Digital Commons Network^™

Servant Leadership: The Change Needed In Law Enforcement, Shane H. Shetler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Servant leadership is a moral-based form of leadership in which leaders place the well-being of followers before their own (Canavesi & Minelli, 2022). It is a theory that has gained increased notoriety over the past several decades. Despite this, there remains a limited amount of empirical research on it and its potential benefits. However, several professions have adopted it, and their results have been positive. Leadership change is needed in many professions, and law enforcement is no exception. The policing profession faces many challenges, such as recruiting quality candidates and retaining existing personnel. Furthermore, the challenges plaguing policing also exert …

Improving Police Officer Recruiting, Retention, And Job Satisfaction, Mitch Christensen

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

This Capstone paper covered the topics of police officer recruiting, retention, and job satisfaction. It detailed current issues surrounding these topics, and promoted actionable and evidence-based changes to improve those issues. Topics were analyzed through administrative, ethical, and legal and legislative lens views. These proposed measures served as confirmation that current concerning trends can be mitigated, if not reversed, with thoughtful and thorough actions by police administrators and frontline employees alike.

1983, Brandon Hasbrouck

Scholarly Articles

This Piece embraces a fictional narrative to illustrate deep flaws in our legal system. It borrows its basic structure and a few choice lines from George Orwell’s classic novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. Like Orwell’s novel, it is set in the not-too-distant future to comment on problems already emerging in the present. The footnotes largely provide examples of some of those problems and how courts have treated them in a constitutional law context. The title (itself quite close to Orwell’s own title) is a reference to our chief civil rights statute, while the story deals with a critical threat to that …

Worst Practices: Departmental Predictors Of Police-Involved Deaths In Minnesota, 2013–2022, Joseph D. Ramlet

Capstone Projects

For decades, police departments in every part of the United States have been scrutinized for incidents of excessive and unjustified force. Some departments kill more of the citizenry than others, both with and without justification. Attention is drawn to Minnesota in the decade since the advent of the Black Lives Matter movement, through and after the murder of George Floyd and subsequent racial reckoning. Existing scholarship categorizes factors as individual and contextual, both of which are included in partial least squares regression performed on crowdsourced data and responses to Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics surveys from 29 departments in …

Check Welfare, Erich Hutton

Frontline Writers Archive

A Richmond-area cop is called to check on an elderly man's condition, then makes a shocking discovery inside the old man's house.

Articles, stories, and other compositions in this archive were written by participants in Frontline Writers. The program offers current and former members of the public safety community a customized writing class, free of charge. The program encourages and assists participants in sharing their stories and experiences of service in a supportive setting with fellow public safety members.

The Rise In Racial Tension: Metropolitan High School Administrators' Perceptions Of School Resource Officers, Joshua Stephen Mahan

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although heuristic models on safety for Black students have been proposed following the death of George Floyd (Edwards, 2021), little research to date has highlighted how Minnesota educational leaders perceive school resource officers (SROs) in schools. This phenomenological investigation explored the shared lived experiences of six Minnesota high school administrators from one school district that employed SROs. Five themes were determined in the course of data analysis, including qualified advocacy for SROs, SRO contributions to de-escalating for safer schools, SRO assistance in emergency situations, SRO caused escalation, and SRO caused racial harm. Findings from this study revealed support for SROs …

The Thinning Blue Line: Ptsd Benefits For Law Enforcement In Minnesota, Caleb Wootan

Mitchell Hamline Law Journal of Public Policy and Practice

No abstract provided.

Legalization, Medical Exemptions, And Decriminalization Of Marijuana Laws. An Exploratory Study Of Campus Police Officers’ Perceptions And Policing Practices In Response To New Marijuana Laws, Eric Kulberg

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is an exploratory study of how campus police officers perceive and respond to the changes in marijuana laws. It focuses on campus police departments in states that have passed marijuana laws that fit into one of three categories of laws: – the legalization of marijuana, a medical exception to the use of marijuana, and the decriminalization of marijuana for possession of small amounts. Because of its exploratory nature, this research focuses on campus police departments at each state’s flagship institutions that have passed legislation that fits into one of the three categories of laws. Lipsky’s theory of street-level …

The Effect Of Police Quota Laws, Stephen Rushin, Griffin Sims Edwards

Faculty Publications & Other Works

This Article examines the effect of state laws restricting the use of police quotas. Police quotas describe the establishment of a predetermined number of traffic stops, citations, or arrests that officers must make within a particular time period. Some police supervisors have historically used quotas to ensure adequate productivity by officers. However, critics argue that quotas incentivize officers to engage in unnecessary, and in some cases, unconstitutional, coercive behavior. Numerous states across the country have enacted laws banning or limiting the use of police quotas.

This Article analyzes a dataset of traffic and pedestrian stops from eleven law enforcement agencies …

A Descriptive Study Of The Perception Of Emerging Adults Aged 18-25 Years Toward Police Efficacy And Image In The United States, Jude Louis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of emerging adults toward police efficacy and image. The study was descriptive, used quantitative methodology, and utilized a non-experimental design. Close-ended questions were used in an online format to survey emerging adults aged 18-25 years in the United States. The data was collected using the SurveyMonkey Audience, which was relatively cost-effective, able to gather information from the target audience within a short period of time, and efficient with any sample size. The study occurred over two months in 2024. Emerging adults in the United States aged 18-25 years irrespective of …

The History Of Systemic Racism In The Texas Rangers, John E. Jordan Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

White people dominated North American society from the first settlement of North America through the twentieth century and their own cultural norms dictated their actions, both good and bad. The Texas Rangers and other police officers in Texas played a major role in the discrimination of people of color, particularly the Hispanic population. Systemic racism is found in the militarizing of the police and how they interacted with people of color.

Erasing Race, Emily Swanson

Capstones

Since the murder of George Floyd, the Minneapolis Police Department has increasingly lagged in its reporting of race data.

Understanding The Cultural Perceptions And Beliefs Of Law Enforcement About Officer Wellness: A Focused Ethnography, Carrie Hintz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Law enforcement is recognized as one of the most stressful and high-risk occupations in the world. This study explored the cultural perceptions, beliefs, and values of law enforcement officers (LEOs) about their wellness. Methodology: This focused ethnography included observations and individual interviews of LEOs in the state of Nevada, USA. Leininger’s four phases of qualitative data analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: Thirty-one LEOs participated, representing 7 law enforcement agencies. Three themes were identified: 1) the badge is omnipresent in officers' lives, affecting every aspect of their world; 2) a balanced approach to officer health is important; …

How The 2020 Protests Raises The Issues Of Policing Tactics, Brianna Knibbs

Capstones

With the 2020 Racial protests spreading all across the United States in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, the issues of police tactics used against protesters have raised a lot of questions on how it plays a role into the systematic police racism. In addition to the challenges for those who try to sue police departments.

Restrictive Pursuit Policies And Rising Violent Crime, Ryan Kelly

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

Consequences can be a driving factor for why citizens follow laws in the United States. Financial and physical freedom is valued. Citizen’s behavior may change if police officers threaten to take these things away for breaking laws. Policymakers today are working to restrict when law enforcement officers can chase criminals for breaking the law. Suppose the ability of law enforcement to hold criminals accountable is restricted. Would this not lead a reasonable person to believe that criminals may think they are free to commit crimes? This paper will cover current trends in violent crime in both the United States and …

Where Do We Go From Here? Reconsidering Crowd Management And Control In The Wake Of The George Floyd Era Of Protests., Nicholas Steiger

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

This research evaluated police response to protests and considered crowd management and control in the wake of the George Floyd era of protests. The research reviewed the history of crowd management and control and evaluated new methods to increase police legitimacy. It proposed the adoption of the Elaborated Social Identity Model of crowd control and provided agencies with additional recommendations that may increase ethical decision-making. It proposed that forming multi-jurisdictional mobile field force teams for crowd management and control will increase the professionalism of the police and help ensure the rights and safety of those participating in First Amendment activities. …

Exploring And Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Greeley’S Mental Health Co-Responder Program And “Squad 1”, Mikelle Angiuli

Master's Theses

Law enforcement officers are often the de facto emergency response for mental health crises despite having little to no mental health training. With nearly 20% of U.S. adults reporting experiencing a mental illness and recent police reform movements bringing attention to alternative policing practices and policies, there is arguably a need for comprehensive mental health treatment and emergency response in the U.S. (Mental Health America, n.d.). The cities of Greeley and Evans, Colorado have implemented a mental health co-responder program that involves individual mental health clinicians and a mental health ambulance, Squad 1, responding alongside police on mental health calls …

The Future Of Deep Fakes: Analyzing The Potential Future Consequences Of The Widespread Use Of Deepfakes On The Policing Sector, Maryam Salem Alshamsi

Theses

In today’s world there is a growing uncertainty in terms of the truthfulness of what we see and hear. People digest a great amount of information throughout the day using their devices, yet the quality and credibility of content is in question. People question if we are experiencing and perceiving the same reality at this point. This issue is not novel, however, it has progressed and developed to a level of realism that deceives people and affect their comprehension of information. Rapid technological advancement has raised the concern of what is referred to as “Deepfakes”, a machine learning technique that …

Office Of Attorney General Peter F. Neronha, Attorney General: Access To Public Records Act, Open Meetings Act, Attorney General, State Of Rhode Island, Roger Williams University School Of Law

School of Law Conferences, Lectures & Events

No abstract provided.

Black And Blue Police Arbitration Reforms, Michael Z. Green

Faculty Scholarship

The racial justice protests that engulfed the country after seeing a video of the appalling killing of a Black male, George Floyd, by a Minnesota police officer in 2020 has led to a tremendous number of questions about dealing with racial issues in policing. Similar concerns arose a little more than fifty years ago when police unions gained power to respond to the civil rights protests occurring during those times by establishing strong protections for their officers in light of brutality claims. This rhythmic progression of protests and union responses is destined to continue without any lasting reforms focused on …

A Mixed Methods Approach To Police Decertification, Lacey Roughton

Theses and Dissertations

The decertification of police officers is an important mechanism for law enforcement accountability for those who engage in misconduct, however, we have limited knowledge on the processes and outcomes of this form of police accountability. By using a convergent mixed methods design, the purpose of this study was to understand the process in which police decertification occurs and factors that influence decertification decisions in a Southern state. The data for this study included decertification case evidence packets, observational data from decertification hearings, and in-depth qualitative interviews with commissioners involved in police officer decertification case decisions. The findings from this study …

Was Atwater V. Lago Vista Decided Correctly? The Fourth Amendment's Shadow And Simulacra Of Police Brutality And The American Dream, Charles Lincoln

Barry Law Review

No abstract provided.

Toolkit: Healing Our Protectors: Building Resilience Among Tribal Law Enforcement Officers Through Cultural Interventions, Lavonne Fox, Leo Sr. Belgarde, Thomasine Heitkamp, Shawnda Schroeder

Indigenous Health Faculty Publications

Introduction: The U.S. and Native Americans have a government-to-government relationship. The result of 375 treaties, established laws and instituted policies promote Tribal sovereignty and are intended to support the general wellbeing Indigenous persons and protect their lands and resources. The Tribal sovereignty includes law enforcement. This resource is intended to provide a broad understanding of the challenges both Tribal and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) law enforcement officers face; many struggle dealing with the traumatic events they have experienced. We acknowledge that there is a scarcity of current information related to Tribal and BIA police officers’ mental health. This document …

Lapd Suffers Hiring Shortage Following A Shift In How Angelinos View Police, Nicole Norman

Honors Thesis

This is a news article written about how the nationwide police shortage following the murder of George Floyd has affected the City of Los Angeles. According to a poll done by Suffolk University and the LA Times, about one third of Angelinos believe that the police are performing poorly. However, those who are younger than 35 are more than twice likely to believe that police are performing poorly. Through this article, I will explore the changes that the LAPD is making in order to keep up with a changing social climate and an upcoming workforce that is not interested in …

Police And Their Relationship With The Public, Kevin Hebri

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This research essay aims to understand some of the social themes relevant to issues present between the public and the police institutions of the United States. Existing literature about this topic has noted the decentralized nature of law enforcement in the United States and the differences in policies and procedures used by different police departments and agencies. The existing literature has also cited the importance of police officer discretion and the situational factors that contribute to their decision-making. Occupational stress, and characteristics of a civilian involved in a police interaction, influence the decision-making process for police officers. This research is …

Law Enforcement's Assistance To The Mental Health Community, Megan Thompson

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

Mental health calls are an overwhelmingly consistent part of the law enforcement profession. With the lack of resources for the mental health community, law enforcement officers are becoming the contingency strategy. Relationships between the law enforcement and mental health communities are becoming imperative for every community. While developing these relationships, law enforcement officers can begin to develop response teams to handle mental health calls for service. Bringing on board clinical and non-clinical professionals from the mental health community can provide different intervention and therapy programs. Basic ethical principles, accepted in culture, include but are not limited to respect, honesty, and …

The Impact Of Utilitarian Public Policies On Minority Communities: A Comparison Of New York City And New South Wales, Australia., Nicholas Reyes

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this thesis is to highlight and critique the ways in which utilitarianism manifests itself in comparative public policy. While public policy studies tend to focus on national levels, cities, and states can also be major sites of theoretical and policy formulation that are adopted globally. The moral ethics that are involved in public policy are especially important because these policies have a direct impact on society. Utilitarianism encompasses the logic of utility maximization: the ends justify the means and the idea that the moral ethical choice is the one that will produce the greatest good for the …

A Structural Examination Of Organizational Justice, Self-Legitimacy, Employee Engagement, And Civic Engagement In Police, Mary Isis Wuestewald

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, the concept of police self-legitimacy has spurred research interest. Several studies have demonstrated beneficial outcomes associated with officers who are confident in their own authority. The current dissertation builds on this emerging area of study by examining the influence of organizational justice on police self-legitimacy, as well as self-legitimacy’s impact on employee engagement and civic engagement in police officers. Survey data were gathered from a sample of 1,391 officers from variously sized agencies across seven regions of the United States. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that organizational justice is a key component …

Qualified Knowledge: The Case For Considering Actual Knowledge In Qualified Immunity Jurisprudence As It Relates To The First Amendment Right To Record, Carly Laforge

William & Mary Law Review

This Note argues that this particular finding of the Frasier court is both pragmatically and philosophically problematic. By design, the qualified immunity doctrine seeks to shield police officers from civil rights lawsuits. However, prioritizing assumed knowledge over actual knowledge in determining what qualifies as a clearly established constitutional right harms the citizens that law enforcement officers have sworn to protect and serve. While traditional delineations of clearly established rights have involved appeals to precedent, public policy concerns are also important considerations in the qualified immunity analysis. In this way, Frasier is especially concerning in that it prioritizes the total defense …

Bond Conditions As Fourth Amendment Seizures, Rebecca Laden

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.