Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Problem Gambling, General-Strain Theory, And Gender, Michelle Malkin

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Prior research identified a host of factors that increase the likelihood that an individual will become a problem gambler, most of which would be identified by criminologists as “strains” under the framework of General Strain Theory (GST). Yet, GST has not been widely used as a possible explanation for why people become problem gamblers. In addition, there has been little examination of how gender interacts with those variables to affect problem gambling. In this research, I display how propositions from GST provide a framework for understanding why people become problem gamblers and whether gender is a moderating factor in this …

Exploring Cross-National Differences In The Incarceration Of Women: A Conjunctive Analysis Approach, Breanna Boppre, Terance D. Miethe, Emily J. Salisbury

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Cross-national studies of imprisonment rates have examined the social, political, and economic conditions associated with criminal punishments. However, because of the higher numbers of male incarcerated and the lack of national data disaggregated by gender, most previous research on imprisonment rates has focused directly or indirectly on the socio-economic predictors of male imprisonment rates. Using disaggregated data for 128 nations, the current study employs the method of conjunctive analysis to explore the unique and common effects of particular social conditions that underlie female incarceration rates. Measures of nations’ social development, violent crime rates, socio-economic inequality, and political instability are used …

Eyes In The Sky: Public Attitudes Towards Police Use Of Drone Technology, Miliaikeala S.J. Heen, Joel D. Lieberman, Terance D. Miethe

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

No abstract provided.

Power Of Perspective: The Effects Of Public Perceptions Of Police And Fear Of Crime On Attitudes Towards Aerial Drone Use, Olivia G. Tuttle, Miliaikeala S.J. Heen, Mari Sakiyama, Terance D. Miethe, Joel D. Lieberman

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Historically, unmanned aerial systems (UAS; i.e., drones) have largely been used by the military and federal government. As UAS have become more affordable and easier to operate in recent years, state and local law enforcement agencies have become interested in adopting this technology to facilitate a wide range of police activities (e.g., search and rescue, surveillance, tactical operations, etc.). The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has begun to regulate the use of unmanned aerial systems, which will likely lead to the increased use of drone technology by law enforcement agencies across the country in upcoming years. However, previous research suggests that …

Abuse Us And Lose Us: Regional Effects Of Disarming Domestic Violence Offenders, Dory Mizrachi

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Domestic violence is among one of the most underreported crimes in the United States. Yet, national and international estimates suggest that approximately one in three girls/women will experience domestic violence. Research also demonstrates that this form of gendered violence is commonplace in the lives of millions of women and that it has deleterious outcomes, such as intimate partner homicide. It was not until recent decades that several legislations have been enacted to combat this critical problem. The Lautenberg Amendment, also known as the Domestic Violence Gun Ban of 1996 provided an essential addition to the Gun Control Act of 1968. …

Changing Awareness Of Human Trafficking, Roma Patel, Krystal Letourneau, M. Alexis Kennedy

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

The issue of human trafficking has received increased attention since the Trafficking Victims Protection Act was enacted in 2000. We assume that awareness is growing in the United States but this has not been tested. The current study measures increases in awareness about the issue of trafficking. Nearly 400 students were polled about their awareness in the spring of 2007. Attitudes towards government responses, awareness of the issue and support for victims were surveyed. The study was replicated 5 years later with over 500 new participants. This paper will analyze changes in awareness over time. Gender differences will also be …

Development Of A Smart Application For Police Crash Reports, Sebastien Bonnet, Victor Molano, Alexander Paz

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

• Gaining a significant amount of time to help police work
• Developing a User Friendly Interface
• Optimizing the GPS Gaining a significant amount of time to help police work
• Developing a User Friendly Interface
• Optimizing the bar code scan technology
• Application for MC 75 mobile technology

Police Injury Crashes And The Intersections Of Policy, Technology, And Culture, Carol Servino

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Motor vehicle crashes caused the majority fatalities to police officers in the U. S. for more than a decade, yet little is known about factors contributing to injury crashes. This research project required original data collection. A national survey of police chiefs in state, county, and local agencies of all sizes was conducted online in June and July, 2012. Questions focused on various driving policies and practices, including those related to communication technology commonly used in police patrol vehicles. Other questions included hypothetical situations to explore the culture of driving safety in individual police organizations. The majority of chiefs clearly …

Police Responses To Domestic Violence And Public Perception, Kelly Stout, Alexis Kennedy

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Domestic violence, also known as, intimate partner violence (IPV), has become an epidemic in the United States. This research is intended to explain the types of IPV, describe the effects of severe IPV, look at the change in public perceptions of IPV situations, and explore the police responses to such situations. Students at UNLV participated in the “Police Responses to Calls for Service” survey, that was created to determine the public’s level of awareness of IPV situations and whether that awareness increases support for police policies in responding to intimate partner violence calls.

Evaluating The Impact Of Team Policing In Las Vegas, Nevada, Natalie N. Martinez

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Team policing involves the continuous geographical assignment of both patrol officers and investigators to the same, defined area, which allows them to become familiar with area residents and knowledgeable about community concerns and thus, enables them to develop individualized strategies to resolve the neighborhood problems that can lead to crime and disorder. This study evaluates the impact of a team policing intervention in Las Vegas, Nevada that combines an emphasis on community outreach with problem-focused policing strategies to determine the effectiveness of team policing as a crime control strategy. The results indicate that the team policing did not result in …

Obstacles To Developing And Implementing Problem-Oriented Policing Projects In Police Agencies, Kristine-Gem D. Estrella, Victoria Luong, Tamara D. Madensen

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

This research examines impediments to problem-solving initiatives within police organizations. A systematic evaluation of a complex problem-oriented policing project in Las Vegas, Nevada, is used to identify obstacles to developing effective crime reduction interventions. This evaluation focuses on the first three steps of the SARA problem-solving process: scanning, analysis, and response. At each stage of the project, interviews are conducted with key project personnel (e.g., area command captains, supervising sergeants, community-oriented policing officers, community partners, residents). Data is also collected through observations at community meetings and ride-alongs with officers assigned to the project. These data are analyzed and common themes …

Broken Windows, Police, &Traffic Safety, Carol Servino

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Abstract This research explores application of the “broken windows” theory of public disorder and urban decline to the pattern and problem of police officer fatalities in motor vehicle crashes. It contextualizes the influential theory into a 45-year timeline of significant events related to legislative efforts and traffic safety behavioral safety programs in the United States. It finds one police agency that reported fewer crimes and fewer crashes after implementing a community-wide Safe Streets program designed around “broken windows” theory in 1997. It pays particular attention to states with the highest percentages of law enforcement officer fatalities in motor vehicle crashes, …

Legal Representation In The Chinese Criminal Court, Yudu Li, Hong Lu

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Abstract: Legal representation plays an important role in criminal sentencing decisions. China has recently stipulated a mandatory legal representation clause for all offenders facing capital charges in its Criminal Procedural Law (1996). This study uses data generated from criminal court case documents involving three serious violent crimes: murder, intentional assault, and robbery. All these crimes carry a maximum of sentence of death. The study examines whether and under what conditions legal representation has an effect on criminal sentencing decisions in China. While the overall multi-regression model did not find that having a legal representation significantly reduces the criminal sentence, a …

Facebook And The Police: Communication In The Social Networking Era, Mari Sakiyama, Deborah K. Shaffer, Joel D. Lieberman

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

An increasing number of police departments are using Facebook to communicate with the public. As with any emerging communications technology, there is considerable variation in the usage of this medium. This study reports the results of a content analysis designed to determine how police departments are using Facebook.

Risk Auto Theft: Predicting Spatial Distributions Of Crime Events, Tana J. Gurule, Tamara D. Madensen

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Police typically rely on retrospective hotspot maps to informe prevention strategies aimed at reducing future crime. The current study reviews environmental crime theories that help to identify casual factors associated with rish of auto theft. Map layers are created from data that operationalize these risk factors. These layers are combined using spatial analysis techniques to produce a "risk density" map. Analysis of crime data are used to determing wheter our "risk density" map better predicts subsequetnt theft events than a traditional retrospective hotspot map.

Driving Forces: Police Fatalities, Carol Servino

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Law enforcement is an inherently risky occupation. The number of traffic-related fatalities for law enforcement officers in the U.S. during the past 13 years has been increasing; however, the number of fatalities for the general population in motor vehicle traffic incidents declined during the same time period.

The federal government reports that federal motor vehicle safety standards aswell as behavioral and vehicle safety programs implemented by state and local law-enforcement agencies contributed to the downward trend for the general public.

What accounts for the pattern and problem with police driving-related deaths?

Clark County Mental Health Court: An Outcomes-Based Evaluation Model Of Residential And Treatment Programs Beyond Recidivism, Mark J. Nichols

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

The number of America’s mental health courts has grown significantly over the course of the past 15 years. Mental health courts can be seen as a form of therapeutic jurisprudence where the court implements therapeutic interventions, case management and treatment (Palermo, 2010). A mental health court was established in Clark County during 2003. Its mission is to promote engagement in treatment, improve quality of life, decrease recidivism, and increase community safety and awareness (Glass, 2008).

The focus of the evaluation of the Clark County Mental Health Court, limited to performance measures related to the decreased recidivism by its clients and …

Should Primates Have Legal Rights?, Hannah Barten, Zhimin Chen

Festival of Communities: UG Symposium (Posters)

A primate having legal rights is a controversial topic these days. Many other countries around the world support the idea of great apes having legal rights, because we for one are one of the five great primates. Others do not support this trending topic as much as others. These types of people believe that great apes such as chimpanzees are superb testing animals for medical purposes, because of the fact that they are closely related to mankind. Organizations such as Great Ape Protection, work towards protecting the rights of these great apes since they cannot speak for themselves. In many …

An Analysis Of Crime Statistics To Tourist Areas And Non-Tourist Areas In New Orleans, Kim H. Williams

Caesars Hospitality Research Summit

The economic impact of travel and tourism to New Orleans, Louisiana is immense. In New Orleans, tourism is one of the leading industries which accounts for the city’s economic recovery in Post-Katrina New Orleans. Tourism was one of the major industries to the New Orleans economy and accounted for 35% or $210 million of the City of New Orleans’ annual operating budget (New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, 2008). Yet, tourism leaders and officials are plagued with the negative perception of crime as New Orleans tops U.S. cities as the murder capital of the United States (McCarthy, 2007). The negative perception …

Assessing The Impact Of Police-Order-Maintenance Teams On Crime: An Application Of The ‘Broken Windows’ Hypothesis, Steven A. Pace, William Sousa, Dan Mcgrath

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

High levels of violent crime and disorder characterize certain neighborhoods of northwest Las Vegas. In April 2009, collaboration between academics and police personnel announced the deployment of a police order-maintenance unit designed to reduce minor and major offenses in these areas. Drawing on the Broken Windows hypothesis, the unit combined a detailed crime analysis with extensive police efforts to address specific community problems. This paper discusses the implementation and impact of the police order-maintenance unit during its operation.

Deaths In Custody In Nevada, 2001-2006, Brian R. Brehman, Terance D. Miethe, Timothy C. Hart

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

A large number of prisoners die each year while under the custody of the state. These deaths include prisoners who are executed under state laws and other deaths in custody from a variety of causes. Nationally, 18,550 individuals died in the custody of a state prison between 2001 and 2006. This state data brief examines deaths in custody in Nevada prisons and jails and compares them to national averages. This report summarizes the prevalence rates for deaths in custody, changes in these custody deaths over time, the cause of these deaths, and compares custody deaths in Clark County jail to …

Burglary Trends In Nevada, 1990-2007, Theresa Wilk, Terance D. Miethe, Timothy C. Hart

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Burglary involves the unlawful breaking and entering into a home or other building with the intent to steal something within it. Nationally, about 2.2 million burglaries were known to the police in 2007 (UCR, 2007). Over the last two decades, Nevada’s burglary rate is consistently higher than the national average. There are many consequences of burglary as well as efforts to control these offenses. The presentation of this state data brief describes patterns of burglary in Nevada and compares them with national trends. It examines the prevalence of burglary over time, the different types of burglary and its offense attributes, …

Blameworthiness And Dangerousness: An Analysis Of Violent Female Capital Offenders In The United States And China, Courtney Lahaie

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

The United States and China represent two of the leading nations that retain the death penalty in both law and practice. Research suggests that judges’ sentencing decisions are based primarily on two factors, blameworthiness and dangerousness. Studies involving gender and sentencing in capital punishment cases tend to provide inconsistent findings. The current study uses case narratives to examine the direct and conjunctive effects of various factors on the sentencing decisions of violent female capital offenders in the United States and China. The findings suggest that the concepts of blameworthiness and dangerousness are distinctly defined in the United States and China. …

Following The Lead Of Barack Obama, Cnn, And Ashton Kutcher: Police Departments’ Use Of Twitter, Mari Sakiyama, Amanda Hurst, Omar Melchor, Daniel Shields, Deborah K. Shaffer, Joel D. Lieberman

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

An increasing number of police departments are using Twitter to communicate with the public. As with any emerging communications technology, there is considerable variation in the usage of this medium. This study reports the results of a content analysis designed to determine how police departments are using Twitter.

An Exemplar-Based Approach To Risk Assessment: Validating The Risk Management Systems Instrument, Bridget Kelly, Deborah K. Shaffer, Joel D. Lieberman

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA) (2010 - 2017)

Using a sample of federal probationers, this study examines the predictive validity of the Risk Management Systems assessment instrument. The results indicate the RMS is predictive of arrest, technical violation, and unsuccessful termination from supervision.