<p> Arizona police officers are required by the Arizona Police Officer Standards and Training board to complete continuing training on an annual basis. Police continuing training has traditionally been offered as lecture-based classroom training. Online training offers an alternative method of providing training. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of an online version of a police training class to a classroom-based version of the same course. Participants consisted of sworn police officers employed by the Phoenix Police Department and taking the department&rsquo;s Domestic Violence Investigation (DVI) course. The study compared student learning outcomes between the two course versions, as well as student attitudes and perceptions of training. </p><p> The study utilized a descriptive research design with a mixed methods approach. Research questions investigated the attitudes and perceptions of participants, compared student learning outcomes between the two course versions, and asked whether educational level and previous experience with online learning was linked to positive learning outcomes in the DVI course. Quantitative data consisted of demographic questionnaires, a 45-question assessment of the likelihood of success in online learning, a 10-question pre-test, and a 10-question post-test. Qualitative data was obtained through interviews with six participants who had taken the DVI course. </p><p> The results of the study indicated participants in the online version of the DVI course performed as well or better on the post-test than their counterparts in the classroom. Participants interviewed for the study enjoyed the online presentation of the course, and supported the development of additional online training options within their department. Positive student learning outcomes for the online DVI course provide support for the development of online police training programs.</p><p>

Le maintien de l’ordre est l’une des missions principales des forces de police, l’ordre public étant une condition indispensable à la vie en société. Depuis près d’une dizaine d’année, la légitimité du maintien de l’ordre est en question à cause des mouvements de protestation de grande ampleur pour des raisons politiques comme les printemps arabes, mais aussi au nom d’évolutions économique, sociale et environnementale dans les pays occidentaux. Les opérations de maintien de l’ordre répondent aux débordements des contestations. Elles n’ont pas vocation à réduire la liberté d’expression. Elles encadrent les rassemblements dans l’intérêt des participants et protègent la société contre les actions d’éléments violents. Les principes de nécessité et de proportionnalité reconnus à l’échelle internationale assurent la légitimité des interventions policières. Il arrive qu’une utilisation excessive de la force conduise à mettre en cause la légitimité de la police et plus largement celle de l’état. Si tous les pays sont confrontés périodiquement à des actes regrettables, certains recourent systématiquement à la répression pour réduire les oppositions politiques ou protéger des intérêts personnels. La contestation des débordements des opérations de maintien de l’ordre devient alors un motif de protestation, alimentant un désordre permanent. Le maintien de l’ordre est devenu un enjeu politique qui pose aux forces de police des problèmes juridique et technique complexes. La légitimité du maintien de l’ordre relève des décisions de l’exécutif, mais également de la manière dont ces opérations sont conduites sur le terrain. La légitimité conditionne l’efficacité du maintien de l’ordre / The maintenance of order is one of the main tasks of the police force, public order being a prerequisite for life in society. For nearly ten years, the legitimacy of law enforcement has been in question because of large-scale protest movements for political reasons such as the Arab spring, but also in the name of economic, social and environment developments, in Western countries. The law enforcement operations respond to the overflowing challenges. They are not intended to reduce freedom of expression. They frame the gatherings in the interest of the participants and protect the society against the actions of violent elements. Internationally recognized principles of necessity and proportionality ensure the legitimacy of police interventions. Excessive use of force sometimes leads to questioning the legitimacy of the police and more broadly that of the state. While all countries periodically face regrettable acts, some resort systematically to repression to reduce political opposition or protect personal interests. Contestation of the overflowing of law enforcement operations then becomes a reason for protest, fueling a permanent disorder. The maintenance of order has become a political issue that poses complex legal and technical challenges for police forces. The legitimacy of policing depends on the decisions of the executive, but also on the way these operations are conducted on the field. Legitimacy determines the effectiveness of the maintenance of order

The purpose of this study was to extend current knowledge regarding law enforcement’s perceptions of sex offenders. Law enforcement’s views of sex offenders and the fairness and efficacy of sex offender laws were examined through the utilization of a 60 closed-ended question survey. The survey included questions about sex offender myths, sex offender laws, police officers’ experience in working with sex offenders, specialized training, and demographics. The sample consisted of 74 sworn police officers from a Southeastern state. The results showed that, despite having a mostly empirical based view of sex offenders, sworn police officers were likely to support sex offender laws shown by some scholars to be ineffective in reducing crime and at times counterproductive.

The profession of law enforcement is an inherently stressful job. Although the physical stress of the job is often discussed, the mental health impact on officers is often ignored, resulting in poor mental health and increased risk for suicide. The purpose of the current study was to investigate factors related to the reluctance of law enforcement officers (LEOs) to seeking treatment, as well as to gain an understanding of the prevalence rates of disorders in a law enforcement population. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants (N = 306) across a variety of agencies. Correlation, moderated regression analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used in order to model barriers to care among officers. Findings suggest that the presence of psychological disorders was not predictive of willingness to seek treatment. However, perceived stigma did predict lower willingness to seek treatment. General conclusions suggest that increasing unit cohesion and unit support may make a positive impact in decreasing stigma and increasing officers’ willingness to seek treatment.

A sample of recruits attending the East Tennessee Regional Law Enforcement Academy were surveyed about attitudes relating to a variety of topics, including their perceived role as police officers, domestic violence, its victims, perpetrators, and police interactions with domestic violence. The recruits completed the survey during their first week at the academy. The recruits completed the identical survey on the last week of academy training. No significant change in attitudes were found following the completion of the Regional Law Enforcement Academy training program. Conclusively, the results of this study show that the training provided at the East Tennessee Regional Law Enforcement Academy does not significantly change the attitudes and perceptions of the recruits toward domestic violence.

The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training program is a community partnership that provides education, understanding, interventions, relationships, and protection for responding officers, individuals in crisis and the community. The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of CIT training amongst law enforcement officers in reducing stigmatizing attitudes and opinions on mental illnesses. The study uses a dependent means t-test to test the study participant’s attitudes and opinions on mental illnesses using a pre/post-test survey. A modified version of the Attitudes to Severe Mental Illness Scale was used to measure attitudes, beliefs, and opinions of mental illness. This modified version was developed based on CIT course material. The ultimate goal of this study was to gain insight within the law enforcement community as to whether or not CIT training is raising awareness on the issue of mental health. Findings from this study suggest that after participation, those in the CIT training reported lower levels of non-stigmatizing opinions and attitudes in two of the four factors being analyzed.

Prior research shows that female police officers experience more incidents of harassment than male police officers, and these experiences of harassment have been shown to have negative effects on their mental and physical health, retention, and job satisfaction. The current study examined the experiences of harassment of 20 female police officers from agencies around Southern California. A survey interview was used, and it was found that none of the women had experienced quid pro quo harassment, but every woman recalled experiencing environmental harassment at some point throughout their career. Hostility towards women was more commonly experienced than harassment which was sexual in nature. Several themes arose from responses to open-ended questions. Female police officers reported that: gender related comments/jokes are not “unwanted”; that they participate in the jokes; gender related jokes are part of the policing culture; and that female officers are negatively targeted because of their sex. Some women stated they did not want to report the harassment and risk ruining their career.

Individuals observe their surroundings and naturally judge others by what they observe or hear. In recent media portrayals, law enforcement officers were scrutinized for use of force and individuals were quick to verbalize their interpretation of events. Bandura's social learning theory served as a focal lens to guide the study. This qualitative phenomenological study examined lived experiences and what factors influence public perception of law enforcement use of force. Interviews were conducted with 10 participants who have encountered or witnessed law enforcement officers utilize use of force during a citizen encounter. NVivo software was used to code and analyze themes from interviews. The findings indicated lived experiences and emotions were high and did influence perception of use of force. Participants explained a variety of emotions when discussing their lived experiences. In addition, social media and mainstream news media played an important role in shaping perception of police officer use of force. This study promotes social change by presenting law enforcement agencies and society insight on how to improve on public perception and understanding of use of force so community relationships with law enforcement can flourish.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine to what extent the 4 M-PULSE scale scores (interpersonal difficulties, unprofessional conduct, discharge of weapon, and inappropriate use of weapon) account for variance in the MMPI-2RF (aggression and antisocial) subscales scores. Archival data was provided by a private business that conducts these screenings for multiple law enforcement organizations (local and state). Law enforcement candidates (N = 127) were evaluated by a private business during the prehiring psychological screening process using the M-PULSE and MMPI-2RF to assess their risk factors for employment as law enforcement officers. Using Social Learning theory as the basis, the scores from the 2 measures were provided for regression analysis to determine what effect the M-PULSE factors had on the MMPI-2RF factors. This research did not find any significant effect on either MMPI-2RF factor by the 4 M-PULSE factors. This study adds to the growing body of knowledge of law enforcement psychological screening processes and how different measures provide critical information on personality, aggression, and risk factors that should be considered for individuals seeking employment in a law enforcement position. This study has implications for positive social change by increasing understanding of how current psychological screening processes determine suitability of candidates and help to ensure that individuals who would put the public and law enforcement organizations at higher risk should be screened out prior to completion of any law enforcement training.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) are often called upon to assist in traffic incidents. Yet little systematic research has examined the extent to which these two agencies collaborate. This gap in understanding is problematic, as a lack of collaboration may result in significant delays in the clearing of traffic incidents. The purpose of this correlational study was to investigate circumstances when the two agencies collaborated in clearing major traffic incidents, and the efficiency of the clearance of the incidents, through the measurement of normal traffic flow. The theory of the convergence of resources from divergent organizations framed the study. The research questions addressed the extent of collaboration between the NCSHP and the NCDOT, the conditions under which this collaboration took place, and the efficiency of the clearance of these incidents. Data were obtained from the NCSHP and the NCDOT on characteristics of 1,580 traffic incidents that occurred on the North Carolina portion of Interstate 95 during the year 2014. The data were analyzed using chi-square tests, analyses of variance, and Z-tests for proportions. Collaboration between the two agencies occurred in 7.2% of all of the incidents and in 21.6% of incidents of major severity (p < .001), which indicated a low level of interagency collaboration. The mean clearance time for incidents in which collaboration took place was 115.92 minutes compared to a national goal of 90 minutes. It is hoped that these results can contribute to policy dialogue relevant to the state's Strategic Plan, leading to safer highways and less financial loss due to congestion caused by traffic incidents.