making. This research provides new insight regarding how influential defendant religion is in legal decision-making, and how moral outrage toward the defendant may have practical implications for legal decision-making.

Police and public safety psychology (hereafter PPSP) is recognized by the American Psychological Association (APA) as a specialty in professional psychology (American Psychological Association in Recognized specialties, subspecialties, and proficiencies in professional psychology, 2024). PPSP is concerned with assisting law enforcement and other public safety personnel and agencies in carrying out their missions and societal functions with effectiveness, safety, health, and conformity to laws and ethics. It consists of the application of the science and profession of psychology to the primary domains of practice of PPSP (Council of Organizations in Police Psychology in Petition for renewal of recognition of police and public safety psychology as a specialty in professional psychology, 2019). This paper describes the results of efforts to organize and define the specialty and its scope of practice.

Considerable research has explored personality characteristics in connection to law enforcement personnel, yielding valuable insights into the nature of individuals who choose to serve. Theoretical arguments over whether one is drawn to such a career or one changes as a result of the work have yielded inconsistent findings, though, and in an age of reduced policing workforces and ever-changing demands on law enforcement, it is necessary to revisit what motivates certain individuals choose this career. This study uses data from the Add Health project to explore policing careers motivated by personality characteristics, psychological insights, and social influences, such as prior work experiences, familial history, and educational status. Results indicate desire to solve problems serves as a motivator to pursue law enforcement and imply that positive self-perceptions may also increase career choice. These findings open inquiry into new possibilities for recruitment planning, training, and strategic evolution of service roles.

The NEO-Personality Inventory-3 (NEO-PI-3) is the latest version of the NEO inventories for assessing the Five Factor Model of normal personality functioning. NEO-PI-3 data specific to policer officer applicants in the employment selection context have yet to be published. This study presents NEO-PI-3 descriptive data for 257 successful police officer applicants to multiple Midwestern departments. Applicants completed the NEO-PI-3 as part of a preemployment psychological evaluation. Mean NEO-PI-3 scores were notable for very low/low Neuroticism and high/very high Conscientiousness (domain and facet scores). Extraversion, Openness, and Agreeableness were generally at average levels, with the exceptions of high levels for the facets Warmth and Assertiveness (Extraversion) and Altruism (Agreeableness). Results may be useful to selection professionals and researchers as a comparison group and/or normative benchmark for future samples of police applicants.