The reformers’ dilemma: media,policy ownership,and reform

Current proposals for strengthening policy ownership in reforming economies are fundamentally flawed. Modeling the reform process as a prisoners’ dilemma demonstrates that political agents must overcome this conflict of interests before present proposals for bolstering ownership will work. A politically autonomous mass media is one important mechanism enabling political agents to do this. Reforming countries without free media face an uphill battle overcoming the problems associated with transition. We test our theory by investigating the relationship between media freedom, foreign aid, and economic development in 26 post-socialist transition countries. The results of this analysis support our theory.      

Protecting Eyewitness Evidence: Examining the Efficacy of a Self-Administered Interview Tool

Given the crucial role of eyewitness evidence, statements should be obtained as soon as possible after an incident. This is not always achieved due to demands on police resources. Two studies trace the development of a new tool, the Self-Administered Interview (SAI), designed to elicit a comprehensive initial statement. In Study 1, SAI participants reported more correct details than participants who provided a free recall account, and performed at the same level as participants given a Cognitive Interview. In Study 2, participants viewed a simulated crime and half recorded their statement using the SAI. After a delay of 1 week, all participants completed a free recall test. SAI participants recalled more correct details in the delayed recall task than control participants.     

Law students' trust in the courts and the police

Law students prepare for a legal career and it is therefore of general interest, how much trust they have in the police and the courts. Their views may be influenced by their studies, media consumption, direct experience and other factors. In a previous study it appears as if law students are becoming more critical over the course of their studies. This explorative questionnaire study compares the views of 2012 final year undergraduate law students with the answers the same cohort gave in 2010, when starting their studies, and with final year law students 2010. Contrary to our expectation, the final year law students of 2012 showed more trust in courts and police than their predecessors 2010. The data suggest that the study of law, personal experiences and those of family and friends, as well as media effects are among the factors forming trust in the institutions.     

Politics and the police in Scotland: The impact of devolution

The creation of a Scottish Parliament and Scottish government in 1999, under the process of devolution within the UK, created a significantly different constitutional and political landscape from that which preceded it. The impact on domestic issues in Scotland, such as policing, has been considerable. This is partly because of new structural arrangements, including the creation of a Justice Minister and a Justice Committee of the Parliament, and partly because of the significance of the law and order agenda within Scottish politics. This paper discusses the impact of these developments on the Scottish police. Analysis focuses on the growing involvement of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish governments in key areas such as constabulary independence, police accountability and the management of police resources. Through this discussion, the paper seeks to make a contribution to the debate about the relationship between the police and politics, and the extent to which policing in Scotland is becoming increasingly politicised.     

Examining the relationship between sexual offenders and their victims: Interpersonal differences between stranger and non-stranger sexual offences

Abstract

The present study examined the behavioural differences in sexual assault offences in relation to the offender–victim relationship (stranger versus non-stranger). These differences were examined specifically in the context of four interpersonal themes of interaction: dominance, submission, hostility and cooperation. The details of 100 sexual offence cases (50 stranger and 50 non-stranger) were content-analysed, generating 58 dichotomous variables, covering offender and victim behaviour during the offence. χ² tests comparing the two samples found that offenders who were strangers to their victims were more likely than non-stranger offenders to display behaviours that indicate a hostile, violent offence style. In contrast, those offenders who knew their victims were more likely than strangers to display a less violent and more personal, compliance-gaining offence style. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for offender rehabilitation and victim support.     

Racial segregation and property crime: Examining the mediating effect of police strength

Research has not yet considered the relationship between property crime and segregation and the influence of police strength on the association of segregation and crime. To address these issues, this article examines the association of racial segregation with burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft for 1990. The results reveal that segregation is significantly and positively associated with all three measures of property crime. When data on police strength are introduced into the models, segregation-crime coefficients are significantly attenuated, and two are rendered nonsignificant, providing evidence that the segregation-property crime association is at least partly mediated through police strength.     

Public perceptions of police misconduct and discrimination: Examining the impact of media consumption

The media portrayal of policing is juxtaposed with both positive and negative representations. As a result, a complex relationship exists between media consumption and public attitudes towards the police. The purpose of this study was to test the impact that media consumption had on attitudes toward police misconduct and discrimination. The findings revealed that heavy consumers of network news were more likely to believe that police misconduct was a frequent event. This was especially true for minority respondents. Similarly, minority respondents that frequently viewed network news were more likely to believe that Whites received better treatment by the police. Finally, the findings revealed that frequent viewers of police dramas believed that the wealthy received preferential treatment from the police. Conversely, frequent viewers of crime solving shows believed that the wealthy did not receive preferential treatment.     

Electronic evidence: A proposal to reform the presumption of reliability and hearsay

There is a general concern amongst judges, lawyers and legal scholars that evidence in digital format is not to be trusted, given that it can be altered and manipulated with ease. Some jurists have called for a UN Convention on matters relating to the authentication and admissibility of electronic evidence. It is debatable whether such a Convention is necessary, but guidance of an international nature might be welcome, providing that any such guidance remains guidance, and does not ossify into legal requirements that fail to take into account the dynamic and constantly developing changes in information technology. In any event, the accuracy of the presumption in England & Wales that a computer is in order at the material time is highly debatable, and it is suggested that this presumption ought to be reformed.     

Personality differences between women police recruits, their male counterparts, and the general female population

Presently police manager and their recruiting staff are using an increasing number of screening tools including psychological testing during the hiring processes. Prior research suggests that gender is often ignored in the review of testing results. This could lead to problems in the interpretation of results. This research investigates the existence, if any, in the pre-socialization personality differences between male and female police recruits as well as between female police recruits and the general population of females. Subjects (N=104) were from a multi-agency training facility in a southern state. Subjects completed the MMPI-2 at the beginning of their police academy training to control for any socialization effects the training may have. The diagnostic clinical scales, the content scales, and the gender scales of the MMPI-2 were subjected to independent discriminant function analyses to determine if differences between male and female recruits exist. Scale 5 (Mf), GM, and GF were analyzed via t-tests to determine if differences between the female recruits and women in the normative sample exist. All discriminant functions were significant at the .05 level. Scales that differentiated male and female recruits were: Ma (Scale 9), ASP, FRS, BIZ, Mf (Scale, 5), and GF. Female recruits differed from the female normative sample on only GF (recruits were lower). It is suggested that future research focus on the predictive power of the content scales for continuation in the police field. It is also suggested that future research investigate the flexibility of the gender constructs throughout the policing career. Author Notes: Send all enquires to Larry A. Gould, Ph.D., Dept. of Criminal Justice, Northern Arizona Univerity, Box 15005, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5005. 1. A special thank you is given to Northern Arizona University for providing the funding of the parent project from which this research was accomplished. I also wish to extend my gratitude to those whose time and effort went into the collection and computer entry of the data—Dr. Larry Gould and Rachel Rowland. In addition, I would like to thank Dr. Clay Moore for the statistical “chats”.     

Beyond police crisis intervention: Moving “upstream” to manage cases and places of behavioral health vulnerability

Law enforcement officers continue to serve on the front lines as mental health interventionists, and as such have been subject to a wave of “first generation” reform designed to enhance their crisis response capabilities. Yet, this focus on crisis intervention has not answered recent calls to move “upstream” and bolster early intervention in the name of long-term recovery. This paper reports on findings from an action research project in Philadelphia aimed at exploring opportunities for enhanced upstream engagement. Study methods include spatial analyses of police mental health transportations from an eight year period (2004–2011) and qualitative data from twenty-three “framing conversations” with partners and other stakeholders, seven focus groups with police and outreach workers, five key informant interviews as well as document reviews of the service delivery system in Philadelphia. Recommendations include the need to move beyond a focus on what police can do to a wider conception of city agencies and business stakeholders who can influence vulnerable people and vulnerable spaces of the city. We argue for the need to develop shared principles and rules of engagement that clarify roles and stipulate how best to enlist city resources in a range of circumstances. Since issues of mental health, substance use and disorder are so tightly coupled, we stress the importance of establishing a data-driven approach to crime and disorder reduction in areas of the city we term “hotspots of vulnerability”. In line with a recovery philosophy, such an approach should reduce opportunities for anti-social behavior among the “dually labeled” in ways consistent with “procedural justice”. Furthermore, crime and disorder data flowing from police and security to behavioral health analysts could contribute to a more focused case management of “repeat utilizers” across the two systems. Our central argument is that a twin emphasis on “case management” and “place management” may provide the pillars needed to move upstream and strengthen interventions along a continuum of engagement.     

浅谈税费改革与行政改革的关系

我国的收费制度是在改革开放过程中逐步发展并形成巨大规模的。本文认为,要想根治乱收费现象,取得费改税的成功,必须深化行政改革。行政改革是税费改革取得成功的前提,税费改革是行政改革的组成部分,税费改革的成功能增强国家推进势在必行的行政改革的决心,而行政改革又能推动税费改革的成功实施。     

关于重新犯罪防治政策调整的思考

上世纪80年代以来,我国的重新犯罪率上升问题很突出,成为犯罪发展的新动向。其对我国犯罪走向有着很大的影响,加大了犯罪防控的难度。当前控制重新犯罪的政策主要是改造政策,但这一政策已明显不适应现实需要。应当考虑将剥夺政策、矫正项目政策、重返社会政策、教育政策、职业培训政策纳入重新犯罪的基本防控政策范围内,形成综合而有机的,针对重新犯罪的基本防控政策。     

International Norm Diffusion and Organised Crime Policy: The Case of Greece

The premise of this paper is that a section of the Greek policy-making elite responsible for formulating policy against organised crime has taken advantage of an internationally-developed programme of action on this issue to strengthen perceptions of the Greek state's legitimacy amongst both domestic and foreign audiences. Although positive reaction to foreign pressure for policy change has tended to be made at the risk of losing further legitimacy in the eyes of domestic public opinion, in this case the issue of organised crime has presented an opportunity to the policy-making elite to develop policy that also aims to bolster the domestic legitimacy of the state by dealing with criminality and presenting the state as a clean and neutral body acting for the common public good.     

招生政策的调整与法律硕士教育面临的新挑战

基于种种原因,教育部2009年初出台的大规模开展全日制专业学位的招生政策,迅速形成了全日制法学本科背景、非法学本科背景和在职攻读法律硕士三种类型并存的局面。取消法学本科毕业生报考法律硕士的限制性规定,不仅无助于解决法律硕士乃至整个法律教育中的固有问题,而且在法律人才培养的概念逻辑上和实践操作方面使应用型法律人才培养模式更趋复杂。由于主管部门缺乏整体的改革思路和决策的被动、局限,专门培养方案的颁布以及相关的各种努力都只能是竭力阻止情况进一步恶化的补救性措施。     

我国政策性银行运作模式比较及改革探析

政策性银行的金融服务作为准公益物品,具有公与私物品的两种特性,这决定了政策性银行的运作模式必须是政府与市场的有机结合.由于经营理念、运作模式等方面的差别,经过多年的发展,我国政策性银行之间出现了较大的绩效差异.为提升我国政策性银行的运作绩效,我们须从制度完善、政银分离、治理网络和竞争合作四个方面探索有效的改革路径.     

Improving the linkages between domestic violence referral agencies and the police: A research note

Domestic disputes pose serious threats to police officers and disputants alike. Crisis intervention training programs have improved the ability of police to quell a conflict temporarily, but national studies show that retuns to some households are not unusual, and they are increasingly hazardous. There are a number of service agencies in most jurisdictions having the goal of offering assistance to domestic disputants in hopes of a more permanent resolution to the conflict, but the linkage between these agencies and the police has been unsatisfactory. This article describes a program implemented at the Washtenaw Country Sheriff's Department, Ann Arbor, Michigan, designed to increase the rate of referral contact by domestic disputants. The program was implemented for a six-month period, and increased the follow-up contract rate by 600 percent.     

黑社会性质犯罪的特征及打防对策

研究黑社会性质犯罪的特征 ,不能仅仅依据新刑法第 2 94条 ,而应该把视野放得更宽一些。黑社会性质犯罪具有组织上的严密性 ,经济上的贪婪性 ,政治上的对抗性 ,文化上的腐朽性 ,手段上的兼备性五个特征。从大量情况看 ,我国黑社会性质犯罪正在向更完备的形态发展 ,因此 ,必须对其采取有效的打防对策 ,否则后果不堪设想