Every five (5) years a small-embroidered star is carefully stitched onto the left sleeve of a Red Serge, proudly indicating an accumulation of service in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (R.C.M.P.). Breaking the wash of scarlet with a flash of gold, that first star means so much to an officer. No longer a rookie with a junior ranking, it signifies a passage, a movement, a real commitment to devote oneself to a career in the Force. Perhaps this point may seem relatively minor but it is not the weight of the information presented that draws people in. It is more the creation of a perspective into a paramilitary organization known for its secrecy that makes such a fact appealing. I am almost certain, and perhaps even a bit hopeful that the next time you are at a public event where a typical ‘Mountie’ is present, your eyes will fall upon the red sleeves, looking for a star and upon finding one or two or none, by quietly pleased by the little secret you know. In my previous career as a Police Officer in the R.C.M.P., I often delighted in the sharing of the finer points that played a part in defining what it was to be an officer, especially with people I had known in my ‘civilian’ life or with those I had befriended while in the Force and now in my civilian capacity. When faced with the opportunity to enlighten people on aspects of the R.C.M.P., or the world of policing for that matter, I have always felt compelled to share my experiences and perspectives. With an education in Landscape Architecture, I now also enjoy sharing my experiences in the analysis of space and design when presented with that same opportunity. My research was already under way for a thesis/practicum on R.C.M.P. Detachment Design Guidelines in March 2005 when I first learned of the deaths of four R.C.M.P. officers in Northern Alberta. During the execution of a search warrant they had been ambushed and killed by the suspect who lay in wait for them. After participating in the massive memorial service that followed in Edmonton, AB., it soon became obvious to me that the focus of my research would change dramatically. Armed with the new skills I had gained from a Masters program in Landscape Architecture, I was faced with the educational opportunity to not only combine my two passions of policing and design, but also to honor the four R.C.M.P. officers in my own way.

The purpose of this study was to determine if a police officer's use of alcohol in his/her personal life affected their arrest decision in impaired driving cases. A survey was developed and reviewed by a jury of experts consisting of traffic safety specialists from across Indiana, to gather information concerning officer demographics, use of alcohol, and belief in the importance of impaired driving enforcement. Results indicated that sixty-one (61) officers fit the criteria of 1) patrolling during darkness hours throughout the year 2002, and 2) were complete the survey. Most officers were male (88%), between twenty-one and thirty-five years of age (79%), and had less than ten years of law enforcement experience (74%).The data were analyzed using univariate, bivariate, and ANOVA to test the null hypothesis. There was no statistical relationship between the decision to arrest and the personal use of alcohol by the officer. There was also no statistical relationship between the decision to arrest and any of the demographic categories. The only item that showed a statistical relationship was between the decision to arrest and an officer indicating they believed the problem of impaired driving was somewhat important. / Department of Physiology and Health Science

The South African Police Service is seen as inseparable cornerstone of the society. To render effective and efficient service to the communities depends largely on the human source. The satisfaction of police officers with the jobs, will affect the quality of service they render to the general public. In this respect, the question of how satisfied are they with their jobs gains importance. The general aim of this study is to investigate job satisfaction, stress and burnout of members of the South African Police Service in Mmabatho and Vryburg area in the North-West Province. To reach this objective, that is, investigating job satisfaction, stress and burnout of members of the South African Police Service in Mmabatho and Vryburg area in the North-West Province, questionnaires consisting of the following measuring instruments were used: the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Survey (MSQ), Police Stress Survey (PSS), the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MEI-GS) and the Utretch Work Engagement Scale (UWES). Stratified random samples of the police members (N=227) were taken from Mmabatho and Vryburg area of the North-West Province. The results, indicates amongst other things that members of the police are dissatisfied with aspects that are extrinsic to their work, e.g. working . conditions and pay. Also experiencing stress emanating from mainly two sources, namely: job demands e.g. increased responsibilities and job resources e.g. lack/inadequate resources to perform their duties. As a result of stress experienced, they feel burned out but engaged to their work. / (M. Com.) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2003

If the way employees die is a direct cause of their working environment, the employer has a certain responsibility to address or prevent these contributing conditions in the environment. Research reports indicate that police officers have higher suicide rates compared to the rates of the general population. Increasing suicide rates for police officers in recent years have been reported for the United States and Australia. Very limited research data for this phenomenon, especially within the South African Police Service, Limpopo Province was found. Previous research on suicide ideation focused on social and individual factors. A research project was launched to determine the relationship between certain demographic variables, coping strategies and stress factors which can be linked to suicide. Research was conducted by means of a cross-sectional survey design. A random, stratified sample (n=204) of uniformed police members was taken from police stations in the province. The Adult Suicide Ideation Questionnaire, the Police Stress Inventory, the Coping Orientations to the Problems Experienced Questionnaire and a biographical questionnaire were administered. Results of a stepwise discriminant analysis showed that the combination of race, the use of seeking emotional support as coping strategy and size of police stations can predict 75% of high suicide ideation cases and 25% of low ideation cases. It was found that 5,88% of the police officials had significant suicide ideation levels. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

Suicidal behaviour is one of the most tragic events in human life causing serious emotional, spiritual, medical, social and psychological distress for individuals, family and fiends. In addition, it imposes a great economic problem for the individual, family, and society. In the South African Police Service an alarming rate of 4 per 10 000 suicides has been indicated in previous years. Due to the escalation of suicide rates it is regarded as a major public health concern. Several studies have been done regarding suicide and law enforcement agencies but few regarding suicide ideation in law enforcement agencies. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship among coping, stress and suicide ideation of police officials in the Gauteng Province within the SAPS. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A random, stratifies sample was taken from police officials in the Gauteng Province (n = 266). The Adult Suicide Ideation Questionnaire, Police Stress Inventory, the COPE Questionnaire and a biographical questionnaire were administered. The results of this study indicated that the factors that predict suicide ideation best are the following: a previous suicide attempt, passive coping styles, to be charged in terms of the disciplinary code, medical conditions and gender. The results also indicated that 9,02% of the sample showed significant levels of suicide ideation. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Every five (5) years a small-embroidered star is carefully stitched onto the left sleeve of a Red Serge, proudly indicating an accumulation of service in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (R.C.M.P.). Breaking the wash of scarlet with a flash of gold, that first star means so much to an officer. No longer a rookie with a junior ranking, it signifies a passage, a movement, a real commitment to devote oneself to a career in the Force. Perhaps this point may seem relatively minor but it is not the weight of the information presented that draws people in. It is more the creation of a perspective into a paramilitary organization known for its secrecy that makes such a fact appealing. I am almost certain, and perhaps even a bit hopeful that the next time you are at a public event where a typical ‘Mountie’ is present, your eyes will fall upon the red sleeves, looking for a star and upon finding one or two or none, by quietly pleased by the little secret you know. In my previous career as a Police Officer in the R.C.M.P., I often delighted in the sharing of the finer points that played a part in defining what it was to be an officer, especially with people I had known in my ‘civilian’ life or with those I had befriended while in the Force and now in my civilian capacity. When faced with the opportunity to enlighten people on aspects of the R.C.M.P., or the world of policing for that matter, I have always felt compelled to share my experiences and perspectives. With an education in Landscape Architecture, I now also enjoy sharing my experiences in the analysis of space and design when presented with that same opportunity. My research was already under way for a thesis/practicum on R.C.M.P. Detachment Design Guidelines in March 2005 when I first learned of the deaths of four R.C.M.P. officers in Northern Alberta. During the execution of a search warrant they had been ambushed and killed by the suspect who lay in wait for them. After participating in the massive memorial service that followed in Edmonton, AB., it soon became obvious to me that the focus of my research would change dramatically. Armed with the new skills I had gained from a Masters program in Landscape Architecture, I was faced with the educational opportunity to not only combine my two passions of policing and design, but also to honor the four R.C.M.P. officers in my own way.

Doctor of Philosophy / Using the Wood Royal Commission into the New South Wales Police Service in 1994 as its major case study, this thesis hypothesises that, although this inquiry had a far reaching impact on both the personal and working lives of police officers in the organisation itself, it proved ineffectual in its attempt to control corruption. It argues that corruption, and the subsequent inquiries into this corruption, can be seen to have a cyclic nature and the failure of such inquiries has a long and international history. It contends that the nature of the public inquiry itself can be seen to contribute to the continuation of the cycle of corruption. Clearly, putting an end to corruption requires more than the investigation, public exposure and punishment of a few corrupt police, followed by a generalised tightening of the chain of command. Instead, this thesis demonstrates that the problem is primarily an organisational one and it is important to look at management reforms. This thesis contends that the cycle of corruption involves the nature of police work; the catalyst that triggers the inquiry; the inquiry itself and the issue of the report; and the police and community responses. An examination of all these factors is crucial to understanding the cycle’s dynamics. The final report of the Wood Royal Commission was in 1996 and this thesis specifically analyses the cycle of corruption in relation to the response of the police executive to this inquiry. It shows how the police response focused on the tactical crisis response central to operational policing — in this case appeasing official censure and community fears. As little more than a public relations exercise, senior management strategically addressed the specific recommendations of the report rather than creatively considering the implications exposed during the inquiry. The idea that corruption is a symptom of an ineffective system and not simply a slackening of effective control by senior management was never considered. In the aftermath of the Wood Royal Commission there was much discussion about ‘police culture’ being ‘a culture of corruption’. The forgotten casualties of the inquiry has been individual police officers, many of whom see policing as a vocation. This thesis has allowed many voices to be heard and used both qualitative and quantitative methods to analyse a wide range of information and data, which included personal interviews with serving police officers and members of external organisations, as well as printed material from Royal Commission Reports, Hansard and other government documents, internal Police Service documents and media reports.It has used Bourdieu’s theoretical approach which allows an analysis of the complex relationships involved between police officers as individuals who operate within the wider networks of a specific organisation and the way the personal is important as an explanatory tool of what happens within a policing culture and how this culture is perceived differently from within and without. Bourdieu’s theory also facilitates analysis of the interactions of this network with the wider community, putting in context the responses of both the police service and the community. The connection with the personal is important as an explanatory tool of what happens within a policing culture and how this culture is perceived differently from within and without. Bourdieu constructs an understanding of the ‘nature of the game’ of policing and the shaping of the individual within police culture, giving insight into the source of moral dilemmas, personal beliefs and personal behaviour. As the current management system of command and control is at the heart of this response, this thesis has also analysed the assumptions inherent in this management philosophy, considering both necessary operational strengths as well as organisational weaknesses. A central theme of the thesis is that open dialogue will reduce the incidence of corruption and risk within policing institutions. This thesis argues that there must be an integrative approach to reform — accountable, active leadership combined with critically constructed practical approaches that tackle the complexity of the dynamics embedded in the ‘nature of the game’ of policing itself.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, Aug., 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- McMaster University, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 203-224). Also available via World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong, 2004. / Volume 2 contains amendments to the thesis. Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 223-242.