Reducing Complaints Against Police and Preventing Misconduct: A Diagnostic Study Using Hot Spot Analysis

Ede, Andrew; Hömel, Ross; Prenzler, Tim

doi:10.1375/0004865022003

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Some research suggests 10% of all officers account for 90% of all police misconduct complaints (DeCrescenzo, 2005). Ede et al. (2002) suggested that studies of complaints should control for the task environment by ensuring a comparison of units of similar size, location and duty types.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking body worn camera activation with complaints: The promise of metadata

Martain

Harinam

Ariel

2020

Journal of Criminology

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With the introduction of body worn cameras, new data types have emerged, including activation metadata, which is information on the extent of the implementation of body worn cameras, by whom, and under what conditions. In this paper, we propose an avenue of methodological interest: linking activation metadata with police-recorded behaviour. We take the case of complaints to examine the use of these data for investigations of officers’ misconduct. We used an observational approach, analysing 1.73 million body worn camera activations by more than 3900 frontline officers, juxtaposed with professional conduct data. We find a heterogeneous distribution of implementation, despite a ‘blanket’ body worn camera policy requiring activation. Specifically, distinct types of officers disproportionally under-activate body worn cameras. We show that body worn cameras activation rates are inversely correlated with complaints, although minimally when observed at the population level. We discuss the use of metadata for research as well as for policy.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking body worn camera activation with complaints: The promise of metadata

Martain

Harinam

Ariel

2020

Journal of Criminology

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“…A second study used Queensland Police data to demonstrate the potential for analysing complaints at the level of police operational units (primarily stations) (Ede, Homel, & Prenzler, 2002). The study also attempted to control for the effects of different 'task environments'-by comparing units of similar size and similar duties-and by comparing complaint patterns in terms of concentration and prevalence.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Australia, a 2002 study set out general principles of early warning systems and noted anecdotal reports that the majority of Australian police departments had initiated some kind of early warning system, although details on procedures and impacts were not publicly available (Bassett & Prenzler, 2002). A second study used Queensland Police data to demonstrate the potential for analysing complaints at the level of police operational units (primarily stations) (Ede, Homel, & Prenzler, 2002). The study also attempted to control for the effects of different 'task environments'-by comparing units of similar size and similar duties-and by comparing complaint patterns in terms of concentration and prevalence.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early Intervention to Reduce Complaints: An Australian Victoria Police Initiative

Macintyre¹,

Prenzler²,

Chapman

2008

International Journal of Police Science & Management

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’Complaints profiling’, ‘early warning’ or ‘early intervention’ systems are currently seen as vital mechanisms for reducing police misconduct and improving police–community relations. This paper reports on the introduction of an early intervention system for police in the State of Victoria, Australia. The findings support the contention that such systems have a demonstrable utility in reducing complaints. A sample of 44 individuals profiled showed that interventions resulted in a 71.07 per cent reduction in complaints, from an expected 121 down to 35 over a two-year period. Additionally, the study showed that the financial cost-benefit effects were very positive, with reduced complaints resulting in an estimated saving of AU$3.2 million over the two years. A study of a sample of nine locations showed a 58.6 per cent reduction in complaints, from a projected number of 60.6 down to 25 over a one-year period, with an estimated saving of AU$1.4 million. The paper also describes the types of interventions used and a number of issues that arise from complaints profiling.

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“…Ede et al [10] claimed that the traffic police may be more likely to engage in opportunistic corruption. This sort of petty corruption can be a subset of small decision problems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Experimental Study of Petty Corrupt Behaviour in Small Decision Making Problems

Fujikawa¹

2005

American Journal of Applied Sciences

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This research discusses small decision making problems and petty corruption as their practical applications with a structured economic experiment. One of examples of petty corruption considered includes demands for petty bribes by traffic officials followed by police. We examine that it is caused by subjective underweighting of rare events and its objective probabilities. This literature reports results of an experiment, which reveals that the subjects tended to subjectively underweight rare outcomes when they relied on feedback in small decision making problems. Underweighting of rare events lead the subjects to choose a risky option often, but not all the time, to maximise his/her expected utility. This tendency is the opposite of the overweighting of rare outcomes observed in mainstream big description-based decision problems. It is revealed that an individual petty corrupt behaviour is a consequence of the theoretically-optimal behaviour for the risk-seeking decision-maker. This is examined along with the expected utility model. The model well captures results of the experiment and it asserts that it is theoretically-optimal decision to do the petty corrupt behaviour (to receive petty bribes) occasionally for the risk-seeking official, who subjectively underweight rare event and its probability.

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Reducing Complaints Against Police and Preventing Misconduct: A Diagnostic Study Using Hot Spot Analysis

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Linking body worn camera activation with complaints: The promise of metadata

Linking body worn camera activation with complaints: The promise of metadata

Early Intervention to Reduce Complaints: An Australian Victoria Police Initiative

An Experimental Study of Petty Corrupt Behaviour in Small Decision Making Problems

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