Search

Strong inferences are drawn from police-worn body camera (BWC) footage, frequently without an assessment of reliability. Unique characteristics of BWC footage (i.e., capturing trends and less frequent behavior, a focal actor (officer) is absent) suggest a specific reliability strategy. A three-step strategy of selecting appropriate reliability indexes, providing salient reliability categories, and ranking the reliability categories was applied to BWC footage. Five interrater agreement ( A C 1 , α ^ K , B − P coefficient, r wg , ad . m ), two interrater consistency ICC 1 , 1 , ICC 2 , 1 , and three internal consistency ( ω t , ω h , GLB ) indexes were applied to police BWC footage. A focus was to ascertain the upper limits of reliability for BWC footage. Item development and rater training were conducted to optimize rating reliability. Using a within design and confidence intervals, the relatively stronger and weaker reliabilities across the six domains of video completeness, respect (passive, active, discourse), threats, and behavioral stance were assessed. Applied to the admissibility of court evidence, central aspects of video completeness have relatively stronger reliabilities. For research, lower reliabilities have a cost of limited generalizability and ecological validity. Policy recommendations include the usage of a standardized scale with multiple ratings to determine what information should be used in high-stake decision-making based on BWC footage. The three-step strategy integrated the reliability indexes into a single figure to reflect a reliability summary of each component of BWC footage. Weighted rankings found the Overall Audio Quality (-4.9) and Empathy (-4.9) items to have the weakest reliabilities and the Clarification (5.1) and Physical Resistance (4.9) items to have the strongest reliabilities.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the impacts coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had on US police academies’ production of police recruits.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a national online survey of police academy directors in the USA, followed by purposive, semi-structured interviews of select academy directors. A combination of quantitative and qualitative data is combined in a mixed methods approach.FindingsThe findings suggest that academies experienced a range of impacts related to COVID-19. These impacts lead to more questions concerning how academies and state-level governing boards responded not only to pandemic-related challenges, but also to their willingness to accept more online and alternative curriculum delivery strategies.Originality/valuePolice academies are a required step in the production of new police recruits in the USA, but researchers have paid little attention to how academies operate. While exploratory, this study provides some insights into how this aspect of policing weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, and offers suggestions for future research, as well as policy implications.

Using a sample of frontline police officers from several mid-sized municipal police departments in the United States, this study explores the relationships between frontline police officers’ self-legitimacy, organizational fit, moral alignment with policed communities, and attitudes toward democratic policing principles. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling, the analysis frames democratic policing using a formative latent construct to test several hypotheses. The results support a direct positive relationship between self-legitimacy and attitudes toward democratic policing, and suggest the relationship is partially mediated by officers' perceptions of moral alignment with their policed communities. The results further demonstrate that self-legitimacy is significantly related to organizational fit, but organizational fit does not appear to mediate the relationship between self-legitimacy and attitudes toward democratic policing.

PurposeThe article first examines whether police hiring decisions represent a zero-sum game where hires from one under-represented group (e.g. White women) reduce the number of hires made from other under-represented groups (non-White men and/or non-White women). Second, we explore whether agencies that hire more members of underrepresented groups achieve more diverse applicant pools in future hiring cycles. Negative binomial regression techniques are used in both analyses.Design/methodology/approachData for this study come from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEAs) from 2011 to 2016. These data are divided into two periods: Period A (2011–2013) and Period B (2014–2016). The two periods are combined to assess a zero-sum effect. Then, Period A data on hiring decisions is used to estimate the diversity in applicant pools in Period B.FindingsResults from this study provided little evidence of a zero-sum effect. It does not seem that agencies that hire from one under-represented group are less likely to hire from others. Instead, agencies that have shown a commitment to diversification are more likely to make additional hires from under-represented groups. We also found evidence of a relationship between Period A hires and Period B applicant pools for Hispanic women, but not for other groups. Broadly, we found that agencies where a larger share of officers are women were more likely to hire more women applicants.Originality/valuePrevious research examining zero-sum effects in hiring rely on officer rosters rather than specific applicant and hiring data. The data used in this study allows for a more precise examination of hiring decisions, and allows us to link hiring decisions to future applicant pool composition.

This paper introduces and presents a first analysis of a uniquely curated dataset of misinformation, disinformation, and rumors spreading on Twitter about the 2020 U.S. Election. Previous research on misinformation — an umbrella term for false and misleading content — has largely focused either on broad categories, using a finite set of keywords to cover a complex topic, or on a few, focused case studies, with increased precision but limited scope. Our approach, by comparison, leverages real-time reports collected from September through November 2020 to develop a comprehensive dataset of tweets connected to 456 distinct misinformation stories from the 2020 US Presidential election (our ElectionMisinfo2020 dataset), 307 of which sowed doubt in the legitimacy of the election. By relying on real-time incidents and streaming data, we generate a curated dataset that not only provides more granularity than a large collection based on a finite number of search terms, but also an improved opportunity for generalization compared to a small set of case studies. Though the emphasis is on misleading content, not all of the tweets linked to a misinformation story are false: some are questions, opinions, corrections, or factual content that nonetheless contributes to misperceptions. Along with a detailed description of the data, this paper provides an analysis of a critical subset of election-delegitimizing misinformation in terms of size, content, temporal diffusion, and partisanship. We label key ideological clusters of accounts within interaction networks, describe common misinformation narratives, and identify those accounts which repeatedly spread misinformation. We document the asymmetry of misinformation spread: accounts associated with support for President Biden shared stories in ElectionMisinfo2020 far less than accounts supporting his opponent. That asymmetry remained among the accounts who were repeatedly influential in the spread of misleading content that sowed doubt in the election: all but two of the top 100 ‘repeat spreader’ accounts were supporters of then-President Trump. These findings support the implementation and enforcement of ‘strike rules’ on social media platforms, directly addressing the outsized role of repeat spreaders.

This study examines front-line police officers’ job satisfaction in mid-sized municipal departments in the Midwestern United States. We use a 2019 cross-sectional survey of seven police departments...

Organizational change is necessary and inevitable in any organization, and is an important element of police reform. Research has demonstrated that attitudes of officers, supervisors, and administr...

Protein engineering is a growing field with a variety of experimental techniques available for altering protein function. However, creating an enzyme de novo is still in its infancy, so far yielding enzymes of modest catalytic efficiency. In this study, a system of artificial retro-aldolase enzymes found to have chemistry coupled to protein dynamics was examined. The original design was created computationally, and this protein was then subjected to directed evolution to improve the initial low catalytic efficiency. We found that this re-engineering of the enzyme resulted in rapid density fluctuations throughout the enzyme being reshaped via alterations in the hydrogen bonding network. This work also led to the discovery of a second important motion which aids in the release of an intermediate product. These results provide compelling evidence that to engineer efficient protein catalysts, fast protein dynamics need to be considered in the design.

In recent years, many law enforcement agencies have found themselves in legitimacy crises, where police have difficulty winning the support and trust of the communities that they serve. One strateg...

PurposeCyberbullying – using technology to intentionally and repeatedly engage in bullying behaviors – has gained considerable public attention over the last decade. Parents and educators regularly instruct students about appropriate online behaviors and threaten consequences for misbehaviors. The role and responsibility of law enforcement officers in preventing and responding to cyberbullying incidents remains uncertain. While clear violations of the law (e.g. threats of physical harm) most directly implicate the police, other – more common behaviors – such as rumor spreading or hurtful online commenting do not. The paper aims to discuss this issue.Design/methodology/approachThe current study surveyed 1,596 law enforcement supervisors attending the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy (NA) program. The survey instrument assessed perceptions of law enforcement responsibility in cyberbullying incidents. Data were collected in three waves over a nine-year period, allowing the measurement of attitudinal changes over time.FindingsThe authors find that certain officer characteristics are associated with a greater interest in responding to different types of cyberbullying (including having children at home and having previous experience dealing with cyberbullying) and that these perceptions have evolved over time.Research limitations/implicationsThe data are specific to law enforcement leaders who participated in the NA and are therefore not generalizable to all officers. Nevertheless, implications for explaining variance and law enforcement involvement in cyberbullying incidents are discussed.Originality/valueThis is the first study to survey law enforcement leaders over time to assess their evolving perceptions of law enforcement’s role in addressing cyberbullying among youth.

Background Cardioversion in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) can cause cardioembolic stroke, and effective clinical management is necessary to reduce morbidity and mortality. Currently, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is the accepted standard to diagnose cardiogenic thromboemboli; however, a negative TEE does not eliminate the possibility of left atrial thrombus. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of supplementing the TEE with additional noninvasive markers to ensure thrombus absence. Methods A prospective study was conducted on 59 patients who underwent TEE for suspected intra‐cardiac thrombi. The TEE indications included acute ischemic stroke (45.7%) and AF or flutter (59.3%). D‐dimer level and white blood cell counts were assessed. Results A negative D‐dimer level (

Following the development and implementation of mainstream social media platforms’ election-related speech policies, a renewed wave of criticism emerged from the U.S. ideological right. Several months before the 2020 U.S. presidential election, conservative politicians, pundits, and “patriots” alleged that their speech was being censored by “Big Tech.” This resulted in right-leaning influencers, and many of their followers, migrating to alternative online platforms to avoid moderation. Alternative social media, such as Parler, Bitchute, Gab, and Gettr, describe themselves as unmoderated hubs for “free speech,” signalling an invitation for users to voice everything from unpopular opinions, to misinformation, to hate speech. Yet when pushed by technology infrastructure platforms like Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store to address missing or substandard moderation practices, “alt-tech” platforms were forced to create or adapt ad hoc, often minimalistic, content moderation policies.Our research explores and evaluates these policies in comparison to mainstream platforms, and analyzes how moderation policies interact with the ideological framework asserted at an alternative platform’s nascence. Our work provides necessary insight into the potential motivations for one potential source of internet platform oversight. With few immediately available regulatory options, assessing the viability of alternatives is crucial. This is particularly true as severe legislative gridlock stalls meaningful reform to the federal law perhaps capable of improving platforms’ moderation practices. Because private regulation appears to be the most immediate solution to address new breeding grounds for mis- and disinformation, inquiry into alternative platforms’ adoption and enforcement of moderation policies is needed. Our paper concludes with questions for future research into the efficacy of alternative platforms’ policy implementation; it is imperative to distinguish legitimate moderation from mere shells constructed to retain profit in parallel with ideological posturing.

Much is said about the importance of leadership in policing. In policing leadership is a key variable in organisational effectiveness, public confidence and employee well-being. We demand that our ...

Body-worn cameras are a promising new development in policing. They have been linked to positive outcomes such as decreases in use of force and complaints against officers. However, this new techno...

The 2018 U.S. pivot in information and cyberspace degraded Russian operations in the 2018 election. Following pervasive Russian information power operations during the U.S. 2016 elections, the United States progressed from a policy of preparations and defense in information and cyberspace to a policy of forward engagement. U.S recognition of renewed great power competition coupled with Russia’s inability to compete diplomatically, militarily (conventionally), or economically, inspires Russia to continues to concentrate on information power operations. This great game in cyberspace was virtually uncontested by the U.S. prior to 2017. Widespread awareness of Russian aggression in 2016 served as a catalyst which highlighted the enormity of Russian campaigns and the crippling constraints on U.S. information power. This catalyst pivoted the U.S. from a passive policy of preparations and defense in information and cyberspace to a policy of forward engagement that successfully attenuated Russian efforts in 2018. By examining information power from theory development and Russian practice to recent reports and primary sources we find that the U.S. demonstrated the capability and willingness to defend forward successfully during the 2018 elections. Going forward, the U.S. must continue and expand efforts to contest cyberspace and counter disinformation to secure our democracy and the U.S. 2020 presidential election.

Background: Because of a lack of comparative data on anticoagulant use in the advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) population, guidelines recommend warfarin for atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism (VTE) treatment in these patients. However, apixaban has specific dosing recommendations in CKD leading to use in clinical practice. Objective: To evaluate major bleeding, stroke, and thromboembolism rates in patients with CKD stage 4, stage 5, and dialysis on apixaban or warfarin therapy. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with advanced CKD receiving apixaban or warfarin. The primary outcome was the occurrence of major bleeding at 3 months after enrollment. Secondary outcomes included occurrence of major bleeding, occurrence of ischemic stroke, and recurrence of VTE at 3 to 6 and 6 to 12 months. Results: A total of 604 patients were included in the analysis. The percentage of apixaban and warfarin patients with a major bleed at 0 to 3, 3 to 6, and 6 to 12 months were 8.3% versus 9.9% ( P=0.48), 1.4% versus 4% ( P=0.07), and 1.5% versus 8.4% ( P

Research often overlooks rural populations in explaining criminal justice phenomena, despite variant social and economic patterns. The current study considers fear of crime among rural residents, particularly as it relates with social experiences, prior victimization, and respondent characteristics. In particular, gender is considered not only as a covariate but the unique patterns of fear of crime in comparing male and female models. Using survey data from a nationally representative sample, the results demonstrate some parallels but also some departure from prior fear of crime research. The results indicate social perceptions differ in rural spaces, highlighting the importance of broader social experiences in explaining fear of crime. The findings demonstrate predictive mechanisms operate differently for males and females. Overall, these findings enhance the understanding of fear of crime in different settings and by gender.

Studies and accounts of change in police organizations frequently emphasize case studies of specific efforts enacted during relatively discrete periods of time in one or a few agencies. The narratives often emphasize the success of change efforts or seek to explain why initiatives failed in the case study agency. While instructive, such accounts do not provide broader insights into successes and failures with change across longer periods of time, differing types of change, and diverse organizational contexts. Using survey data from mid-career police supervisors attending the FBI National Academy program, this study considers change experiences. In particular, consideration is given to the frequency of change, its results, and the factors associated with successful and failed outcomes.

Nearly two centuries ago, the British Parliament established the legal basis for the London Metropolitan Police Department by passing the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829 (Klockars 1985; Uchida 1997...

A series of recommendations to colleges and universities concerning safety, security, and incident response policies emerged in the aftermath of several high-profile tragic events on campuses. Although these appear as “common sense” solutions to the perceived risks, little is known about the level of support the normative recommendations receive from the very people they are intended to protect. This study utilizes survey data from a Midwestern university to examine the level of support expressed by students, faculty, and staff for commonly recommended campus safety policies and procedures. Multivariate models are used to compare the viability of explaining levels of support through the lenses of respondent demographics and experiences, fear of crime, and perceptions of campus public safety. Although attitudes significantly differed, students were substantively quite similar to faculty and staff. However, the factors that were hypothesized to influence support for campus safety initiatives (i.e., prior victimization, fear of crime, protective measures, perception of disorder, race, sex, and age) were not consistently predictive. This suggests that campus policymakers and state legislatures may be well served to consider the opinions of campus community members before imposing what may be unpopular policies that have questionable efficacy.

The design of artificial enzymes is an emerging field of research. Although progress has been made, the catalytic proficiency of many designed enzymes is low compared to natural enzymes. Nevertheless, recently Hilvert et al. ( Nat. Chem. 2017, 9, 50-56) created a series of five artificial retro-aldolase enzymes via directed evolution, with the final variant exhibiting a rate comparable to the naturally occurring enzyme fructose 1,6 bisphosphate aldolase. We present a study of this system in atomistic detail that elucidates the effects of mutational changes on the chemical step. Transition path sampling is used to create ensembles of reactive trajectories, and committor analysis is used to identify the stochastic separatrix of each ensemble. The application of committor distribution analysis to constrained trajectories allows the identification of changes in important protein motions coupled to reaction across the generated series of the artificial retro-aldolases. We observed two different reaction mechanisms and analyzed the role of the residues participating in the reaction coordinate of each enzyme. However, only in the most evolved variant we identified a fast motion that promotes catalysis, suggesting that this rate promoting vibration was introduced during directed evolution. This study provides further evidence that protein dynamics must be taken into account in designing efficient artificial enzymes.

Leadership is an enduring concern in American policing. In a post-Ferguson era, the police find themselves once again confronting a crisis of trust and confidence. Better leaders and leadership represent important mechanisms to ameliorate these concerns and to disrupt American policing’s historical cycle of controversy. This chapter examines the historical and current periods of crisis in US policing as they relate to police leadership. It provides an overview of the major programmes and initiatives designed to develop future generations of US police leaders, while discussing the lack of evidence validating how-best to develop better police leaders. The chapter concludes with a discussion of ways to enhance the quality of leaders and leadership in policing to better serve the interests of citizens and society.