John L. Worrall

Public perceptions of police efficacy and image: The “fuzziness” of support for the police

Most studies concerning police-community relations have operationalized support for-law enforcement agencies in unidimensional terms. The present study dissects the notion of support for the police into two distinct dimensions: efficacy and image. Efficacy includes perceptions of the police ability to protect citizens, solve crime, and prevent crime. Image includes perceptions of friendliness and fairness of the police. A series of conventional individual-level and contextual variables are modeled in an effort to explore their relative influence on citizen perceptions of police efficacy and image. Data gathered from a national telephone survey of 1,005 citizens reveal that support for local police is both complex and multidimensional. Moreover, the results demonstrate that efficacy and image are independent dimensions, and that each is susceptible to quite different ratings depending upon which independent and dependent variables are modeled.

On the consequences of ignoring unobserved heterogeneity when estimating macro-level models of crime

Abstract The majority of criminologists have ignored unobserved heterogeneity in macro-level models of crime. We used time-series–cross-section (TSCS) data from all 58 counties in California between the years of 1990 and 1998 to show that heterogeneity should not be ignored. The paper begins with a discussion of some of the problems inherent in TSCS data—contemporaneous correlation, serial autocorrelation, spatial autocorrelation, panel heteroskedasticity, and nonstationarity—and the techniques for detecting them. To correct these problems we estimated dynamic TSCS models (with panel corrected standard errors) for property and violent crime. The resulting parameter estimates served as a base of comparison for the additional models. Next, we controlled for heterogeneity by adding fixed effects for county and year to the dynamic TSCS models. Finally, we used equality-of-coefficients tests to demonstrate the consequences of ignoring unobserved heterogeneity in macro-level models of crime.

Addicted to the drug war: The role of civil asset forfeiture as a budgetary necessity in contemporary law enforcement

Abstract Civil asset forfeiture is no stranger to criticism, in part because law enforcement agencies can share in the proceeds obtained from forfeitures. Critics claim that this potential for “profit” in law enforcement is the driving force behind civil asset forfeiture; that the noble goals of controlling crime and curbing illicit drug use are not high priorities. The research reported in this article partially substantiates critics claims that pecuniary concerns guide civil asset forfeiture activities. Results from a survey of 1400 municipal and county law enforcement executives revealed that a substantial proportion of law enforcement agencies are dependent on civil asset forfeiture as a necessary budgetary supplement. In an attempt to explain the “addiction,” evidence is offered that dependence on civil asset forfeiture is positively associated with revenues generated from past forfeiture activities and inversely related to fiscal expenditures. The primary implication tied to these findings is that a conflict of interest between effective crime control and creative fiscal management will persist so long as law enforcement agencies remain dependent on civil asset forfeiture.

In defense of the “quantoids”: More on the reasons for the quantitative emphasis in criminal justice education and research

This article critiques DiCristinas (1977) JCJE article concerning the quantitative emphasis in criminal justice curriculums. I argue that he (1) overlooked one of the more profound merits associated with quantitative research when he proposed that both methods should receive equal attention, (2) underestimated the contribution quantitative methods have made to policy, and (3) confused theoretical problems with methodological problems when he evaluated the connection between quantitative methodology and crime control policy.

The role of the COPS Office in community policing

This paper explores the relationship between community‐policing and grants provided by the Office of Community‐Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) in the US Justice Department. Community policing data were gathered via a survey of 700 municipal and county law enforcement agencies employing more than 100 full‐time sworn officers/deputies. Grant data were gathered on the same agencies via a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the COPS Office. Census data were used for control purposes. General findings suggest that COPS funding is strongly associated with community‐policing. Specific findings are: first, hiring grants were more associated with community‐policing than grants designed to promote innovative programs and second, agencies with several COPS grants were more likely to report community‐policing programs than agencies with fewer COPS grants.

The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000: A sheep in wolf's clothing?

The argument is presented that, is contrast to expectations, the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act (CAFRA) of 2000 will not be responsible for significant change in the practice of civil asset forfeiture, that the Act is a sheep in wolfs clothing. While it has ushered in some important procedural changes, CAFRA does not address several of what critics perceive to be the most significant problems associated with civil asset forfeiture, among them are a questionable standard of proof, equitable sharing, and the so‐called “taint doctrine.” Thus, it is likely that civil asset forfeiture will continue to be a valuable law enforcement tool in the war on drugs.

The reasonably unreasonable police officer: A paradox in police civil liability jurisprudence

Qualified immunity is a defense available to law enforcement officials in Section 1983 lawsuits alleging constitutional violations. Whether qualified immunity is granted hinges on the objective reasonableness of the officer’s actions; that is, on what a reasonable officer would have done under the circumstances. However, when a plaintiff alleges a Fourth Amendment violation, another objective reasonableness test is used. The result can be a paradoxical finding of reasonably unreasonable conduct. The present study examines this quizzical feature of civil liability law and seeks to clarify the role that both objective reasonableness tests play. In doing so, it examines the varying definitions of objective reasonableness, reviews a number of court decisions where the Fourth Amendment and qualified immunity have collided, and makes recommendations for minimizing future confusion.

Constitutional issues in reality-based police television programs: Media ride-alongs

Reality-based police television programs have been criticized extensively on the grounds that they overestimate the prevalence of violent crime, misrepresent the percentage of criminals who are minorities, and perpetuate myths about the effectiveness of law enforcement. However, few critiques have examined the constitutional issues behind reality-based police television programs. This paper examines constitutional issues arising from Section 1983 litigation against both the police and the media for media presence during the execution of warrants. It concludes that media presence has important implications for analyses regarding people’s right to privacy, color of law, qualified immunity, and Fourth Amendment reasonableness.