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This qualitative study explores the opportunities and challenges of collaboration experienced by social workers and police officers when dealing with cases of intimate partner violence (IPV) and stalking. The study aims to examine their collaborative approaches in risk assessment and risk management by identifying the structures, supports, and foundations crucial for effective collaboration. Our data, collected from twelve interviews and one focus group interview with social workers and police officers, reveals that collaboration was facilitated by assigning specific roles to involved parties, proximity, structure and professionalism. These key factors emerged as crucial and contributing to the effectiveness of the collaborative efforts. Practitioners should consider integrating these key elements into their practices to enhance and improve collaboration when addressing cases of IPV and stalking. The study underscores the need for a well-defined framework and support structures to optimise the collaborative response to such complex and sensitive issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To examine the perceptual deterrent effect of an increase in police presence for a sample of previously adjudicated adolescents and address the limitations of existing perceptual deterrence research. Methods: This study exploits the timing of Operation Safe Streets, a hot spots policing intervention designed to increase officer presence, which occurred during an ongoing longitudinal survey of previously adjudicated adolescents (n = 700). The effect of this intervention is tested using first-difference models of perceptions of arrest risk within-person over time. Sensitivity analyses and falsification tests are also conducted to provide further confidence in the findings. Results: Results show that Operation Safe Streets is related to an increase in perceptions of arrest risk for one's self, as well as perceptions of other's arrest risk. This pattern holds for those who were and were not arrested. Furthermore, null findings for the effect of Operation Safe Streets on perceived social costs of punishment, as well as null findings from in-time placebo models, lend strong support that an increase in police officer presence did increase individuals' perceptions of arrest risk in the months following the intervention. Conclusions: This study is the first to test the perceptual deterrent effect of a police intervention aimed to reduce street crime. It is also one of the first to demonstrate that criminal justice policies impact perceptions of arrest risk. This study adds to our understanding of the success of hot spots policing by suggesting that one pathway for decreased crime is through changes in perceptions of arrest risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to prevent and fight terrorism, a new research area has developed called terrorist financing. An important aspect is the financing of terrorism by Non-Profit Organization (NPO), through transfer funds, terrorist alliances, abuse of NPOs, terrorist recruitment, and false NPOs and agents. Therefore, the NPO counter-terrorist financing strategy was established, considering four major aspects: warning information indicators, internal management mechanisms, international cooperation and information sharing, and counter-terrorist Financing legislation. This paper provides a new way to supervise the terrorist financing of NPOs. First, actual cases should be collected, and viable warning indicators for regulatory agencies and NPOs should be established. Second, internal management mechanisms should be strengthened to actively prevent terrorist activities within NPOs. Third, given the global activity of NPOs and terrorist organizations, information-led international cooperation must be emphasized. Fourth, from the angle of independent counter-terrorist Financing legislation, the gap should be filled in NPO counter-terrorist Financing legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While scholars have linked immigration enforcement with reductions in Latinx crime reporting, little research has examined the tools localities can use to counter reporting declines. This study assesses whether a community policing program adopted by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) offset documented decreases in Latinx domestic violence reporting after President Trump assumed office. Using data on crimes reported to the LAPD between 2014 and 2019, this study finds that while domestic violence reports made by Latinx victims declined elsewhere after Trump took office, they increased in areas exposed to the community policing program. Results suggest that community policing may be a viable tool to encourage help-seeking behavior among residents vulnerable to deportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the response of the Home Office and the Metropolitan Police to mass demonstrations in 1968. Using a variety of contemporaneous sources, including underused archival material, documents released through freedom of information requests, and evidence disclosed as part of the ongoing Undercover Policing Inquiry (UCPI), it shows how the experience of mass demonstrations that year, which came against the backdrop of widespread international protest, prompted significant developments in terms of crowd control tactics, covert intelligence gathering practices and the use of new technology to enable greater command and control over police resources. Taken together, these measures represented a permanent change to the public order capacity of the Metropolitan Police, providing a model that was gradually exported to other forces across England and Wales with the encouragement of the Home Office. However, despite the significant changes introduced in 1968, this article shows how police officers, civil servants, and politicians emphasised the continuation of 'traditional methods', a term that functioned as a way of situating public order policing within an idealised image of a uniquely English policing tradition, with an appeal to historical continuity that aimed to convey legitimacy and construct consent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To examine sudden and unexpected or trauma-related deaths that occurred in the presence of law enforcement in Johnson County, Iowa, between 2011 and 2020. Methods. We identified deaths in the presence of law enforcement using definitions from the National Association of Medical Examiners. We obtained data, including demographics, cause and manner of death, toxicology results, and circumstances and location of event leading to death, from comprehensive medical examiner investigative reports. Results. There were 165 deaths that occurred in the presence of law enforcement: 114 were from a known disease, and 51 were either trauma related or the sudden, unexpected initial presentation of a previously unrecognized disease. Three deaths occurred in the context of physical restraint by law enforcement. Suicide was the leading manner of death among trauma-related deaths; the means of suicide was predictable based on in-custody (hanging) or precustody (firearm) circumstances. Conclusions. Our findings highlight the potential role of medical examiners and coroners in improving completeness of data on reporting death in the presence of law enforcement to public health agencies. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(6):642–650. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307616) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between childhood maltreatment and subsequent offending/victimization is well established. However, the magnitude of this relationship for different levels of child protection services (CPS) involvement is poorly understood, due to measurement issues, lack of longitudinal data, and reliance on reports of substantiated maltreatment, which can underestimate the impact of maltreatment. This study examined associations between CPS involvement during childhood (ages 0 to <11 years) and police services contact (as a victim and/or a person of interest) for criminal incidents in early adolescence (11 to ~14 years), differentiated according to levels of CPS involvement (i.e., no risk of significant harm [non-ROSH], unsubstantiated ROSH, substantiated ROSH, and out-of-home care; each examined relative to no CPS contact). Data for 71,465 children were drawn from the New South Wales Child Development Study, an intergenerational, longitudinal investigation that uses administrative records from CPS and police alongside other health, justice, and education data. Multinomial regression analyses were conducted to determine associations between increasing levels of CPS involvement and police contact as a victim only, a person of interest only, and as both victim and person of interest while accounting for covariates (i.e., child's sex, Aboriginal, and/or Torres Strait Islander background, socioeconomic status, maternal age at child's birth, and parental offending history). Children exposed to any of the four levels of CPS involvement had higher odds of police contact, relative to children with no CPS involvement. Odds ratios were higher for contact with police as both a victim and a person of interest, compared to police contact as a victim or a person of interest only. These findings highlight that children with even unsubstantiated CPS reports (i.e., non-ROSH and unsubstantiated ROSH reports) are at heightened risk of police contact compared to children who are unknown to CPS, underlining the need to support all families in contact with CPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) encompasses the taking, sharing, and/or threatening to share nude or sexual images of others without their consent. The prevalence of IBSA is growing rapidly due to technological advancements, such as access to smartphones, that have made engagement in such activities easier. Bystanders offer an important means of intervention, but little is known about what facilitates or inhibits bystander action in these contexts. To address this gap in the literature, seven focus groups (n = 35) were conducted to explore the factors that facilitate and inhibit bystander action in the context of three different IBSA scenarios (taking, sharing, and making threats to share nude or sexual images without consent). Using thematic analysis, eight themes were identified, suggesting that the perceived likelihood of intervention increased with greater feelings of responsibility, empathy with the victim, reduced feelings of audience inhibition, greater feelings of safety, greater anger toward the IBSA behavior, closer relationships with the victim and perpetrator, the incident involving a female victim and male perpetrator, and perception of greater benefits of police involvement. These findings are considered alongside the physical sexual violence literature in highlighting the similarities and nuances across the different contexts. Implications for the development of policies and educational materials are discussed in relation to encouraging greater bystander intervention in IBSA contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible Summary: What is known on the subject?: Seclusion is a harmful and traumatising intervention for people accessing mental health services.People who are subject to seclusion in inpatient mental health services often first experience this within the first 24 h following admission.There is limited research examining how recent contact with services impacts the likelihood of seclusion when people are admitted to inpatient services. What the paper adds to existing knowledge?: Males, Māori and Pasifika experience higher rates of seclusion within the first 24 h following inpatient admission.People perceived by clinicians as overactive, aggressive, disruptive or agitated are seven times more likely to be secluded within the first 24 h.People referred from police or justice services are three times more likely to be secluded within the first 24 h.People who had frequent contact with community mental health services prior to inpatient admission were less likely to be secluded. What are the implications for practice?: The first 24 h of inpatient admission is a critical focus for eliminating the use of seclusion. Initial interactions with people recently admitted should focus on nurturing relationships and reducing distress.Mental health staff should consider the person's cultural needs, referral pathway, recent service contact and baseline ratings on the Health of the Nation Outcomes Scales (HoNOS) when working proactively to prevent the use of seclusion in the first 24 h following admission.Strengthening the focus on nurturing relationships, cultural understanding and non‐coercive de‐escalation approaches requires leadership support and strategic workforce development. Introduction: People who experience seclusion in inpatient mental health services often do so within the first 24 h following admission. There is limited research examining the potential contributing factors, particularly recent contact with services. Aim/Question: To identify factors associated with seclusion within the first 24 h following admission into acute inpatient mental health services. Method: A retrospective analysis was undertaken using routinely collected data from Aotearoa New Zealand mental health services. Results: A higher likelihood of seclusion within the first 24 h following admission was associated with: males, Māori, Pasifika, referrals from police/justice services, inpatient transfers, recent contact with crisis assessment teams and clinician perceptions of aggression, problematic substance use, cognitive problems and hallucinations or delusions. Recent contact with community mental health services was associated with a lower likelihood. Discussion: People's cultural needs, referral pathway, recent service contact and HoNOS scores should be considered when working to prevent the use of seclusion in the first 24 h following admission. Implications for Practice: The first 24 h following inpatient admission is a critical period for preventing the use of seclusion. Nurturing relationships, cultural understanding and use of non‐coercive de‐escalation approaches can support better outcomes for people recently admitted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although officer body-worn cameras (BWCs) have improved transparency of police interactions within the community, BWCs have a limited field of view, are subject to bias, and do not account for the factors that influence rapid decision-making by officers, including their visual attentional control and perceptual processes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the camera perspective of six critical incidents and position data from BWC compared to eye tracking and head movement data in a use-of-force scenario from 44 active-duty police officers. The analysis of gyroscope and accelerometer data demonstrated low correlations between eye cameras and BWC position data. Officers attended 80.5% of all critical incidents, whereas BWC view captured only 66.2%, especially missing key events (<48%). BWC footage did not account for the visual information and the behaviors of the suspect, potential threats, and bystanders who influence the officers' decision-making during the use of force encounters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniforms are an important element of policing. Manipulations to police uniforms, including via the addition, removal and/or alteration of equipment, can impact public perceptions of officers. As part of the present research, we sought to qualitatively assess how the public interpret police uniforms. We asked a large sample of Canadians (N = 1,997) to freeform describe what they believed to be the most important components of a police uniform. Using a detailed codebook, we then coded participants' responses to identify patterns. Among the themes identified, participants most frequently referenced equipment and presentation as well as institutional recognition as the most important components of a police uniform. Participants also frequently referenced the functionality of the uniform as well as its image. We discuss our results in the context of policing research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the wake of high-profile mass shootings in schools, policymakers have explored options designed to mitigate harms to students, faculty, staff, and visitors during similar tragedies. Among the most controversial measures introduced has been armed teacher policies, which currently are authorized in some form in more than half of U.S. states despite no evidence about their effectiveness in such situations. Public support for arming teachers is divided, though the perceptions of law enforcement, who would be tasked with responding to the shooting and could potentially encounter armed teachers, has been largely overlooked. This study helps to address this gap through a qualitative evaluation of feedback provided by officers as part of a broader survey. Ten subthemes were identified in the responses and were grouped into three broader categories: the value of armed teachers, training (both broadly and related to specific requirements), and other considerations. Broader implications for policymakers stemming from these perceptions also are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has suggested that tactical officers across North America commonly respond to calls characterized as 'routine,' which has raised significant concerns. However, most of this research relies on de-contextualized data, such as the broad call category (e.g., domestic), to ascertain the nature of the incidents that receive a response from tactical officers. To provide a more nuanced understanding of these incidents, we were provided access to one year's worth of operational data from the Winnipeg Police Service and conducted a content analysis on incidents that received a response from tactical officers (n = 1652). Overall, we found that the primary role of tactical officers was responding to high-risk calls in which violence (n = 599) and weapons (n = 820) were reported. Furthermore, our findings highlight that the initial call type is not a reliable indicator of the risk posed to public or officer safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sound use-of-force decisions are essential for police performance in critical incidents. In this exploratory study we seek to better understand the decision-making processes that are involved. Eighty-six third-year police students performed a use-of-force training exercise in an audio-visual, critical scenario simulation. Participants answered debriefing interviews about their subjective decision processes. Qualitative content analyses of the interviews indicated that the decision-making was based on visual, dynamic, and central information, more than on auditory, static, and peripheral information. Thoughts about the situation as well as thoughts about themselves were reported. Decision strategies were affected by level of expertise. Most participants made decisions that met safety concerns. The current study emphasizes the advantage of familiarizing students with a variety of operational settings, as well as their personal reactions towards them. It suggests the advantages of simulated training that includes psychological factors alongside more tactical and technical factors, including training in stress-regulation techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policing as a dangerous occupation has been well documented. While prior inquiries have focused on the dangers resulting from injurious accidents or citizen-based violence, additional aspects of the external work environment have the potential to invoke concern among police. Utilizing survey data from a large municipal police department in the Southern region of the United States, the current study examines previously excluded sources of danger among police with street-level assignments – negative publicity and citizen cooperation. Our multivariate results reveal positive associations between negative publicity and perceptions of external danger, while a negative relationship was found for citizen cooperation. The implications for police practice and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has documented long-term large declines in police line-of-duty deaths over the last 5 decades. The persistence of this decline has been challenged recently by an unprecedented dual threat to officer safety: increased violent attacks on police and the COVID-19 pandemic. We examine all local, county, state, and federal officer line-of-duty deaths from 1970–2021 using data from the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP). We examine long-term trends and conduct a decade-by-decade analysis of those deaths. More officers died in 2021 than in any year in the last half-century. Violent killings of police reached the highest level in 20 years, and 523 officers died from COVID-19 in a two-year span. At the state level, there is a significant association between the prevalence of police officer deaths resulting from COVID-19 and general population vaccination rates. We explore the implications of these findings for agency policy and practice with regard to officer safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A self-report instrument was created to measure stress, attitudes, and performance of domestic and family violence (DFV) first responders in an Australian state. DFV-related stress negatively impacted officers' attitudes and self-assessed performance. Higher DFV stress was predicted by the frequency and severity of DFV incidents, and the absence of lived experience. Negative attitudes were predicted by a shorter length of service and lower severity, and poorer performance by a longer length of service and lower perceived social support. Males reported higher stress and poorer performance than females. The findings reveal systemic issues that inhibit effective police response, emphasizing the need to address negative attitudes and "DV fatigue." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns about excessive use of force by U.S. police have led to calls for agencies to move from 'warrior' to 'guardian' policing. 'Warrior' policing embodies an aggressive or coercive approach to law enforcement, while 'guardian' policing prioritises communication, procedural justice and citizen safety. Associations between guardian and warrior policing orientations and use of force attitudes in the U.S. have been found, however the influence of these orientations on police use of force in Australia has not been examined. This study examined the association of guardian and warrior policing orientations with use of force attitudes, threat perceptions and tactical decision-making among Australian officers, through a survey of 183 police officers in Queensland. Regression analyses indicated that warrior policing was associated with greater support for use of force and greater perceived threat in an ambiguous threat scenario, while guardian policing was associated with more restraint in tactical decision-making among Australian police officers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some proponents of the "war on cops" thesis have suggested that the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement encourages people to murder police officers and is responsible for many civilian-on-police homicides. To evaluate such claims, this study examines all homicides of on-duty police officers by civilians from 2008 to 2021 (n = 595) for ideological motives, and uses interrupted times series analysis to test for post-Ferguson trends. Ideological motivations were present in 12% of civilian-on-police homicides, and only 3% constituted terrorism. Right-wing motivations were far more common (6%) than left-wing motives (3%). Most analyses showed no significant increase in ideological civilian-on-police homicides after Ferguson. Although homicides with left-wing motives unconnected to personal revenge significantly increased after Ferguson, this only accounts for a small proportion of post-Ferguson homicides (4%). In short, there is no evidence that BLM unleashed a "war on cops" in which officers are increasingly targeted in ideological homicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calls for the diversification of policing to better mirror communities served date to 1960s-era national commissions and continue to the present. Largely ignored in efforts to diversify policing is the role of race/ethnicity and completion of academy-based training of police recruits. This study used data collected from 615 U.S. basic law enforcement training (BLET) academies during 2018 to examine the correlates of BLET non-completion, including academy-level counts of racial/ethnic group membership of recruits, academy regional location, affiliation, stress of the training model used, and required weeks of BLET for state-level certification. Multivariate negative binomial regression modeling indicated that compared to non-completion counts of White non-Hispanic recruits, except for Asian non-Hispanic group members, the expected change in non-completion counts for members of all other racial/ethnic groups significantly increased holding all other variables in the model constant at their means. Implications for diversifying policing are discussed and recommendations made for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using multi-level modelling, this article analyses data from 16 police agencies in England and Wales where one officer, carrying TASER, used force on one member of the public (N = 11,176). When compared to incidents involving handcuffing only, resistance, gender and mental health status of the member of the public and the need to protect officers or others were associated with increased odds of TASER drawing and firing. Incidents involving lone officers increased odds of firing compared to incidents where they were accompanied by an officer not using force. Compared to the White reference category, incidents involving Black/Black British members of the public, or a male officer, were associated with increased odds of drawing compared to handcuffing. Incidents involving Asian/Asian British members of the public, or children, were associated with decreased odds. As the proportion of incidents where TASER was carried increased, odds of use decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This eight-agency case study analyzes the characteristics of four high-and four low-performing police agencies, as measured by their long-term crime clearance rates. High and low performers were identified through a systematic assessment of 30 years of clearance rates of robberies, aggravated assaults, burglaries, and homicides for the largest 100 police departments in the United States. Researchers then conducted in-depth case studies of eight of these agencies—four of the highest and four of the lowest ranking in terms of their investigative practices. Comparisons of high-and low-performing agencies reveal differences in organizational structure; leadership and resources; selection, training, and performance review for investigators; case assignment and investigative processes; and community interactions. These findings provide direct guidance to agencies seeking to strengthen their investigative organization and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The veil of darkness (VOD) is a practical and rigorous methodology for examining racial disparities in police traffic stop behavior. Past research, however, has been littered with methodological inconsistencies inhibiting cross‐study comparison and decisions regarding policy. Accordingly, we clarify four aspects of its implementation: 1) coding daylight, our treatment condition; 2) constructing an intertwilight period; 3) accounting for seasonal differences in driving or patrol patterns; and 4) modeling VOD multivariable regression equations. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of methodological decisions as they pertain to the method's functionality as a natural experiment. Furthermore, we propose a novel weighting procedure to account for seasonal driving population differences. We examined more than 50,000 traffic stops conducted by Michigan State Police during 2021 to demonstrate our suggested framework for future analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis C virus core antigen (HCVcAg) testing can simplify and decrease costs of HCV infection confirmation compared to molecular testing (nucleic acid testing). We piloted HCVcAg testing for the confirmation of active infection. The study was conducted during June through December 2022 among the police and the general population of Islamabad, Pakistan age 18 years and older. Initial screening for HCV antibody was conducted using a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) for all consenting participants. Those who tested positive had venous blood samples tested for HCVcAg, platelets and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Persons with HCVcAg values ≥3 fmol/L were defined as viremic, and they were offered treatment with direct acting antiviral (DAA) medications, sofosbuvir and daclatasvir. Aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) was calculated for each HCV infected person, and those with an APRI score <1.5 received treatment for 12 weeks, while those with APRI ≥ to 1.5 received 24 weeks of treatment. A total of 15,628 persons were screened for anti‐HCV using RDT and 643 (4.1%) tested positive. HCVcAg values of ≥3 fmol/L was found in 399/643 (62.1%), and all were offered and accepted treatment. Of those treated, 273/399 (68.4%) returned for a follow‐up SVR and HCVcAg was not detected in 261/273, a 95.6% cure rate. The pilot study demonstrated the effectiveness of reaching and treating an urban population using RDT for screening and HCVcAg for confirmation of infection and test of cure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a criminal investigation, displaying an unexpected emotional demeanor could trigger suspicion or perceptions of involvement. Across two studies, mock investigators read a case summary of a preliminary investigation where emotional demeanor (expected/unexpected) and gender of a person of interest (POI) in the investigation (man/woman) were systematically varied. In the second study, a cognitive busyness manipulation was included. In Study 1 (n = 420), an unexpected emotional demeanor led to lower ratings of appropriateness, negative affect display, credibility, and inflated perceptions of suspicion. These results were replicated in Study 2. In Study 2 (n = 396), results showed both main and interaction effects for both emotional demeanor and gender on judgments of several relevant evaluations including suspicion, involvement, and credibility, evidencing the influence of emotional demeanor at a very early stage of investigation, particularly for females. Cognitive busyness did not affect any evaluations of the case or POI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decision of the South African Constitutional Court in AK v. Minister of Police has implications for law enforcement agencies that fail the victims of crime. In this matter, the plaintiff sued the Minister and others for damages after officers had failed to rescue her from the perpetrator(s) of a protracted sexual assault and to conduct an adequate criminal investigation afterwards. The judgment deals with a noteworthy psycholegal issue, namely, whether the police are liable for any harm resulting from the plaintiff’s continued trauma exposure beyond the moment a competent search would have likely resulted in her rescue, when her trauma exposure was already prolonged. In this paper, we consider whether the interpretation of the expert evidence is consistent with the relevant research. Research suggests the psychological harm caused by police negligence may have been more than a matter of extended trauma exposure but also of supplemental trauma appraisals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During World War II police officers in Marseille and Algiers relentlessly hunted Algerian black market operatives. Hundreds of reports from these two cities detail the actions taken to prevent individuals from selling contraband goods, exceeding fixed market prices, or ignoring rationing protocols. Long-standing colonial stereotypes had labeled Algerians as prone to theft and violence, but the economic restrictions of war created a new category of the imagined Algerian criminal: the black market trafficker. In police reports the figure of the Algerian profiteer is omnipresent, but internal communications acknowledged that Europeans profited from the black market, too. Why, then, the fixation on Algerians? This article argues that police developed a narrative of Algerians as "internal enemies" of France. Their underlying suspicion of Algerians endured throughout World War II even as governments rose and fell in France and loyalties of the entire nation shifted. In treating Algerians as threats to national security, the police justified a system of control that homogenized the Algerian community along racial lines. The racialized policing of "anti-French" Algerian traffickers built not just on visual codes of race but also on how police practice mapped ideas of race onto the space of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which editor discusses various articles within the issue on topics including military violence and the politics of Royal Pardon in 15th-century France; prosecution by military justice tribunals and policing of the black market in Marseille, France.

Evaluative reporting (ER) is a formalized thought process that enables the evaluation of scientific findings given two competing propositions. There is growing awareness of the value of using ER to improve the communication and understanding of forensic results, contributing to a fairer justice process. Recognising this, AFP Forensics Command created a project to assist its teams to transition to ER. This paper presents some of our work and lessons learnt with the hope of providing valuable guidance to other teams or agencies wishing to embark on this journey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aesthetic depiction of the Black corpse raises questions about scopic pleasure, empathy, and the futility of evidence. This essay engages aesthetic speculation about intended justice through Paul Stopforth’s Elegy (1981) and the Biko Series (1980), drawings of Steve Biko’s corpse that are all oriented toward a counter-evidentiary logic whose aim is to disprove the evidence provided by the apartheid police. I posit that this investment in evidence (alternative, or otherwise), capitulates to the terms of the dominant regime by participating in the struggle for evidence (alternative or otherwise) in the first place. I also engage the entanglement between scopophilia and negrophobia/negrophilia in the image of the Black dead, not merely as features of Stopforths’ individual unconscious, but as civil society’s/culture’s most consistent dreamwork. Questioning the political promise of aesthetic mobilization of the corpse, I ask: Why is it necessary for the world to see the image of the corpse (again) in aesthetic practice, in order to reflect on violence, and what modes of recognition and identification are produced? My curiosity lies in what is enacted by recruiting the viewer to adopt such forensic seeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1996, the Supreme Court announced in Whren v. United States that a traffic stop is constitutional if there is probable cause to believe a traffic infraction has occurred. So long as the officers who stop an individual can point--even after the fact--to any violation of the traffic laws, their actual, subjective motivations for initiating a stop are legally irrelevant. Case-by-case determination of reasonableness is unnecessary in the traffic stop context, the Court concluded, because the balancing of interests has already been done. Unlike warrantless entries into homes, the use of deadly force, or unannounced warranted entries, a traffic stop is not an "extreme practice," and therefore the existence of probable cause invariably outweighs an individual's interest in avoiding police contact. In this Article, I argue that the Court was half right in Whren: there is little need for case-by-case adjudication of the reasonableness of traffic stops. Given that the government interest in these stops is relatively low, that such stops can result in harm to both the officer and those stopped, and that other, less intrusive means are nearly always available to serve the government's stated interest in traffic enforcement, courts should presume that the use of sworn officers to conduct traffic stops is unreasonable. While there may be some situations in which the use of armed police officers to make traffic stops is reasonable, the government should bear the burden of demonstrating that fact in each individual case. This straightforward legal change would significantly reduce needless police stops, thereby increasing overall safety for both officers and the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While much of the peacekeeping literature fixates on mission deployments, associated challenges and the escalating violent contexts they navigate, this article underscores the transformative reverberations of peacekeeping on troop-contributing countries. Drawing from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) case, our main focus is to elucidate how international peacekeeping shapes domestic security procedures, but we also point out that they are reciprocally influenced by them. Central to our analysis is the concept of 'peacekeeping assemblage' that we introduce to highlight the symbiotic relationship between the GAF's domestic security roles and its international peacekeeping engagements. Through this lens, we trace the cyclical flow of practices, discourses and experiences as they disassemble and reassemble in varied configurations, emphasizing the fluidity of peacekeeping influences across global landscapes. As discussions on peacekeeping evolve, it becomes paramount to grasp its broader implications—particularly its transformative impact on the personnel from troop-contributing nations and their home societies. This enriched perspective not only deepens our comprehension of the multifaceted nature and global reach of peacekeeping, it also provides policy-makers with insights into the broader ramifications of deployments, especially for those nations from the global South that bear the weight of these missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why and how do African states become peacekeepers? Through a single-case study, this article accounts for a transformation in peace and security: how Ethiopia became the world's prime source of blue helmets in the early twenty-first century, having largely shunned peacekeeping in preceding decades. We propose that peacekeeping came to serve as an unexpectedly useful technology to pursue state-building agendas. Historically, regional proxy wars undermined state-building efforts in Ethiopia and mismanagement of ethno-linguistic diversity rendered it vulnerable to externally supported rebellions. In the 2000s, an evolving approach to peacekeeping dovetailed with the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front's (EPRDF) vision for recalibrating political order domestically and in the Horn of Africa. EPRDF became convinced that changing Ethiopia required changing its surrounding region. Regional intervention as peacekeeping was supported by global powers and helped bind neighbouring states to Ethiopia in new ways. This entailed the crafting of deep political ties in Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan that mitigated historical fears of Ethiopian hegemony and shielded EPRDF state-building from outside destabilization. Moreover, as Ethiopia's increasingly prominent role in United Nations and African Union missions improved the external environment for the EPRDF developmental state, it also expanded Ethiopian National Defence Force's role in the political economy, buttressing the party-state's hegemony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic enforcers are exposed to various occupational health and safety hazards, including noise pollution, which may lead to occupational hearing loss. This cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the prevalence of hearing loss and to assess the relationship between occupational noise exposure level (ONEL) and abnormalities in air conduction thresholds among Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) employees along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue, Philippines. Eight-hour ONELs were measured among 108 participants working with greater than 5 years of service. Participants had hearing evaluations using pure tone audiometry (PTA) to calculate the prevalence of hearing loss. Generalized linear models with a Poisson distribution were fitted to estimate the association between ONEL and audiologic abnormalities, controlling for confounding factors. Approximately 16% of employees had hearing loss. The prevalence of hearing loss was higher with ONEL exposures greater than 85 A-weighted decibels (dBA), with traffic enforcers exposed to higher ONELs than office workers. ONELs greater than 85 dBA were related to audiologic abnormalities at different frequencies in PTA. The prevalence of audiologic abnormalities at 4000 Hz and 6000 Hz was 48% higher (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR], 1.48; 95% CI, 1.12–1.96) and 25% higher (aPR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.00–1.55), respectively, among participants with ONELs greater than 85 dBA than with ONELs less than or equal to 85 dBA. Participants exposed to ONELs greater than 85 dBA, more likely traffic enforcers, may have increased risk of audiologic abnormalities. Regular ONEL monitoring is warranted for occupational risk assessment of traffic enforcers. A hearing conservation program may need to be considered for this population. Additional studies are needed to determine trends in hearing deterioration among traffic enforcers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Police officers often face emotionally challenging interpersonal situations and numerous studies have demonstrated that policing is a stressful occupation. A study revealed a significant positive correlation between emotional demands among police officers and emotional dissonance, as well as burnout. Health-promoting behaviors can contribute to better overall health outcomes and reduce the risk of developing health problems, but there is limited research evaluating the association of job strain and health behaviors with mental health outcomes in police officers. The objective of this study was to assess the job strain associated with mental health mediated by health behaviors in Taiwanese police officers. This was a cross-sectional quantitative study conducted in Oct 2016. A total of 41,871 police officers (response rate was 79.7%) participated questionnaire that consisted of demographic information, job characteristics, health behaviors, and mental component summary (MCS) scores of the Short-Form Health Survey. Independent t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (One-way ANOVA) were conducted to assess the differences in mean MCS scores across various demographics, health behavior, and job characteristics. Multivariate regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between job strain and health behaviors with mental health outcomes. MCS scores were associated with job characteristics and health behaviors among police officers except for gender. After adjusting for covariates, multivariate analysis indicated that police officers with high job demands and high job strain index exhibited poor MCS scores. Job strain was significantly associated with MCS mediated by health behaviors (consumption of fruits and vegetables, and physical activity) in Taiwanese police officers. Since regular physical activity and increased vegetable and fruit consumption might alleviate the effects of job strain on mental health status, it is recommended that institutional policies be established to promote health-enhancing behaviors among police officers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 1966 and 1969, Scotland's police forces and water services were amalgamated into larger regional bodies. The mergers provoked significant protest in Orkney and Shetland, as the islands' local authorities spearheaded unsuccessful campaigns to retain local control over police and water services. Largely neglected by historians, this article argues that the protests played a key role in mobilising the islands' communities and local authorities against a perceived external threat to their social, economic, and political sustainability. Although the central arguments against amalgamations were based on geography and logistics, councillors and protesters utilised Orkney and Shetland's distinct identity and heritage as rhetorical devices to oppose the proposals. Rather than literal displays of Norse nostalgia or Scandinavian affinity, this politicisation of identity offered strategic opportunities for maximising external attention towards the campaign. However, this element to the campaign also reflected sincere commitments to the principles of local control and self-sufficiency, fostering the development of distinct political identities in each archipelago. As a result, the anti-amalgamation protests can be considered an early manifestation of political regionalism in the Northern Isles and an important antecedent in understanding the emergence of autonomy movements in Orkney and Shetland in subsequent decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that as a consequence of austerity, police in England and Wales have taken over important roles in welfare and social policy institutions. This renders those institutions more coercive, punitive and exclusionary, and normalises a police worldview in those institutions. This process of what I call austerity-driven policification can be observed specifically well in the increasing numbers of police officers integrated into schools most affected by austerity. Such 'transinstitutional policing' in Britain is triggered by contradictory post-global financial crisis austerity measures, but reliant upon a long, racialised history of authoritarian neoliberalisation. Cuts to public spending in the 2010s reduced state institutions' capacities to provide for vulnerable people, who were further criminalised and whose rights to support and solidarity were further delegitimised by a radicalisation of the framing of welfare recipients as undeserving, social housing estates as drug-infested gang territories, and schools in deprived areas, and Black pupils in particular, as dangerous. Police, while subjected to austerity measures also, functioned as an institution of last resort, supplementing and replacing incapacitated state institutions, while also being presented as an appropriate institution to address problems increasingly understood to be of a criminal rather than educational nature. This article suggests that austerity-driven policification is an intensification of longer-term trends toward a larger role for police in the neoliberal era. It shows the racial and authoritarian nature of neoliberalisation, and its messy realisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluative reporting (ER) is a formalized thought process that enables the evaluation of scientific findings given two competing propositions. There is growing awareness of the value of using ER to improve the communication and understanding of forensic results, contributing to a fairer justice process. Recognising this, AFP Forensics Command created a project to assist its teams to transition to ER. This paper presents some of our work and lessons learnt with the hope of providing valuable guidance to other teams or agencies wishing to embark on this journey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lethal force training requires individuals to make threat assessments, which involves holistic scenario processing to identify potential threats. Photorealistic targets can make threat/non-threat judgments substantially more genuine and challenging compared to simple cardboard or silhouette targets. Unfortunately, repeated target use also brings unintended consequences that could invalidate threat assessment processes conducted during training. Contextually rich or unique targets could be implicitly memorable in a way that allows observers to recall weapon locations rather than forcing observers to conduct a naturalistic assessment. Experiment 1 demonstrated robust contextual cueing effects in a well-established shoot/don't-shoot stimulus set, and Experiment 2 extended this finding from complex scene stimuli to simple actor-only stimuli. Experiment 3 demonstrated that these effects also occurred among trained professionals using rifles rather than computer-based tasks. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the potential for uncontrolled target repetition to alter the fundamental processes of threat assessment during lethal force training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roughly a thousand people are killed by American law enforcement officers each year, accounting for more than 5% of all homicides. We estimate the causal impact of these events on civic engagement. Exploiting hyperlocal variation in how close residents live to a killing, we find that exposure to police violence leads to significant increases in registrations and votes. These effects are driven entirely by Black and Hispanic citizens and are largest for killings of unarmed individuals. We find corresponding increases in support for criminal justice reforms, suggesting that police violence may cause voters to politically mobilize against perceived injustice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examines immigrant Latinas' (ILs') help-seeking behaviors, types of support systems, and access to intimate partner violence (IPV) services during a global health crisis (COVID-19) at a community-based agency in a Northeastern state. Method: Nineteen immigrant Latinas who had prior IPV-related services such as legal aid, advocacy, and support within 1–3 years were recruited for the study. Spanish-speaking telephone interviews averaging between 30 and 45 min were conducted with each participant. Content analysis was the method employed to review the data and generate themes of the participants' experiences. Results: Participants' qualitative responses included an increase of intimate partner violence during the pandemic. Types of support systems included reaching out to police departments, hospitals and health-care settings, and community-based agencies. Findings indicated a 47% positive response rate when working with police officers (e.g., bilingual Spanish-English speaking police officers), and the participants reported being supported by the agency staff where they received services. Conclusion: Recommendations are provided to the community-based agency and other service providers regarding ongoing delivery of services and best practices for ILs throughout the pandemic transitions and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the nature, movement, and controversies of the information flowing through a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) community-based program in a predominantly Latino migrant neighborhood of South Los Angeles known as 'the Hispanic Outreach' (HO). Combining Actor-Network and Critical Race theories enables me to examine the world of police and Latino civilians through the groups, social actions, facts, and objects that compose it, as one single, unified set of interwoven associations and processes. Findings show that the HO claims to serve the public's interests in safety in high crime environments but instead stirs local interracial conflict and Latino residents' fears over questions of citizenship, belonging, and access to resources, and deepens state penetration into communities it deems as racial threats. I show how networks are state tools that reproduce and reinforce racial power and situate these findings within the field of Critical Sociology, particularly the areas of policing and Latino studies. And this article ends with a discussion of several potential research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its exclusive reliance on 'modern' policing techniques and equipment, the service-delivery capacity of the Nigeria Police Force is still generally on the average. Therefore, this study investigated the perception and attitude of Nigerian police personnel towards the adoption of spiritual security mechanism for police operations. Symbolic interactionism theory was utilised as conceptual framework. Data were elicited from 21 police officers serving at the Oyo State Police Command Criminal Investigation Department and 16 police officials of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad unit using in-depth interview and focus group discussion methods. Most of the respondents acknowledged the existence of spiritual security mechanism. Although some police officials were secretly utilising spiritual security mechanism for criminal investigations, four major factors were identified as constituting barriers to the possibility of incorporating it into police operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines new meanings that police–citizen interactions take on when officers make sense of them through the lens of body-worn cameras (BWCs). Drawing on 30 interviews with frontline police officers in a large Canadian city, we analyse the embodied character of BWCs to show how officers reframe their role and the subtleties of their approach in dealing with the public as more robotic. First, the participants believe BWCs curb their ability to build rapport with citizens, and therefore dehumanize interactions. Second, they report a need to operate more mechanically to follow protocol for case-building and use-of-force. Still, 100 per cent of participants remain in favour of BWC use—in an era of high visibility and pressure for accountability, video recording technology offers protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mixed methods study had two aims: (1) to examine the effectiveness of a jail diversion program in reducing recidivism and promoting educational and employment outcomes; and (2) to qualitatively explore mechanisms through which the program was effective. Participants were 17 individuals arrested for drug offenses who participated in an intensive, law enforcement‐based jail diversion program, and 17 individuals in a comparison group. Arrests were extracted from police records, and education and employment were extracted from program data. Four intervention participants completed qualitative interviews. Arrest rates in the intervention group decreased significantly postintervention, and arrest rates in the intervention group were numerically lower than those in the comparison group. Participants experienced significant increases in employment and driver's license status. Participants also identified mechanisms through which the program was effective. This jail diversion program shows promise in reducing recidivism and promoting adaptive functioning. Jail diversion programs that include mentorship, peer support, and removal of barriers to success may be particularly effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore nurses' and doctors' experiences of providing care to people brought in by police (BIBP) to the emergency department (ED). Design: A qualitative interpretive study using in‐depth individual interviews. Methods: Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with nurses and doctors who worked in various EDs in one Australian state and were involved in the care of people BIBP. Interviews were undertaken between May and October 2022 and focused on the structures (i.e., what), processes (i.e., how) and outcomes of care for people BIBP. Data were analysed using deductive and then inductive content analysis. Results: Nine nurses and eight doctors were interviewed. Structures described by participants included human structures (staff) and organizational structures (areas for assessment, involuntary assessment orders, investigations, chemical/physical restraints). For processes, participants described practices including risk/mental health assessments, legal considerations, and increased/decreased levels of care compared to other presentations. Communication processes were largely between police and health care staff. Service outcomes pertained to discharge location (custody, community, hospital admission) and length of stay. Conclusion: The current care delivery for people BIBP to the ED is unique and complex, often occurring in high traffic, resource‐intensive areas. There is a need to strengthen structures and processes, to improve service outcomes. Implications for the Profession: Understanding the care requirements for people brought into ED by police enables the delivery of targeted care alongside appropriate resource allocation. Impact: This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the health care requirements for people BIBP to EDs. Interventions delivered in the ED to support health care delivery for people BIBP and foster clinician and police relationships are required to optimize patient and health service outcomes. Reporting Method: This study adheres to the COREQ checklist (Table S1) of the EQUATOR guidelines. Patient or Public Contribution: This study focused on ED staff experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied food fraud detection and the reporting of suspected cases using a questionnaire survey and interviews with Finnish food control officers (FCOs). In total, 95 FCOs responded to the questionnaire, and 17 were interviewed. We found that even though many respondents had either suspected (69.2%) or detected (43.4%) food fraud or other food-related crime during the past five years, 46.8% thought they had no realistic chance of detecting food fraud during inspections. Challenges raised by the FCOs we interviewed included inadequate resources (8/17) and difficulties in inspecting documents or establishing their authenticity (14/17). Moreover, many interviewees highlighted difficulties in assessing whether to inform the police about a suspected case (7/17), and 62% (18/29) of respondents who had detected fraud had not reported it to the police. Training in food fraud detection, increased resources and guidelines on reporting suspected food fraud would improve food fraud detection and harmonize reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to report the epidemiology of lower-limb and lumbosacral injuries in Police Force recruits. We performed a cohort study of Police Force recruits undergoing a six-month training program with prospective injury data collected between 2018 and 2021. Cardiorespiratory fitness was quantified by the beep-test and police-specific-functional-capacity was quantified using a specifically designed physical performance evaluation (PPE) tool. Injury frequency and prevalence were reported. Fifteen percent (n = 180) of study Police Force recruits (n = 1,181) sustained a lower-limb or lumbosacral injury. The six-month training program significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness (p < 0.001) and functional capacity (p < 0.001). Increased cardiorespiratory fitness at baseline decreased injury risk (OR = 0.8, 95%CI: 0.66–0.97, p = 0.019). Injury rates decreased over time and females were injured significantly earlier than males (HR = 0.70, 95%CI: 0.52 to 0.95, p = 0.021). Interventions that can pre-condition Police Force recruits prior to the commencement of their basic physical training may reduce the number of lower-limb and lumbosacral injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual violence is prevalent on university campuses globally. In this article, we report a qualitative insider research study examining practices for addressing sexual violence at four universities across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. We collected, analysed, and synthesised descriptive information about the practices at each institution. We found unique institutional approaches that nonetheless share some commonalities, yieldingseveral themes that are central to practice. In reflecting on our findings, we conclude with an outline of critical considerations and a call to action for future efforts to address campus-based sexual violence, particularly as this field remains underdeveloped across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]