Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology最新文献

The present study explored the effect of expressive writing on the test anxiety of eight law enforcement participants while preparing for their Toronto Police Entrance Test. The intervention took place a month before they were due to take the test instead of the conventional practice of implementing it a few days before the test or even during the actual test. An expressive writing journal was given to them. They were instructed on how to write their thoughts about their test anxiety for 25 min during one supervised session uninterrupted. A Thought Record Questionnaire was also given to them. They were instructed to itemise the causes of their test anxiety and to rank their corresponding intensity before and after their journal writing. They would continue ranking their intensity for the next 4 days. The results revealed that the participants who benefitted the most were those who were able to alleviate their test anxiety for an extended period as indicated on the Thought Record and who were able to adequately offset their adverse thoughts as indicated on their expressive writing journals. The findings from this small-scale mixed methods study showed that it is possible to adopt expressive writing as a tool to self-manage test anxiety during the preparation of a test and not just as a means of alleviating test anxiety during the actual writing of the test on the scheduled date. The findings also showed that it is possible for expressive writing to address stress—including traumatic stress.

In the Indian context, a police station in-charge officer is responsible for managing efforts of the police forces in a particular jurisdiction and is accountable to multiple internal and external stakeholders. The investigation aims to explore determinants of task performance and job satisfaction of in-charge police officers in India. A scale developed by Shinde and Patil (Indian Police Journal 68(1):21–34, 2021) was tested on a sample of respondents (n = 390), and causal relationships were tested. The study concluded that the ‘emotional factors’ and ‘working conditions’ act as antecedents of both, job satisfaction and task performance, while the impact of perceived organisational support was found to be restricted only to job satisfaction. Occupational stress was found to have an insignificant impact on both of the outcome variables. Testing of various determinants of job satisfaction and task performance in an integrated framework and validation of newly emerged factor (emotional factors) are some of the major contributions of the study.

Abstract

The relationship between law enforcement and those with mental illness is severely strained and possibly even broken. But who caused this rift in the relationship? Is law enforcement to blame? Are those with a mental illness to blame? Or, does the issue stem from a bigger problem of deinstitutionalization and negative stigmas that society has against both mentioned populations? The purpose of this study was to dive deeper into the relationship between law enforcement officers and those with mental illness to seek the root cause of the disconnect, as well as what can be done to bridge the gap. Previous research has focused on the law enforcement perspective, focusing on what training (if any) they have for dealing with citizens with mental illnesses as well as how those in law enforcement perceive people with mental illnesses while on the job. These perceptions are yet another possible explanation of the disconnect and could potentially be part of the solution to help mend the break between law enforcement and those suffering from a mental illness. The present study sought to examine the effects that CIT training has on the response outcomes when law enforcement officers respond to those with mental illness. These response outcomes, when ranked by severity, can help to explain the importance of CIT training and its effectiveness, especially when compared to the previous studies data pool of officer perspectives. The results of this study are compelling and create an effortless opening for conversation on a topic that is difficult for many to talk about.

Abstract

Repeated exposure to traumatogenic material is a part of every working day for police officers in specialist units, such as forensic scene investigation and digital forensic analysis, with recent years marking an increase in its volume and intensity (Office for National Statistics (2018). While this may be considered a price paid for choosing to pursue careers in these areas, it is likely to have a significant impact on a professional and personal level, with psychological and physical effects extending beyond the individual’s working hours (Burns et al. in Traumatology 14:20–31, 2008). On the other hand, this important work may contribute to elements of growth and self-development, recognised in existing literature as post-traumatic growth (Tedschi and Calhoun in SAGE Publications, Inc, 1995). The present study adopted a qualitative approach to understanding the lived experiences of seven digital forensic analysts and two forensic scene investigators. Semi-structured interviews explored the impact of their work, as well as their coping strategies and perceived organisational support. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), the study yielded rich personal accounts and identified three superordinate themes: “The effects are inevitable”, “Creating a safe environment”, and “Sense of responsibility and personal growth”. Participants described the inevitable effects of their work, along with their coping strategies developed in response to these. Furthermore, participants considered the safety of their work environment and relationships with their colleagues, while also reflecting on their experience of personal growth through their exposure to adversity. Findings are discussed in relation to theoretical and practical implications, as well as directions for future research.

Crisis Negotiation Teams (CNT) and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams respond together to a critical incident. Although CNT and SWAT have the same goal of resolving a situation, their approaches are very different. Training together has been identified as necessary to balance the two approaches. This study examined practices and perceptions of CNT best practices concerning SWAT. A web-based survey was conducted, and 115 crisis negotiators answered questions about their perceptions about what are commonly perceived as best practices in crisis negotiations. Kendall’s tau statistical analyses were conducted to assist in comparing respondents’ perceptions of best practices to their implementation/usage within their department. In addition, focus groups were conducted with subject matter experts (SMEs) in crisis negotiation to gain further insight into their perceptions of best practices and experiences of working with SWAT. Given that SMEs had at least 10 years of experience, Kendall’s tau statistical analysis was conducted to compare this variable with the perceptions of the best practices and their frequency of use. There were significant relationships between the relative importance and frequency of use in all best practices related to the relationship between CNT and SWAT and training together; however, experience as a negotiator did not have a significant relationship with the best practices except training. The narratives from the focus groups expanded on the importance of training with the SWAT and discussed the roles of each of the entities during critical incidents.

The reporting of crime as victims and witnesses has important implications for police effectiveness in crime prevention, crime control, and community safety. However, some groups, for example, immigrants (otherwise referred to as foreign-born individuals), may feel less obligated to report crimes to the police. While there is a growing body of literature on a wide range of immigrant populations’ willingness to report criminal activities to the police in New York City as victims and witnesses, conspicuously absent from the scholarly literature is research on Caribbean immigrants’ willingness to report crime to the police. Relying on a sample of thirty-seven (n = 37) Caribbean immigrants from five areas in the New York City who were recruited using non-probability sampling, this study examined Caribbean immigrants’ willingness to report crime as victims and witnesses as well as factors that affect their willingness to report criminal activities to the police. Thematic analysis of the data revealed that a great majority of the participants were willing to report crime to the NYPD. However, that willingness was fettered by several factors (seriousness of the crime, fear, and safety concerns). Five major themes emanated from the participants’ narratives (safety concerns, fear, seriousness of the crime, civic duty, and attitudes of police officers), and these are discussed.

Police investigations are complex processes, often accumulating large amounts of interviews. Mapping temporal pathways within and across individuals’ statements is time-consuming and often difficult to interpret after multiple interviews. The current paper provides a novel use of a well-supported timeline method: aoristic analysis. By applying aoristic analysis to interviews, it is shown that consistencies and inconsistencies across multiple interviews can be easily calculated and given probability scores. Important parts of timelines can be highlighted to expedite investigations. This approach uses existing police records and offers an additional layer of statistical analyses to provide quicker insights into the likelihood of activity and event times and durations. While offered as a proof-of-concept study, the current paper provides an opportunity for a range of researchers and academics to assist with interpreting timelines and investigations.

The current study focuses on the beliefs and practices of Belgian police officers (N = 177) concerning suspect interviews. Enhancing and safeguarding the quality of suspect interviews can prevent miscarriages of justice, and a comprehensive understanding of the process is crucial. While prior research has explored suspects’ perspectives on this issue, there has been no comprehensive study on European police officers’ beliefs and practices. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the attitudes of Belgian officers in two studies. Study 1 included Flemish-speaking police officers (N = 130), and Study 2 included French and German-speaking officers (N = 47). Using a self-report survey, officers were questioned about the duration, frequency, and recording of suspect interviews, suspects’ use of legal rights, deception detection ability, (false) confession rates, and the use of various interviewing techniques. The findings suggest a positive shift in the Belgian approach to suspect interviewing, with more adherence to guidelines for minimizing false confessions. However, some officers still reported using accusatorial tactics, indicating that interviewing training in Belgium could benefit from more uniformity. By understanding the beliefs and practices of police officers, we can work towards developing effective interviewing techniques that protect the rights of suspects and promote justice.

Police officers experience multiple operational, organisational, and contextual stressors, which impact wellbeing and have significant repercussions for the economy and public safety. However, officers often feel unable to seek psychological help. Quantitative research has investigated over 100 potential correlates and predictors of police help-seeking attitudes, but most variables have been examined only once, or results are inconsistent across studies. The current cross-sectional study investigated the role of current psychological distress, mental health literacy, distress disclosure, organisational stigma, and length of service as predictors of help-seeking attitudes in one UK police force. Ninety-seven officers completed an online survey. Multiple regression analyses indicated that all variables except length of service were significant predictors of police help-seeking attitudes, with distress disclosure having the largest effect. The current findings are broadly consistent with existing literature. The high proportion of variance explained by the predictors suggests that it may be worth researching interventions which target mental health literacy, distress disclosure, and organisational stigma. Moreover, the finding that participants experiencing greater distress were less likely to seek help highlights the importance of organisational proactivity to ensure police officers access psychological support.

Understanding the decision-making process of police officers when responding to mental health calls is essential for optimizing the training they receive to engage with persons with a mental illness (PMI) and/or persons experiencing a mental health crisis. Research on officer decision-making in mental health contexts is lacking, and police officers’ subjective experience of this response is rarely represented. Using a qualitative approach, the current study aimed to provide a description of the decision-making processes of police officers responding to mental health calls, including decisions to appraise the situation as a mental health call and an enhanced understanding of the ways in which current mental health education and training influences police officer decision-making. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 30 police officers from two municipal police forces in Atlantic Canada. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Four overarching themes were conceptualized and connected to describe the decision-making process. These themes focus on the initial information from dispatch that officers consider, participants’ on-scene observational cognitions, external dynamics that constrain decision-making, and how experience drives response rather than training due to insufficiency in the latter. Findings from this study contribute insight into the unique experience of police officers, which is essential for improving the education and training officers receive and, ultimately, enhancing client outcomes.