Stephen T. Holmes

Individual and situational determinants of police force: An examination of threat presentation

This study is based on previous research denoting the primary factors that influence officer decisions regarding the use of differing levels of force in police-citizen encounters. Using a totality of the circumstance approach, primary emphasis is directed toward explaining those factors that contribute to officers’ estimation of the perceived level of threat inherent in police-citizen encounters. Officers’ perceived level of threat presented by a suspect or the situational context of an encounter is important because in 1989, the Supreme Court in theGraham v. Conner decision mandated that the appropriate amount of force that can be utilized depends on the following four primary factors: the threat, offense severity, actual resistance offered, and whether the suspect is trying to escape custody. These criteria were tested and placed into a predictive model along with other indicators the literature has found to be correlated with situations in which police force is used more often. The findings suggest that while the threat presented to officers is important and related to the level of force that is deemed appropriate by the police profession, many additional elements must be taken into consideration when interpreting if an officer used force correctly.

Fractured Identity Syndrome A New Theory of Serial Murder

The topic of serial murder has captured the attention of many in the academic community. A quick scan of the best selling novels in any given week are likely to include at least a couple of postings about a serial or other type of predatorial killer. Even on college campuses today, courses on serial murder rank as one of the hardest classes for students to get in to. Despite the attention currently being paid to the topic of serial killing, relatively little is known about the intrinsic motivation and etiology of these individuals. This is the purpose of this article. In it, we examine the current literature concerning serial murder and explain how current theories are often no more than physical descriptions or characteristics of these murderers acts. In this article, we propose a new theory of serial murder merging elements of Cooleys Looking Glass Self and Goffmans Virtual and Actual Social Identity calling it “Fractured Identity Syndrome” (FIS). In doing so, our purpose is clear. It is to get the profession to begin to think about and develop theories concerning what causes the serial murderer to abandon normal modes of behavior and brutally take the lives of his/her victims.

Female Serial Murderesses: Constructing Differentiating Typologies

Despite the claims of several researchers in the examina tion of serial murder that there are no female serial killers, the authors have researched the serial murders which have occurred during the past fifty years and discovered a large number of female serial murderesses. There is an attempt to establish a typology of females who killed serially in the same fashion which has been already formed with male serial killers. With this typology discussed, homicidal behavioral traits are also discussed.

Inside the mind of the serial murder

This article approaches a position of delving into the thoughts of those who commit murder serially. The information comes from a variety of sources which include research literature, theory examination and most importantly, serial murderers themselves. More than 400 cases of serial fatal violence as well as interviews with incarcerated serial killers were utilized. Important issues such as locus of motives, expected gains, victim selection processes, planning of the event, the murder event itself, and organization and disorganization of the kill are also discussed. While admitting that serial killers have never been rehabilitated, a call is directed toward a better understanding of the mind of the serial murderer.

Perceptions of neighborhood problems and their solutions: implications for community policing

This exploratory study tests one of the key assumptions of community policing: that there is a relatively high level of consensus both within and between community groups, or stakeholders, about community problems and potential solutions. Results show that in the target community there is some consensus about social problems and their solutions. However, the study also reveals that the consensus may not be community‐wide, but may exist only among a relatively small group of “active” stakeholders who differ significantly about the seriousness of most of the problems and the utility of some solutions. Implications for community policing are discussed.

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.