COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY,MINORITY THREAT,AND POLICE BRUTALITY: AN EXAMINATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS CRIMINAL COMPLAINTS*

A growing body of evidence shows that minorities are disproportionately the targets of police brutality, but important theoretical questions about the causes of that inequity remain unanswered. One promising line of research involves structural‐level analyses of the incidence of police brutality complaints; however, existing studies do not incorporate variables from alternative theoretical explanations. Drawing on the community accountability hypothesis and the threat hypothesis, we tested the predictions of two prominent structural‐level explanations of police brutality in a study of civil rights criminal complaints. The study included cities of 150,000+ population (n = 114). The findings reveal that two community accountability variables—ratio percent Hispanic citizens to percent Hispanic police officers and the presence of citizen review—were related positively to police brutality complaints, partially supporting that perspective. Two threat hypothesis measures of threatening people—percent black and percent Hispanic (in the Southwest)—were related positively to complaints, as predicted. The relative degree of support for the two hypotheses is assessed.     

DOES CRIME JUST MOVE AROUND THE CORNER? A CONTROLLED STUDY OF SPATIAL DISPLACEMENT AND DIFFUSION OF CRIME CONTROL BENEFITS*

Recent studies point to the potential theoretical and practical benefits of focusing police resources on crime hot spots. However, many scholars have noted that such approaches risk displacing crime or disorder to other places where programs are not in place. Although much attention has been paid to the idea of displacement, methodological problems associated with measuring it have often been overlooked. We try to fill these gaps in measurement and understanding of displacement and the related phenomenon of diffusion of crime control benefits. Our main focus is on immediate spatial displacement or diffusion of crime to areas near the targeted sites of an intervention. Do focused crime prevention efforts at places simply result in a movement of offenders to areas nearby targeted sites—“do they simply move crime around the corner”? Or, conversely, will a crime prevention effort focusing on specific places lead to improvement in areas nearby—what has come to be termed a diffusion of crime control benefits? Our data are drawn from a controlled study of displacement and diffusion in Jersey City, New Jersey. Two sites with substantial street‐level crime and disorder were targeted and carefully monitored during an experimental period. Two neighboring areas were selected as “catchment areas” from which to assess immediate spatial displacement or diffusion. Intensive police interventions were applied to each target site but not to the catchment areas. More than 6,000 20‐minute social observations were conducted in the target and catchment areas. They were supplemented by interviews and ethnographic field observations. Our findings indicate that, at least for crime markets involving drugs and prostitution, crime does not simply move around the corner. Indeed, this study supports the position that the most likely outcome of such focused crime prevention efforts is a diffusion of crime control benefits to nearby areas.     

谈公安领导艺术的特征

卓有成效地实施公安领导与管理离不开公安领导艺术,而复杂多样的公安工作性质又决定了公安领导艺术的不同特征.文章重点论述了公安领导者在决策指挥、思想教育、目标管理、实践工作和指导工作等方面的艺术特征.     

论特警心理品质的培养

作战心理训练的基本目的,就是提高特警的心理素质,适应可能面对的各种复杂、危险、疲劳、激烈的执法战斗环境,最大限度地发挥特警的各种执法战斗技能和战术,保持旺盛的战斗力。要注意发现及培养作为一名特警所应具备的心理品质,应从战斗精神、应变能力、安全意识、安全意识等四个方面去提高特警的心理品质。     

建立交通管理社区警务体制刍议

随着社会经济的发展 ,原有的交通勤务管理方式的局限性越来越突出 ,改革现有的交通勤务管理模式 ,建立社区警务体制 ,是适应城市社区改革 ,推进交通安全社会化 ,提高管理效能 ,发挥民警主观能动性的需要。对此 ,应合理设置警务管理区 ,确定交通管理社区警务职责 ,规范交通管理社区警务运作模式。     

对公安执法监督的几点思考

面对入世后的新形势,现有执法监督模式已不适应现实工作,必须进一步完善工作机制,提升各级公安机关和民警的执法水平。     

致伤方式推断在道路交通事故再现研究及责任认定中的作用

本文从法医学的角度,论述了道路交通事故致伤方式推断的方法、特点以及与涉案人员交通行为方式鉴定、死因分析的相关性,强调了致伤方式推断在事故重建及涉案人员责任认定中的重要性。并以3起真实的道路交通事故为例,阐述了致伤方式推断分析的过程,进一步结合碰撞软件对事故进行计算机仿真研究,再现过程表明致伤方式推断的正确性,初步验证了从致伤方式推断入手分析涉案人员交通行为方式、死亡原因的可行性;同时指出对于致伤方式不明确的道路交通事故,可通过事故遗留的制动轨迹、速度等进行计算机模拟研究,对于致伤方式推断具有一定的参考价值。     

谈公安派出所在消防监督检查中存在的问题及对策

公安派出所消防监督检查是我国三级消防管理体制的重要组成部分。文章通过调查和对辽宁省朝阳市1994年~2004年火灾情况的分析,发现公安派出所在消防监督检查工作中存在体制关系不顺等问题,为完善公安派出所消防安全工作,使消防监督三级管理走上法制化的轨道,贯彻落实公安部73号令———《消防监督检查规定》,结合实际提出了将消防监督检查工作落到实处的解决方案。     

论公安院校学员的思想教育

公安院校是培养人民警察的高等学府,学校的性质决定了其教育的专业性和公安的使命性。在教育过程中,培养学员坚定的政治思想和优良的道德品质尤为重要。文章针对新时期新情况,分析了当前公安院校学员的思想现状及其产生的原因,并就突出问题提出了一些建议和措施。     

论警察在执法过程中的权益保护

在执法过程中经常发生警察权益受侵害的情况,为了维护警察的合法权益,应进一步建立健全法律法规、设立专门的警察权益保障机构。同时,警察执法要配备非杀伤性的控制性警械,要增强自我维权意识。