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Abstract
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AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT:
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between individual police officer characteristics, situational factors and the incidence of violent police-citizen encounters. Official police reports were examined for 117 patrol officers covering the period of 1990 to 1995. Moreover, 289 patrol officers completed a questionnaire examining police perceptions of such issues as police culture, officer respect and personal characteristics related to violent police-citizen encounters. The results of the study indicated that while younger officers had a significantly greater number of use-of-force incidents, years of experience was an even more powerful predictor, with more experienced officers having significantly fewer incidents. In addition, grouping officers by number of use-of-force incidents per officer showed that as the number of use-of-force incidents per officer increased, so did the level and severity of violence inflicted by the officer. The study showed that the use of Alcohol/Drugs did not have a statistically significant relationship to the number of violent encounters, and that the overwhelming majority of crimes involving use-of-force were non-violent in nature. Moreover, the analysis indicated that a significantly greater percentage of officers perceived that establishing an officer's authority, citizen's attitude, and lack of respect for police had a significant relationship to whether an encounter would involve use-of-force. (Abstract Adapted from Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, 1998. Copyright © 1998 by Thomas Patrick Babcock; University Microfilms International)
1990s
Violence Risk Factors
Police Community Relations
Police Citizen Violence
Adult Perceptions
Police Perceptions
Violence Causes
Violence Predictors
Police Offender
Police Violence
Offender Characteristics
Age Factors
Adult Offender
Adult Violence
Offender Characteristics
Situational Factors
10-04 |