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Theses/Dissertations

Policing

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Full-Text Articles in Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

Law Enforcement Policy And Personnel Responses To Terrorism: Do Prior Attacks Predict Current Preparedness?, Bryce Kirk May 2022

Law Enforcement Policy And Personnel Responses To Terrorism: Do Prior Attacks Predict Current Preparedness?, Bryce Kirk

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Terrorism has been on the mind of the American people and politicians alike since the 9/11 attacks over two decades ago. In the years since, there has been a massive shift in law enforcement priorities from community-oriented policing (COP) to homeland security-oriented policing. This was especially evident in the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shortly after the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon in 2001, which was established to aid law enforcement entities with terrorism preparedness. While prior literature has addressed a variety of factors that have contributed to terrorism preparedness, very little research has …


An Analysis Of A Canadian Framework Of Police Response’S On Sexual Assaults: Victim Advocate Case Review Program, Ardiana Berisha Jul 2021

An Analysis Of A Canadian Framework Of Police Response’S On Sexual Assaults: Victim Advocate Case Review Program, Ardiana Berisha

MPA Major Research Papers

One in five sexual assault cases reported to police are deemed to be baseless by investigating officers and are therefore coded as “unfounded”. High rates of unfounded sexual assault cases have revealed significant flaws within the justice system as women’s stories are disbelieved by the police. Coding sexual assault cases as unfounded has become common practice amongst police services across Canada as police officers continue to dismiss sexual violence against women. Police officers play a crucial role as they are the first point of contact within the justice system that determine whether an offence has been committed. Police services across …


An Exploration Of The Impact Of Organizational Subculture On Ethical Decision Making In Policing, Sonya M. Johnson Jan 2021

An Exploration Of The Impact Of Organizational Subculture On Ethical Decision Making In Policing, Sonya M. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe culture of the workplace setting intertwined with how one interprets ethics and code of conduct can be factors that separate acceptable and unacceptable conduct in policing. The reluctance of police agency executives willingness to assess the integrity of their departments often stems from the fear of negative community perceptions followed by unwanted oversight and operational recommendations. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of police officers regarding the influence of organizational subculture on ethical decision-making. The theoretical framework for this study used Sutherland’s Differential Association Theory and Aker’s Social Learning Theory. …


Bio-Spatial Policing In Theory And Practice: Examining Impacts And Resistance Through Mobilities And Children's Everyday Life, Emily Kaufman Jan 2021

Bio-Spatial Policing In Theory And Practice: Examining Impacts And Resistance Through Mobilities And Children's Everyday Life, Emily Kaufman

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

Despite decades of reforms and technological innovations, increasing evidence shows that state securitization disproportionately harms already racially, spatially, and socio-economically marginalized communities. My research investigates uneven impacts of state securitization, from punitive welfare programs to school surveillance to policing. Across sites, I focus on scales, voices and the everyday lived experiences often left out of scholarly discourse and sensational media. In the current climate of growing awareness and scholarship on police violence, my dissertation addresses three less-studied areas: 1) the interplay between racial, gendered, spatial, and technified police practices; 2) how these practices impact the everyday lives of those racially …


The Effects Of Racial Capitalism On Poor White Laborers, Amy Whittaker Jan 2021

The Effects Of Racial Capitalism On Poor White Laborers, Amy Whittaker

Liberal Studies (MA) Final Essays

While always remembering that racial capitalism’s very nature ensures that non-white Americans suffer incomparable racial oppression, this paper will endeavor to expose the devastation caused to American society as a whole by explaining the ways in which racial capitalism destroyed poor white labors ability to participate fully in the economic system and strangled its chances of living the American dream. It is my hope that by discussing the missing piece of the poor white laborers’ experience under racial capitalism will unite poor white laborers and poor black laborers to work together to end racial capitalism, policing, and the carceral system. …


Optimizing Body-Worn Camera Usage For Desired Outcomes And Solutions, Andre Rodriguez Jan 2020

Optimizing Body-Worn Camera Usage For Desired Outcomes And Solutions, Andre Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Body-worn camera (BWC) use in the application of the law enforcement function has become a novelty during the last few years in the United States. BWCs are being implemented in localities without adequate research about community perceptions. Moreover, very few studies have been conducted about the perceptions of community members in a particular area about these devices. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to better understand the perceptions and beliefs of community members from different backgrounds about BWCs. The research questions entailed learning about current perceptions regarding BWCs and how these devices impact trust, safety, and accountability. Social …


Perceptions Of Homeland Security Policing In An Urban Midwestern Community, Sukeena Stephens Jan 2019

Perceptions Of Homeland Security Policing In An Urban Midwestern Community, Sukeena Stephens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the terrorist attacks on the United States of America on September 11, 2001, approach to policing has observably been shifted across the country. Utilizing a qualitative methodology, this study explored the perceptions of community members from a Chicago, Illinois community regarding the shift in policing style post 9/11. Cooley's theory of the looking glass self, coupled with a phenomenological approach to understand the deeper meaning associated with the perceptions of the residents and the shift in policing styles in Chicago communities. The data were obtained from participants who were at least 40 years old and held a residence for …


Institutional Isomorphism And Human Trafficking Investigations, Regina Warren Jan 2019

Institutional Isomorphism And Human Trafficking Investigations, Regina Warren

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human trafficking exists domestically and internationally, and each year thousands of men, women, and children are trafficked into lives of involuntary servitude. Law enforcement efforts to investigate human trafficking across the United States are similar in nature; yet, prior research had not investigated the possible causes of these similarities. Utilizing institutional theory, this research investigated whether institutional isomorphic pressures have any impact on the formalization of human trafficking investigations. Data were collected from 26 municipal police organizations in a mid-Atlantic state on departmental human trafficking policies and practices via Farrell's understanding law enforcement responses to human trafficking survey instrument. Logistic …


Police Response To Mental Health-Related Calls For Service In The City Of Watsonville: A Process Evaluation Of The City Of Watsonville’S Plan To Assist Their Officers When Responding To Citizens With Mental Health Issues, Joseph Perez May 2018

Police Response To Mental Health-Related Calls For Service In The City Of Watsonville: A Process Evaluation Of The City Of Watsonville’S Plan To Assist Their Officers When Responding To Citizens With Mental Health Issues, Joseph Perez

Master's Projects

Police officers respond to a variety of calls for service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including mental-health related emergencies. With deinstitutionalization of individuals with severe mental illness, officers are often the first to be called to contact these individuals when they are in crisis (DeCuir, Lamb & Weinberger, 2002). Yet, few law enforcement officers have adequate training to manage interactions with people in mental health crisis. Officers perceive mental health related calls as very unpredictable and dangerous, which without adequate training in de-escalation, could inadvertently cause them to approach in a manner which escalates the situation (Fulambarker …


Cops And Cells : Theorizing And Assessing The Implications Of Smartphone Surveillance For Policing, Sean Patrick Roche Jan 2017

Cops And Cells : Theorizing And Assessing The Implications Of Smartphone Surveillance For Policing, Sean Patrick Roche

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In the United States, police officers are empowered to use force, and are often people’s first point of contact with the criminal justice system. Significantly, in the last decade, the majority of American citizens have acquired smartphone technology, which allows them to document and broadcast police behavior on a scale never before seen. Several high-profile police use of force incidents have been captured on video, and the resulting public outcries suggest that this technology now presents exceptional challenges to the maintenance of police legitimacy. Foucault (1977) argues that power in modern society is achieved by surveillance systems that work to …


Realigning Community Policing In A Homeland Security Era, Alfred Stanford Titus, Jr. Jan 2017

Realigning Community Policing In A Homeland Security Era, Alfred Stanford Titus, Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The priority shift from community policing to homeland security in local police departments in the United States has threatened the relationships and successes established by community policing, though little empirical research explored the relationship between funding and implementation of homeland security versus community policing objectives among local law enforcement agencies. Using Karl Popper's conceptualization of the liberal democracy as the framework, the purpose of this descriptive study was to examine how trends in funding and implementation of both community policing and homeland security objectives changed among American law enforcement agencies between 1993 and 2013. Data were acquired from the Law …


Understanding The Intersectionalities Of Sexual Violence Reporting: A Comparative Analysis Of Police Capacity, Sexual Violence, And Alternative Reporting Methods In The Eastern And Northern Capes Of South Africa, Claire Huber Mar 2016

Understanding The Intersectionalities Of Sexual Violence Reporting: A Comparative Analysis Of Police Capacity, Sexual Violence, And Alternative Reporting Methods In The Eastern And Northern Capes Of South Africa, Claire Huber

Politics & Government Undergraduate Theses

Why is sexual violence more pervasive in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa than in the Northern Cape Province? Most research surrounding sexual violence in South Africa attempts to answer why rape happens, but doesn’t attempt to understand why individuals choose to report sexual violence crimes to police. This paper looks at three variables—chieftaincy and regional identity, physical space, and medical clinics—to explain why people do or do not turn towards the police to report rape. The tradition of chieftaincy in the Eastern Cape was constitutionalized with the rise of the African National Congress. Customary law is still used …


Policing In Ontario: Financial Impacts And Opportunities, Michael Touw Jul 2014

Policing In Ontario: Financial Impacts And Opportunities, Michael Touw

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines police forces across Canada and the United States in an effort to determine why there are such large discrepancies in per capita policing costs between Ontario and North American comparators. While there are obvious differences between the various states, provinces, and territories in North America, and not all are similar to Ontario, all jurisdictions were nonetheless assessed and compared with the expectation that the variances might help to explain the figures for per capita police cost. The data was collected from a variety of sources, including Statistics Canada and the U.S. Census Bureau, as well as various …


Law Enforcement Expenditures And Crime Rates In Canadian Municipalities: A Statistical Analysis Of How Law Enforcement Expenditures Impact Municipal Crime Rates In Canada, Matthew Slotwinski Jul 2010

Law Enforcement Expenditures And Crime Rates In Canadian Municipalities: A Statistical Analysis Of How Law Enforcement Expenditures Impact Municipal Crime Rates In Canada, Matthew Slotwinski

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines what impact law enforcement expenditures have on municipal crime rates. An analysis of 65 municipalities representing nine provinces across Canada was conducted using data collected from the Police Resources in Canada reports from 1997 to 2007 and Census data from 2001 and 2006. The findings reveal that although a significant absolute relationship between expenditures and crime rates exists, there is no indication that law enforcement expenditures have an impact of statistical significance on crime rates.


The Identification Of Participation Barriers Associated With Employment Testing In The Ontario Constable Selection System, Glenn Hadley Dec 2009

The Identification Of Participation Barriers Associated With Employment Testing In The Ontario Constable Selection System, Glenn Hadley

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the Ontario Constable Selection System (OCSS) to assess whether barriers within the process discourage candidates from competing for a career in policing. Interviews with 11 newly sworn police officers and 12 individuals who chose not to participate in the OCSS testing were conducted. The findings reveal that factors related to the perceived validity of the test, financial cost, and perceived fairness discourage potential applicants from competing.


Female Participation In The Police Promotion Process: Are Women Competing For Promotion In Numbers Proportionate To Their Statistical Representation In Policing?, Brent Shea Dec 2008

Female Participation In The Police Promotion Process: Are Women Competing For Promotion In Numbers Proportionate To Their Statistical Representation In Policing?, Brent Shea

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the participation rate and success of female officers in the police promotion process viewed within the theoretical context of organizational culture, systemic discrimination, and the pipeline and glass ceiling theories. A survey of female officers employed with the Ontario Police Services between 2000 and 2007 was conducted. The findings reveal that although the challenges and obstacles faced by women have not disappeared, encouraging progress has been made. For both the sergeant and staff sergeant ranks, women are seeking promotion in proportions that exceed the historic and weighted seniority requirements associated with police promotions that previously required pre-determined …


The Evolution Of Community Policing In Chatham-Kent: Citizen Engagement, Organizational Change, And The Neighbourhood Policing Project, Dennis Poole Jul 2006

The Evolution Of Community Policing In Chatham-Kent: Citizen Engagement, Organizational Change, And The Neighbourhood Policing Project, Dennis Poole

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the factors that contribute to the successful implementation of community policing based on a case study of the neighbourhood policing program in Chatham-Kent. The findings reveal that police need to describe their mission in terms of crime prevention, fear reduction, and crime control and neighbourhood police officers can effectively address the local circumstances that lead to crime and disorder depending on the willingness of citizens to help them detect and solve crimes.


The Impact Of Higher Education On Police Management In Three Ontario Police Services, Jason Dale Jul 2006

The Impact Of Higher Education On Police Management In Three Ontario Police Services, Jason Dale

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the impact of higher education on the management of police services in Ontario and whether education has a direct impact on the retention of officers in their police organizations. A survey administered to sworn police officers from three Ontario police services – Strathroy-Caradoc, Chatham-Kent, and the Niagara Region – was conducted. The findings reveal that officers with higher levels of education seek different career rewards and are harder to retain because they are much more willing to leave for job opportunities elsewhere.


Community Mobilization In The Waterloo Regional Police Service: A Process Evaluation Of The Community Mobilization Initiative Of The Waterloo Regional Police Service, Matthew Torigian Jul 2005

Community Mobilization In The Waterloo Regional Police Service: A Process Evaluation Of The Community Mobilization Initiative Of The Waterloo Regional Police Service, Matthew Torigian

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the processes used by the Waterloo Regional Police Service in the implementation of the community mobilization approach based on an analysis of information gathered from a variety of sources, including stakeholder interviews, academic journals, and government reports. The findings reveal that there are disconnections within the Police Service among officers holding various ranks and responsibilities and this divide indicates confusion over the concept, philosophy, practice, and role of community mobilization and community policing.


An Investigation Of Integrating Change Through Participatory Processes In Police Service Business Planning, Tobi Hermann Jul 2004

An Investigation Of Integrating Change Through Participatory Processes In Police Service Business Planning, Tobi Hermann

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the extent to which Ontario police business planning processes include effective citizen engagement and participation. A content analysis of public consultation data in the London Police Services was conducted and compared to municipal police department documentation in Windsor, Waterloo, and Sudbury. The findings reveal that police services in Ontario have embraced participatory mechanisms to engage the citizenry in an effort to renew democratic principles, increase perceptions of accountability, and legitimize the decisions made in the policy process.


An Investigation Of Strategic Planning And Organizational Change: Halton Regional Police Service, Laurie Mcginn Aug 1996

An Investigation Of Strategic Planning And Organizational Change: Halton Regional Police Service, Laurie Mcginn

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the strategic planning process used by the Halton Regional Police Service to assess its effectiveness in terms of counteracting staff resistance to change. Case studies of the process that was used in 1991 and repeated in 1995 were conducted. The findings reveal that the working philosophy of strategic planning would be better served by fully recognizing and anticipating employee resistance to change within the strategic planning process and developing solutions to help overcome its effects.