This article examines the relationship between gun possession and the nature of an offender’s involvement in drug markets. The analyses are based on data obtained from drug offenders who participated in the 1997 Survey of Inmates of State and Federal Correctional Facilities. The authors find that participants in crack-cocaine markets are more likely to possess guns than participants in powdered-cocaine, opiate, and marijuana markets, particularly if they are street-level crack dealers. However, participants in barbiturates and amphetamine markets also have high rates of gun possession. The authors also find relatively high levels of gun possession among traffickers who handle stashes of moderately large market value, who have central roles in the trade, and who are members of drug organizations. Finally, offenders who are young, female, African American, and from lower economic status are more likely to traffic in crack cocaine than in other drugs.
Disaster evacuations are stressful events in which citizens and law enforcement frequently interact with each other. Most emergency response plans are based on military strategies that operate independent of the general public, but we argue that the police must be cognizant of several social psychological factors that affect citizens’ behavior during evacuations, including risk perception, social networks, and access to resources. Drawing from social psychological, criminal justice, and disaster research, we propose a model that (a) describes how citizens’ priorities and behaviors change as a disaster evolves and (b) identifies policing strategies that accommodate these changing behaviors and facilitate a successful evacuation. Our model, embedded in how people behave and what police are taught, can increase citizen compliance with law enforcement during disaster evacuations, remove more citizens from harm, save lives, and improve the relationship between communities and the police.
Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a police department's Post-Crisis Assistance Program (PCAP) for consumers who experienced a police-abated mental health crisis. The authors analyzed three questions: First, does PCAP reduce a consumer's future mental health calls for service (CFS)? Second, does PCAP reduce a consumer's odds of being arrested? Third, does PCAP reduce the odds of a consumer being taken into emergency protective custody (EPC)? Design/methodology/approach-The authors use propensity score matching to analyze data from a sample of individuals (n ¼ 739) who experienced a police-abated mental health crisis. Findings-The authors find that PCAP consumers generated fewer mental health CFS, were less likely to be arrested, and were less likely to be taken into EPC than non-PCAP consumers six months following a police-abated mental health crisis. Research limitations/implications-The research only examined outcomes six months after a mental health crisis. The authors encourage future research to examine whether the benefits of PCAP persist over longer periods of time. Practical implications-The study demonstrates that partnerships between police departments and local mental health groups can help police officers better serve citizens with mental health conditions. Originality/Value-To the knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the impact of a PCAP for citizens experiencing police-abated mental health crises.
This article evaluates a community-based, peer support program in which police officers and mental health workers collaboratively address citizens' mental health needs following encounters with law enforcement. We analyzed data 12, 24, and 36 months after a police-abated mental health crisis for 775 individuals, some of whom were referred to this program. Using lagged regression models, we find that compared with nonreferred individuals, referred participants generated fewer mental health calls for service and were less likely to be taken into emergency protective custody 24 and 36 months after a crisis. We found no difference in arrest rates. The program was especially effective for individuals with lengthier mental health histories. This free, voluntary, and nonclinical assistance program appears effective, but it also requires 12 to 24 months before participants and communities reap the benefits.
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