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cjustice
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Posted: Fri Mar 5th, 2010 06:08 pm | 1st Post |
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While research on a wide range of policing issues is eligible for funding, NIJ is particularly interested in proposals addressing the following topics:
•Police Legitimacy
•Police Disciplinary Practices
•Research on Small-Town and Rural Police Departments
•Impact of Technology on Policing
Police Legitimacy
NIJ is interested in research that examines how strategies or organizational changes in police accountability systems impact citizen perceptions of police legitimacy. An essential component of effective policing involves the cooperation of community residents who view the police as a legitimate institution of social control. Past research suggests that most citizens obey the law and the commands of police officers because they perceive police and their related actions as legitimate. In other words, when the police are viewed as legitimate, citizens are more likely to defer to police decisions, instructions, and commands. Perceptions of police legitimacy are also linked with police performance. Citizens are more likely to view the police as legitimate if police officers are held accountable for their behavior and police organizations maintain proper internal and external mechanisms to investigate improper police behavior. On the other hand, negative police/citizen encounters can threaten police legitimacy, as can perceptions that police are not doing everything they can to ensure compliance with procedures and policies and to address police misconduct.
Police Disciplinary Practices
NIJ is interested in research that examines discipline practices involving police misconduct that are effective in changing officer behavior and producing other positive outcomes. Law enforcement executives continue to face challenges in how best to discipline police officers to produce desirable outcomes. Although police discipline is essential to promoting behavior consistent with department rules and establishing and maintaining the trust and confidence of citizens, current discipline practices are often criticized because of how they are implemented. Traditional police disciplinary processes, which are primarily punitive in nature, are often regarded by police officers and unions as unfair, inconsistent, arbitrary, and lengthy. Critics also argue that the punitive focus of disciplinary practices is more likely to contribute to resentment among officers toward the department after the final disposition has been reached by the authoritative body. NIJ is interested in research that explores alternative practices — such as mediation sessions, peer review panels, or disciplinary systems which clearly articulate sanctions for violating specific departmental rules of conduct — to change officer behavior, maximize fairness in disciplinary procedures, and enhance the trust and confidence of citizens.
Research on Small-Town and Rural Police Departments
NIJ is interested in evaluations of strategies or programs used by small-town or rural police departments to control crime and disorder, promote public safety, and minimize fear in the community. Eighty percent of police departments in the United States have 25 or fewer officers; however, most research focuses on large departments in urban areas. This underrepresentation of small-town and rural departments in the research literature may be due to an assumption that policing services do not vary in content or delivery, regardless of the size of the agency. This may not be true. Policing interventions that work in larger departments may or may not be effective in small-town or rural areas. Factors such as geographic isolation, the availability of firearms, and economic factors may present different challenges for small-town and rural jurisdictions. Multiple layers of bureaucracy, an emphasis on specialized units, and the formal structure of large departments are not typically found in small departments. Small-town and rural police agencies also face different human and equipment resource issues, generally requiring officers to perform a greater variety of tasks.
Impact of Technology on Policing
NIJ is interested in research that examines the social, organizational, and behavioral implications of new tools and technologies on policing and crime. This also includes cost/benefit analyses that examine the impact of new technologies on existing police resources. Over the last two decades, advances in technology have resulted in significant changes in policing in the United States. Advancements in technologies such as automated vehicle locators (AVL), crime mapping applications, license plate recognition (LPR), video surveillance cameras, less-lethal weapons, police use of force simulators, and mobile phones with enhanced investigative functions have changed American policing. Despite the promise that technologies offer, implementation is likely to impact the organization. For example, certain skills may no longer be necessary when new tools or technologies are acquired; additional training may be required to help officers become proficient with new technologies. New tools or technologies may have a positive impact on a police department, but produce unanticipated outcomes in the community.
More Information
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/sl000889.pdf
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