Civilian Forensic Technician and Sworn Police Officer Job-Related Stress

Forensic Technicians provide crime scene investigation services and are exposed to stressful violent crimes, motor vehicle accidents, biological or chemical hazards, and other appalling imagery. Forensic Technicians would likely experience physical and psychological stress after exposure to trauma, and security vulnerabilities similar to Sworn Police Officers. The perceived availability of mental health resources, job-related physical, psychological stress, and traumatic experiences of both Forensic Technicians and Sworn Police Officers from California law enforcement agencies were investigated using a self-reported survey. Responses were evaluated for any significant differences in the perceived stress, job-related physical stress, and resulting psychological impact affecting the participants. The survey contained a mix of True/False, Circle/Check the Appropriate Box, or Likert Scale (1–5) responses. The results were evaluated statistically and discussed. Results indicated Sworn Police Officers and Forensic Technicians have different on-duty stress levels, but similar off-duty stress levels. Nearly two-thirds of 54 job-related stressors were not significantly different between the two occupations. However, Forensic Technicians reported more adverse effects in 17 physical and psychological job-related activities compared with Sworn Police Officers. Forensic Technicians reported lower awareness levels and availability of agency mental health support services than were reported by Sworn Police Officers. This study reports for the first time an unexpected outcome that perceived and job-related psychological stress is greater for Forensic Technicians than Sworn Police Officers. Possible reasons for this disparity will be discussed as well as stress management tools that should be implemented to reduce health risk factors for both career professionals as well as increase public safety.     

Why do street-level bureaucrats risk themselves for others? The case of Israeli police officers

What factors influence police officers’ willingness to risk themselves for others? Police officers are street-level bureaucrats, who are not only given the mandate to use deadly force in order to keep public order but also risk their most important resource – their lives – to protect society. We suggest three factors that prompt police officers to risk their lives: individual characteristics (a desire to gain respect and recognition, and testing one's courage, ideology, and personality), organizational conditions (expectations of peers and supervisors, promotion opportunities), and environmental context (a hostile working environment and the importance of public opinion to them). Using an abductive approach combined with a triangulated qualitative method, our findings indicate that personal characteristics are indeed important, but so too are organizational conditions and environmental context. The practical insight, therefore, is that decision makers ‘can’, in various formal and informal ways, influence street-level bureaucrats’ behaviour. Here, the interactions among managers, workers, and clients are a crucial element.     

Sharp Force Homicide in Denmark 1992–2016

Sharp force trauma is a common homicide method. The weapon is typically a knife, which is easily accessible and does not require special skills. We have analyzed all 471 sharp force homicides in Denmark during 1992–2016 with special focus on aspects that are relevant to forensic pathologists, including the distribution of wounds and organ injuries. Most homicides were committed inside with a kitchen knife. The front left thorax was the most common area to be affected by sharp force trauma. In 18.9% of the victims, there was only one sharp injury, the majority on the thorax. The most common trajectory for stab wounds was directly posterior with no deviation to the sides or up/down followed by directly anterior. The heart (including pericardium) and lungs (including hemo- and pneumothorax) had injuries in more than 75% of the victims. 67% of victims were males. Female victims had more sharp force injuries and defense wounds than male victims. Most females were killed in domestic homicides (73.7%), most commonly in partner killings (56.4%). In contrast, many male victims were killed in a setting of nightlife/intoxication (34.0%) most by a friend/acquaintance delivering a few stab wounds. The results clearly show strong sex differences in both victims and offenders. This could be useful for shaping policies and public opinion, and as a route for understanding the developments in interpersonal violence. In the narrow setting of death investigation, our results will provide an evidence-based approach to understanding the injury patterns in sharp force homicide.     

Procedural justice,obligation to obey,and cooperation with police in a sample of Jamaican citizens

ABSTRACT

Procedural justice theory plays a central role in understanding police–citizen relationships. To test the universality of procedural justice theory, researchers have tended to assess the relative impacts of normative and instrumental models of policing in different geopolitical contexts. Building on Reisig and Lloyd’s study in Jamaica, we test in the current study the relative impacts of procedural justice (a normative factor) and police effectiveness and risk of sanctioning (instrumental factors) on Jamaicans’ obligation to obey the police and willingness to cooperate with police. We found that procedural justice predicted both obligation to obey and cooperation, although obligation did not predict cooperation. And while effectiveness predicted obligation, it was not significantly related to cooperation. Lastly, older citizens were more willing to cooperate with police. The study’s implications for policy and future research are discussed.     

论我国高等警察教育改革路向

我国高等警察教育应实行通识教育基础上的宽口径专业教育,学生不仅要有宽厚的知识基础,还要对整个刑事司法过程有完整的认识,要培养全人警察。应整合高等警察教育,逐步将高等警察学历教育归并到普通大学,警察机关专事职业培训,造就具有宽厚知识基础、人文关怀、实战能力强的新型警察。     

浅谈交通警察正当执法权益的维护

交通警察日常执法活动是各级公安交通管理机关面向广大交通参与者最直接的执法行为,近几年交通警察在执法过程中合法权益经常受侵害,有公安交通管理机关自身原因,也有外部执法环境以及立法上的原因。维护交通警察正常的执法活动和合法权益,创建一个和谐的交通执法环境,要尽快健全和完善相关法律法规;进一步完善交通警察的教育培训机制;提高交通警察执法综合素质;广泛开展交通安全宣传教育,积极创造和谐的社会交通环境。     

警务合成实战训练理念探析

警务合成实战课的教学训练使体能、武力使用、射击、查缉等专业技能知识融为一体。警务合成技能训练的实用性、重视训练过程和灵活多变性的训练理念方法有助于提高民警的警务实战能力。     

对当前民警培训工作发展定位的思考

在公安专科院校努力中办公安本科教育的新形势下,民警培训工作的发展思路是充分依托学历教育资源,充当公安院校与公安机关之间的桥梁和纽带,坚持不懈地抓好培训专题、师资队伍、目标管理三项建设,不断做强民警培训工作。     

论警务活动人权保障与人的本性

人的本性给予人权,并在一定的历史条件下居于一定的经济结构和文化发展中。为了自身的自由生存、自由生活、自由发展以能够真正掌握自己的命运,必须具有人权。警务活动的主客体作为世界的主体,都具有人的一般本质属性。警务活动保障人权必须把警务活动的对象当做自然存在物、社会存在物、意识存在物、主体存在物来把握。     

加强警察网络公关建设的思考

随着社会经济与科技的发展,网络媒介已经融入人们的工作、生活之中,这给公安机关的公关工作提供了新的思维方式。当前公安机关要提高自身形象,实现良好警民联系和实现部门之间的信息共享的需求,有必要加强网络公关建设;构建在互联网上的警察网络公关可以实现警务公开、密切警民联系、危机化解、民警反馈与民意测验等功能。加强网络公关的建设可从硬件和软件两个方面着手,硬件包括建立门户网站和培养专业的网络公关人员,软件包括网络公关意识的培养,投公众之所好,注重服务性和注意网络安全,增强保密性。