Ross Wolf

Police use of force and the cumulative force factor

Purpose – This paper aims to build on and contribute to earlier studies on use of force by the police, and examines both officer and suspect force levels during altercations.Design/methodology/approach – Prior attempts to study non‐lethal force have only recently begun to examine the multiple levels of force that may be used within a single encounter, advocating the use of a “force factor” approach. This study examines 4,303 “use of force” reports from the two agencies in Florida for a five‐year period.Findings – Similar to prior studies which utilized data gathered by observation, this current study finds that law enforcement officers are operating at a force deficit; officer levels of force are consistently less than suspect resistance levels.Research limitations/implications – Data examined through police reports have certain inherent limitations, including the bias of the reporting officer. Analyses of these reports make it impossible for researchers to determine the length of each portion of a confli...

What is known and not known about volunteer policing in the United States

Volunteer police have always been a part of policing, and currently field approximately 20% of the numbers of full-time paid officers in the United States. Given this long history and significant participation, it is surprising how little is known about this aspect of policing. This article reviews what is known about modern volunteer police in the United States, then explores what is not known. The implications for future research include a discussion of what researchers “need to know” and “should know” in order to have valuable evidence to guide evidence-based decision making for relevant stakeholders and policy-makers.

Utilization and satisfaction of volunteer law enforcement officers in the office of the American sheriff: an exploratory nationwide study

Many government organizations utilize volunteers to enhance services, and volunteers have been used in law enforcement agencies for a variety of functions. However, volunteers in American policing are a largely under-studied part of the criminal justice system. This current paper examines the utilization of volunteer reserves, auxiliaries, and special deputies in the office of the American sheriff. The article also examines the perceived organizational characteristics of those agencies that treat volunteers the same as regular full-time sworn deputies by allowing them full power of arrest and the authority to carry a weapon on and off duty. The results generally show that volunteer deputies that are treated the same as their full-time counterparts in regard to authority and responsibility are generally more satisfied with their role within the organization and report greater satisfaction with the organization in terms of communication, leadership, and professionalism.

Campus Law Enforcement Use-of-Force and Conducted Energy Devices: A National-Level Exploratory Study of Perceptions and Practices

Although many police departments throughout the nation have been quick to incorporate the use of conducted energy devices (CEDs) within their use-of-force policies, the use of these devices on college campuses has been relatively unexamined in the literature. This article addresses campus police agency decisions regarding CEDs as a less-than-lethal force alternative. This study utilized a stratified random sample of public 4-year universities and colleges throughout the United States. Respondents answered questions pertaining to multiple variables, such as political pressure, public opinion, officer safety, liability, and funding, as factors considered when deciding whether to acquire CEDs. The results suggest that a majority of the public institutions surveyed have not acquired CEDs due to public opinion. Furthermore, the results reveal that for institutions that have issued CEDs their acquisition can be attributed to the campus law enforcement agencys concern for officer safety. Suggestions for future research are discussed.

Volunteering to serve An international comparison of volunteer police officers in a UK North East Police Force and a US Florida Sheriff’s Office

Volunteers within the police service are an understudied but invaluable area of policing, both in the UK and the USA. Although across England and Wales there are standardised policies governing the recruitment, training and deployment of volunteer police officers, across the United States there is no national standard for their use. As a result, research comparing and contrasting across these national boundaries is of value. This current study examines similarities and differences of two policing agencies, Cleveland Police in the North East of England, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) in Florida, USA. Results show that while the agencies have similarities in employment status, gender and experience as a volunteer, OCSO volunteer deputies were older than their Cleveland counterparts, and were much more inclined to participate in volunteer policing because of their past experience as full-time regular police officers.

An exploratory international comparison of professional confidence in volunteer policing

Police volunteers are an important asset to communities and policing agencies but have been relatively understudied. Similar models of police volunteers have developed in the United States and the United Kingdom but these differ in the level of their preparedness and training. This current study utilises vignettes to examine the confidence of volunteer police officers from two agencies, one in the US and one in the UK. Results show that while both groups in the study are confident in their professional ability to handle issues at a policing scene, UK volunteer officers feel less confident about interviewing and administrative paperwork than their US counterparts.

Conducted Electrical Weapons and Resolution of Use-of-Force Encounters

The project was supported by Award No. 2005-IJ-CX-K050, by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, United States Department of Justice. The opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice.

Tourism Oriented Policing: An Examination of a Florida/Caribbean Partnership for Police Training:

A partnership was created in late 2000 between the University of Central Florida (UCF), the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA), the government of Saint Lucia, and the private tourism corporations of the island of Saint Lucia. This alliance has provided unprecedented police training in tourism oriented policing. This training focuses on ways governments and police agencies can promote the image of a safe environment to promote a strong tourism economy. The fundamental drive behind the training has been to enhance the skills of police and security personnel in dealing with criminal activity in tourism environments. This paper examines the concept and principles of tourism oriented policing, and creates a template for future programmes and initiatives designed to promote a safe tourism environment to promote economic vitality.

Accreditation in police agencies: Does external quality assurance reduce citizen complaints?

Accreditation suggests an organisation has met standards of quality through extensive self-study and external review. This study examines the influence of Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) accreditation on citizen complaints. We identified the accredited status of the agencies included in the 2007 LEMAS report as CALEA-accredited or non-accredited resulting in a final sample size for this study of 628 agencies (CALEA accredited = 314, non-accredited = 314). Findings suggest that no difference exists between CALEA-accredited agencies and non-accredited agencies in: (1) the total number of complaints received; (2) the number of sustained citizen complaints.

Volunteer Police: What Predicts Confidence in Training?:

Volunteer police are used in both the United States and the Unite Kingdom to expand the services provided by full-time police personnel. The models of volunteer policing that have developed in the United States and the United Kingdom are based on the same concept, but differ in their level of operational preparedness and training. The utilization and confidence of these volunteer police in performing the functions of the police has been understudied. This current study builds on previous studies to develop a broader understanding of the confidence in training of part-time volunteer police officers by using a convenience sampling of three U.K. Northern Police Forces and three U.S. Florida Sheriff’s Offices. Results show the impact of individual-level variables on confidence in training preparation, with time since initial training having the largest impact. Later formal professional training appears to have little to no impact on confidence. Limitations and policy implications are discussed.