The democratization of South Africa (SA) officially took shape in 1994. This was after the first democratic elections on 27 April 1994. The elections were preceded by the acceptance of the Interim Constitution (Act 200 of 1993). The new dispensation was characterized by the adoption of Constitutional principles as national values of democracy. As a result of the adoption of a constitutional dispensation (namely both the Interim Constitution (Act 200 of 1993) and the Constitution (Act 108 of 1996) the Constitution became the supreme law of SA above all other laws that were in place. This era also enabled the elevation of the powers and status of the courts, and the system of checks and balances was enshrined. This research was initiated by a lack of a standardized formula for calling the police to account for their actions and decisions. The current study sought to explore whether there are any national, regional, and global standards for calling the police to account. Furthermore, it sought to establish if there are any comparative studies that sought to assess police accountability efficacy within regional and global perspectives. In order to make these determinations within a qualitative approach, the study sought to determine the practice and a culture of accountable policing within the Gauteng police practices. This determination was done by determining the perspectives of the operational police officers (crime prevention) who are rendering the first priority core business of the police in SA, namely the prevention of crime. To achieve this goal, two questions needed to be answered, namely: What is the police definition of policing accountability?; How can policing accountability be enhanced and promoted within the daily practices of crime prevention police officers? To have these questions answered, the following objectives were formulated for the study: - To explore and describe the perception of crime prevention police officers in Gauteng Province with regard to “policing accountability”. - To identify and describe guidelines to support these police officers to enhance and promote policing accountability in their day-to-day police practices in the Province. To achieve these objectives, a mixed research design, consisting of a qualitative-, explorative-, descriptive-, and contextual research design, was utilized. The target population consisted of all crime prevention police officers who were at that time attached to the seven policing areas/precincts of the Gauteng police service. Twenty eight- (28) focus group interviews were scheduled for the study throughout Gauteng Province. The sampling technique that was used in the study was the non-probability purposive sampling technique. The interviewing process was conducted until saturation was reached. To ensure validity and reliability of the results of this study, Guba’s model (in Lincoln& Guba, 1985:295-300) of ensuring trustworthiness, was applied. Data was collected by means of in-depth, semi-structured phenomenological focus group interviews, as well as supportive field information (in the form of field notes and observation). A tape-recorder was used to capture data, which was then transcribed “verbatim” to facilitate the process of data categorization. Data was analyzed according to the descriptive approach of Tesch (1990:142-145). This method helped the researcher to reduce the data into themes, sub-themes, categories, and sub-categories. The findings of this study were then controlled using available literature. From the analysis of the findings, six themes were identified as obstacles hindering the practice and a culture of policing accountability. In order to deal with the obstacles within the police practices, six strategies were developed to enhance and promote the practice and a culture of policing accountability within the Gauteng police practices. From the findings of the study and themes that developed therein, a six-tier framework/model was developed for the study. Recommendations that emanated from the study are presented in the last chapter. / Dissertation (MA (Social Work and Criminology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Social Work and Criminology / MA / unrestricted

No description available.

Since the early 1990s, the Vancouver Police Department has embarked upon coproductive service arrangements with various geographic communities throughout the city of Vancouver. Through the vehicle of storefront crime prevention offices (CPOs), local communities and the police are working in partnership to problem-solve around local crime and safety issues. Three models of crime prevention offices have emerged: ethnic-specific, police-run, and community-run. This thesis focuses on a case study of the community-run model—community crime prevention offices (CCPOs). Through participant observation, key informant interviews, analysis of policy documents and a review of the respective literatures on community policing and community crime prevention theory and practice, the present case study was examined. Key informants revealed basic partner expectations. The community expect the police to be accessible to the offices through their physical presence and by ongoing two-way communications regarding community crime-related concerns. The police, in return, expect the CCPOs to provide a conduit through which community needs and priorities can be communicated to them. Each partner brings to the office function different responsibilities. The community is responsible for maintaining adequate levels of community support for office programs and services. The police provide a set level of human and material resources to all crime prevention offices. Much has been written on the rationale behind the "community-police partnership" era. However, less has been written about the effective implementation of such partnerships. While the main thrust behind the formation of CPOs has been occurring since 1994, there are still no clear guidelines set regarding partner roles and responsibilities. The future viability of CCPOs is predicated on the mutual accountability of both the community and the police. Future steps could be taken to ensure the responsibility of both partners in this process: 1) a partnership agreement should be implemented between the community and the police to clarify expectations and role contributions; 2) accountability measures should be in place to reflect partner expectations and roles; 3) the police, as public servants, should address the resource inequities which exist among CCPOs; 4) the community should ensure CCPO programming is responsive to broad-based community need; and 5) ongoing efforts should be made to enhance partner communication. CCPOs have proven to be a vehicle of great promise. CCPOs are an interesting coproductive blend of community self-help and police re-organization along community policing lines. By first addressing their commitment to each other as partners, and attending to some of the weaknesses in this present partnership configuration, a more effective partnership will result. Such a partnership will better serve their mutual goals to enhance the safety and livability of Vancouver neighbourhoods. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

This thesis is an examination of the relationship between the New York Police Department's "Stop, Question, and Frisk" policy and the city's homicide rates. Using a historical analysis of NYC crime data as well as a cross-city comparison of homicide rates across the United States, I determine whether or not there is a consistent, causal relationship between the policy and the city's violent crime rates.

abstract: Police departments have perceived improved citizen behavior to be a benefit of body-worn cameras (BWC) since their implementation. Often referred to as a civilizing effect, the idea that citizens will become calmer when they know that they are being recorded by an officer is rooted in deterrence theory and self-awareness theory. Deterrence theory states that people will behave properly when they believe punishment will be swift, certain, and severe, while self-awareness theory states that individuals cognizant of their place in society model their actions based on social norms. The presence of a BWC, though, does not guarantee that the citizen is aware they are being recorded. Citizen awareness of the BWC and activation of the BWC are necessary pre-conditions to improved behavior. Current evidence is mixed regarding if BWCs are a catalyst for improved citizen behavior, which is typically measured through reductions in use of force by police and citizen complaints. Using data collected through systematic social observation during police ride-alongs, the author will seek to determine: 1) How often BWCs are activated in police-citizen encounters, 2) How often citizens are aware of BWCs in these encounters, 3) How often citizen behavior changes positively following BWC awareness, and 4) How often citizen behavior changes independent of BWC awareness. This study expands on current research by examining the civilizing effect of BWCs from a transactional standpoint and how citizen behavior changes within an officer-citizen encounter, rather than using a post-interaction metric such as use of force. Despite high BWC activation compliance among the officers within this study, no evidence was found for BWCs having a civilizing effect as the pre-condition of citizen awareness was rarely satisfied. These results could shape policies within departments implementing BWCs hoping to improve officer safety and community relations. Mandatory notification would satisfy the pre-condition of citizen awareness, allowing for the BWC to potentially have a civilizing effect. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Criminology and Criminal Justice 2020

ABSTRACTPolice departments across Uganda are faced with significant challenges to reducecrime, improve quality of life, and, use meagre resources. Many have struggled tofind the right balance between keeping communities safe, while at the same timehaving transparent and effective policing methods and approach. This thesisexamines effectiveness or/ and ineffectiveness of community policing. This isderived from people’s perceptions of the policing strategies used within theircommunities.The research focuses on the nature of community policing and its, perceptionamong the Ugandans and how these policing strategies are important to policelegitimacy (acceptability) and how it helps them in gaining the trust of the localpopulation. The thesis discusses reasons to why community policing has not beenaccepted by the Uganda population. Continually therefore, it is examined whethercommunity policing has brought about reduction in crime rate.The thesis revealed that there is much laxity in bridging the gap between thecommunity members and the police. Most people feel police is not involving theentire community into their activities, people think police is to protect certaingroups of people in society especially the rich. Most people (47%) negativelyperceive community policing, though 56% reported that it is an importantprogram. Reduction in crime due to community policing was observed. Thethesis concludes by advocating for strategies that are important for a successfulcommunity policing program implementation.Finally, the thesis recommended involvement of the media and need for police toadapt to use of new technology to avoid confrontation by masses that may besuspicious, for example, body-worn cameras (BWCs).

This dissertation examines the impact of citizen's perception of community policing on public attitudes toward fear of terrorism, resilience for a future terrorist attack, and satisfaction with the police in the face of new terrorism. In particular, considering the changing nature of terrorism in recent years as a response to the centralized homeland security efforts, this dissertation attempts to develop our understanding about the extent to which community policing could be a strategy in dealing with terrorism fear among citizens, in building up resilience for future terrorist attacks, and to increase citizens' satisfaction with the police in order to enhance the quality of life in the face of new terrorism. Additionally, this dissertation examines the impact of the variation in the level of community policing implementation on public attitudes toward fear of terrorism, resilience for a future terrorist attack, and satisfaction with the police. Data was collected through an online survey conducted in the cities of Arlington and Frisco, Texas. The survey distributed to the citizens through the Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) platform. These cities were selected based on a community policing scale which was created through the help of the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey. Results suggest significant association between the citizen's perception of community policing and fear of terrorism, resilience, and satisfaction with the police respectively, highlighting the importance of community policing philosophy as a framework for a comprehensive proactive strategy in response to the existing and ongoing terrorism threat.

There is limited empirical research related to lawsuits involving the police due in part to limited accessibility to relevant data sources. This study aims to examine the relationship between citizen, situational, and lawsuit factors and police misconduct litigation in the city of Chicago. Data were collected from two separate databases: The Chicago Reporter and The Invisible Institute. The analyses in this study demonstrate that there is a relationship between lawsuit payout amounts, lawsuit misconduct type and various situational factors. Policy implications are discussed.

Community policing has been developed in the Anglo-American countries and implemented in the Swedish Police Authority during the last years. One of its main goals is to reach a proximity to citizens and thereby increase the level of trust. A qualitative interview study is used to scruti-nize how community policing stands as a trust-building method, by looking closer into the police trust to citizens connected to their approach to community policing and identifying potential dif-ferences in the police organization. The result shows a deviation in the police’s trust in citizens which relates to their approach to community policing. Partially, a difference is reflected in the police perception of the citizens’ perspectives and ability to comprehend the police profession, indicating that the citizen role should rather be of informative than of participating character. To-gether with a review on earlier research of what constitutes trust and demonstrated deficiencies in the implementation of community policing in the Swedish Police Authority, the results imply a weak foundation for police pledges as an effective measure to gain trust.

Research relating to police stress has typically focused on officers working in urban areas, neglecting their rural counterparts. This is especially true of conservation officers, who are tasked with enforcing laws in state parks and other recreational areas. To date, only a handful of studies have sought to better understand their experiences and perceptions. The current study seeks to further our understanding of conservation officer stress in three unique ways: (1) via applying McCreary and Thompson’s (2006) operational police stress scale (PSQ-Op) to the population, (2) determining whether officer characteristics (e.g., age, education, length of service) affect perceived stress, and (3) exploring the influence of various job duties on these perceptions. Survey data are gathered from officers located in several states, with results serving to improve our understanding of conservation officer stress.