This thesis investigates a controversial police shooting case and aims to unfold its underlying complexity from a combination of cultural and legal perspectives. Drawing on six in-depth interviews with police officers in Hong Kong and conducting textual analysis of court case documents, printed media texts, and online forum discussion, this study explores the meaning-making processes surrounding a police "shoot to kill" incident. The controversial Limbu shooting is the focus of the study. The Limbu shooting took place on March 17, 2009 in Ho Man Tin, Hong Kong. A Nepalese man who was born and raised in Hong Kong, named Limbu Dil Bahadur, was shot dead by a police constable (court case files: CCDI 298/2009, HCAL 85/2010, DCPI 570/2012). Looking into the processes of mobilizing discursive resources to make sense of public opinion, racial difference, human rights, policing, and violence, this study explores the contestation of forces in the cultural, legal, and representational realms. Utilizing the framework of the model of policing as ideological construction, as drama, and as agency, the author argues that the contestation of the discursive blocs manifests a police hegemony that has been underway for a long time

Thesis advisor: Philip E. Strahan / The dissertation consists of two essays on corporate finance, banking, and political economy. The first chapter studies how partisan-driven views about climate change affect institutional investors’ investment in assets that are exposed to climate risk. The second chapter examines how unexpected political chaos can affect politically active companies in a negative way. In “Climate Change, the Partisan Divide, and Exposure to Climate Risk”, I study how partisan-driven beliefs about climate change affect the distribution of climate risk across mortgage lenders. Using wildfires to capture climate exposure, I find that Republican-leaning lenders are more likely to approve mortgage applications in high wildfire risk areas than Democratic-leaning lenders. This difference in approval rates is only evident among second-lien and jumbo mortgage applications, highlighting how securitization affects risk-taking incentives. Lastly, Republican-leaning lenders originate more climate-exposed second-lien and jumbo loans and thus hold more wildfire risk. The findings suggest that dispersion over climate change beliefs affects how institutional investors hold climate risks, potentially affecting financial stability. In “Downsides of Corporate Political Spending: Evidence from Mass Shootings”, I study the negative impacts of corporate political spending on firm outcomes. Using data from 20 years of mass shootings, I find that when mass shootings take place, companies that primarily donate to pro-gun-rights politicians experience negative stock price reactions and worse operating performance. The negative impacts on companies’ bottom line are stronger when incidents are deadlier. The decline in operating performance reverses within a couple of years. The findings are not driven by firms contributing to Republican politicians. Similarly, using Summary of Deposits data from FDIC, I find that banks primarily donating to pro-gun-rights politicians also experience higher deposit outflows around mass shootings. After incidents, firms significantly reduce corporate political donations to pro-gun-rights politicians. Overall, my findings highlight negative impacts on companies resulting from their political spending being disapproved by stakeholders. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Carroll School of Management. / Discipline: Finance.

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 116-120).

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 116-120) Also available in print.

Mass shootings have been a persistent issue in the United States, and the underlying factors that continue to influence this crime are not yet evident. This study explored the effects of social media as an influence on mass shootings in the United States. Its purpose was to address the role of social media in spreading opinionated ideologies. The research question addressed the role of social media in influencing the actions of perpetrators of mass shootings in the United States. The study framework was based on the social-ecological model to facilitate classification of the susceptibilities of social media users to adverse ideologies; 7 experts on mass shootings were interviewed in the study. Findings revealed that social media tend to influence mass shooting in 4 capacities: as enablers of the conceptualization process of the crime until the final act of mass violence; as facilitators of the individual or personal agenda of the mass shooter; as platforms that harness emerging technology for knowledge building during the planning phase and create operational efficiency for the final act; and as coordinators of group or symphonic terrorism. Government authorities in charge of combating mass shootings perform their tasks through actionable intelligence, legislation and policy, training of police and other first responders, mechanical barriers or deterrents, and brainstorming for new techniques and strategies. They are, however, constrained by considerable odds, which often come conjointly with their methods of crime resolution and strategies. Predictive technologies, as vehicles to fight or prevent mass shootings, have limiting influences on government action, particularly relating to the First and Fourth Amendments and the culture of hate that is nurtured and sustained through social media.

Despite their almost aberrational rarity, rampage school shootings have gained national attention to an extent that would make it seem that such events are a common occurrence. Many schools—along with hospitals, businesses, and other institutions—have adopted policies, implemented training, and conducted drills for responding to such incidents. In some cases, concern over school rampage shootings has led to bad policy implementations, particularly adoption of “zero tolerance” policies that punish the slightest infractions in hopes of thwarting potential attackers, but, rather than achieving their intended goal, result in massive false positive rates with few, if any, successes and a potential for fostering violence rather than abating it. For their part, law enforcement trainers and administrators have been caught in the rampage school shooter turmoil to such an extent that, starting with the aftermath of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, significant paradigm shifts in policing methodology have taken effect. In order to promote more informed policy-making and training decisions by law enforcement managers, this dissertation seeks to determine through empirical study of the crime scene behaviors of rampage school shooters the extent to which law enforcement planning and training can be informed by the study of prior incidents. Policy, training protocols, and institutional response plans have been shaped, in many cases, by a world of perception rather than reason and sound empirical evidence. This research seeks to bring clarity to the decision-making processes and provide sound empirical evidence on which to base those decisions and develop strategies for on-site protocols to help mitigate casualties, establish police response protocols, and develop post-incident investigative models.

The purpose of this study was to provide an exploration of the experiences and perceptions of law enforcement officers who responded to the December 2nd, 2015 San Bernardino Attacks, specifically addressing what interventions and factors they found helpful in promoting their well-being following the attack. To do this, eight semi-structured interviews were held with officers who either were involved in the scene at the Inland Regional Center or were involved in the shoot-out with the attackers later that day. From these interviews several themes emerged, including: the importance of social support, critique of department responses, unique characteristics of law enforcement culture, and stigma against seeking mental health treatment among law enforcement officers. Recommendations based on these findings for social work practice, law enforcement departments, and further research were discussed.

Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Central Florida, 2009. / Adviser: Lin Huff-Corzine. Includes bibliographical references (p. 194-201).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2004. / Abstract available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center; full text release delayed at author's request until 2009 Dec. 27.