Police Newsletter No. 60, January 2004
The Police Newsletter is a joint venture product of TC TeamConsult, Genf/Zurich, and Freiburg i. Br. (D), and the Chair of Criminology (Crime Policy and Police Science) at the University of Bochum (Professor Dr. Thomas Feltes). The Html version of the Newsletter is available at www.Polizei-Newsletter.de. All Newsletter issues published until now can also be looked up there and the German, French, Spanish or English version can be subscribed or unsubscribed.
1. Law Enforcement Statistics online
2. Private US Prisons Boost Private Businessmen’s Profit and Make the Number of Prisoners Increase
3. World Population
4. Health and Organisation
5. Boot Camps in the USA: Mississippi Gulag
6. Motives for Reporting Violence
7. Proposal for a European Border Guard
8. Repressing Better Than Talking?
9. Sanctions and Juvenile Delinquency
10. Police and Foreigners
11. Nuclear and Atomic Terrorism
12. No Perseverance After Robberers’ Imprisonment
1. Law Enforcement Statistics online
From now on the survey on the number of prisoners in German penal institutions on key-day 31 March 2003 is available at: www.destatis.de/allg/d/veroe/proser4frecht_d.htm and for download at www.destatis.de/download/d/veroe/fach_voe/strafvollzug.pdf . Both sources are actualized regularly. Further key-dates are to be 31 August and 30 November. The present key-day of 31 Dezember will be abandoned.
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2. Private US Prisons Boost Private Businessmen’s Profit and Make the Number of Prisoners Increase
Science has now proved a common assumption to be true: the transfer of US prisons into private hands has provoked an increase in prison sentences because there are more beds available in prisons. Here as well, private industry and politics seem to interact. In 2001, after all, eight prison companies responsible of 130,000 beds in 37 US states had an income of 1.56 billion US Dollars (paid out of taxes). Source: Joel Caplan, Policy for Profit: The Private-Prison Industry´s Influence over Criminal Justice Legislation. In: ACJS Today XXVI, 1, Jan./Feb. 2003, p. 15-20
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3. World Population
As per a UN study the world population will not increase further in 100 years time. In Europe, however, there will be only 232 people where 1,000 are presently living (less than a quarter). Life expectency will rise to 100 years. Source: Trendletter 8/2003, p. 3; www.un.org/popin/functional/population.html
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4. Health and Organisation
A contribution by Christian Guth on the homepage of „Metalogikon“, an association of managers, management consultants (and, presently, a leading staff member of the Stuttgart youth welfare office) treats the topic “health and organisation”. It establishes correlations between work, success and health (Salutogenese). Also relevant for the topic „Health within the Police“ Source: http://www.metalogikon.com/ressourcen/
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5. Boot Camps in the U.S.: Mississippi Gulag
U.S. Assistant Attorney General Ralph Boyd's report on the youth training schools in Raymond and Columbia Mississippi evokes images of prisoner-of-war camps at their worst, but with this distinction: sadistic POW camp guards don't misrepresent themselves as agents of rehabilitation. In that setting, the rules of the game are clear to all parties: the torturers and the tortured know exactly where they stand. Boyd describes acts that even the most credulous observer could not deem rehabilitative, let alone safe. If those same acts were perpetrated against adults, prosecutions and convictions would surely result. Because the victims are adjudicated juveniles, they are apparently disqualified for the normal protections of civilized society. Source: http://www.nospank.net/msgulag.htm
Original document can be found at: http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/split/documents/oak_colu_miss_findinglet.pdf
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6. Motives for Reporting Violence
What are the decisive factors to report an offence? The evaluation of the Swiss interviews with victims of 1,061 cases in 1998 and 2000 goes into this question. It shows that only 24.4 percent of the interviewed persons reported the offence. Victim-related features determine this decision: the victim’s age (older people are more susceptible of reporting), place (domestic offences are more likely to be reported) and the (subjectively) perceived consequences of the offence. Source: M. Simonin, M. Killias, Anzeige von Gewaltdelikten: Eine Frage der Tatumstände oder der Merkmale von Täter und Opfer? In: Crimiscope 22, Juli 2003 (UNIL Lausanne, Tel. 0041-21-6924644).
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7. Proposal for a European Border Guard
The House of Lords carried out a hearing with international experts (partly German) on the setting-up of a European Border Guard. Further information at: http://www.polizei-newsletter.de/pdf-files.htm
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8. Repressing Better Than Talking?
Not psychotherapeutics, but repressing is said to be the right therapy for catastrophy witnesses, abuse and accidents victims – as per the thesis of a new direction within psychology. Its supporters consider the usual treatment of traumatised patients to be wrong, useless and detrimental. The American trauma researcher Richard Gist has examined this thesis, among others, with witnesses of the attack of 11 September 2001 in New York. Furthermore an Israelian and another American study are said to confirm the thesis. Source: Trendletter 9/2003, p. 11; for more details see the Swiss „Weltwoche“ No. 28, 2003, p. 70.
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9. Sanctions and Juvenile Delinquency
Ben Backmann goes into the relation between sanctions and (self-reported) juvenile delinquency in an extensive study. As a result, the study shows a relation between imposing sanctions and self-reported delinquency: the stricter the sanctions, the less self-reports – and vice versa. Above all, however, the study proves that not criminal law and the official santions of the criminal justice system are crucial for an adolescent’s decision whether to commit an offence or not; his/her decision much more depends on the informal values and behavioural patterns conveyed within his/her family and among the young themselves. Only the social environment exerts an influence on the juvenile. Source: Ben Backmann, Sanktionseinstellungen und Delinquenz Jugendlicher. Kriminologische Forschungsberichte des MPI Freiburg, Band 109, Freiburg 2003, 540 Seiten, € 35.- (s.a. http://www.iuscrim.mpg.de/verlag/krim/k_gesamt.html#109
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10. Police and Foreigners
Groenemeyer und Mansel have published a anthology titled “Die Ethnisierung von Alltagskonflikten” (Opladen 2003, Leske+Budrich, € 24,90). It comprises two studies on the topic „Police and Foreigners“. The one by Frank Gesemann (scientific staff member of the College of Public Administration Berlin (FHöV) is titled „Ist egal ob man Ausländer ist oder so – jeder Mensch braucht die Polizei“ (p.203-228) deals with the Police’s perception of young migrants. The other one by Thomas Schweer and Hermann Strasser is titled „Die Polizei – dein Freund und Helfer?!“ (p.229-260) and treats the conflict of Duisburg police officers with ethnic minorities and social margin groups. Both contributions contain many “original tones” and are highly instructive.
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11. Nuclear and Atomic Terrorism
A special issue of the magazine „American Behavioral Scientist“ contains ten articles concerning this topic (Heft 6, 46, 2003, S.697-856). They present general studies as well as empirical data on smuggling and theft of these materials.
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12. No Perseverance After Robberers’ Imprisonment
Most persons sentenced because of robbery will become delinquent again after their arrest, a minority, however, because of the same delict. The authors set up a qualitative analysis comprising 27 persons sentenced because of robbery on shops and found out that e.g. the repelling effect of colour bombs making stolen money useless is not long-lasting. Source: P. Kruize, Preventive and repressive strategies to limit the number of commercial robberies in Denmark. In: Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention 2, 2, 2001, p. 171-190.
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Police Newsletter No. 61, February 2004
The Police Newsletter is a joint venture product of TC TeamConsult, Genf/Zurich, and Freiburg i. Br. (D), and the Chair of Criminology (Crime Policy and Police Science) at the University of Bochum (Professor Dr. Thomas Feltes). The Html version of the Newsletter is available at www.Polizei-Newsletter.de. All Newsletter issues published until now can also be looked up there and the German, French, Spanish or English version can be subscribed or unsubscribed.
1. Risk of Recidivism and Violence of Exhibitionists
2. Effects of Imprisonment on Crime Rates
3. Neighbourhood Cohesion Reducdes Fear of Crime
4. Murderers’ and Killers’ Evidence
5. Harassment Within the Police
6. Fear of Crime Highest by End of Winter...
7. Increased Crime Rate Due to Casinos?
8. Signs of Lying During Investigations
9. Social-psychological Study About Xenophobic Offenders
10 Protection and Assistance for Victims
11. The sociobiographic background of Neonazi violent offenders
12. Coordinated Police Training in Switzerland
13. NRW Police interview 150,000 Citizens
1. Risk of Recidivism and Violence of Exhibitionists
A KFN study (Institute of Criminological Research Lower Saxony, Hanover) reveals a high recidivism rate of exhibitionists, compared to other sexual offenders. However, exhibitionism cannot be considered as a "first-step offence” to criminal careers, leading to more severe violent or sexual offences. The recidivism of exhibitionists mainly concists in exhibitionism of other non-contact offences. (Nicht-Kontaktdelikten). Furthermore, the existing studies do not allow a reliable description of characteristics to discriminate “dangerous” exhibitionists from “harmless” ones. Source: Th. Görgen, Rückfallgefährdung und Gewaltrisiko bei exhibitionistischen Tätern. KFN-Forschungsbericht Nr. 88, Hannover 2003, available at 4.- Euro from KFN: b.bergmann@kfn.uni-hannover.de, Tel. 0511 / 348 36-10. Also see: www.kfn.de
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2. Effects of Imprisonment on Crime Rates
The question if and to what extent certain rates of imprisonment (i.e. the number of prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants) have an influence on the crime rate of a region is constantly being discussed. A new empirical US study proves that low imprisonment rates show an uncertain influence on the crime rate, modest imprisonment rates reduce crime, and high imprisonment rates cause an increase in crime. Source: T.R. Clear, D.R. Rose, E. Waring, K. Scully: Coercive Mobility and Crime. In: Justice Quarterly 20, 1, 2003, S. 33-64
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3. Neighbourhood Cohesion Reducdes Fear of Crime
Evidently, there is a relation between certain characteristica of a community or neighbourhood and the fear of crime. An emprical study comprising 17,000 persons in 11 countries (among these Great Britain, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands) once more stated that people perceiving their neighbourhoods as reliable and supportive are less afraid of crime than others. Source: M.R. Lee, T.L. Earnest: Perceived Community Cohesion and Perceived Risk of Victimization: A Cross-National Analysis. In: Justice Quarterly 20, 1, 2003, p. 131-157.
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4. Murderers’ and Killers’ Evidence
The report "Aussageverhalten in der Erstvernehmung und Milieuzugehörigkeit von vorsätzlich Tötenden" summerizes the results of a students’ 3-term project of the Berlin University of Applied Administration Sciences, Police Faculty, which was finished in the winter term 02/03. The PDF document is available at http://www.fhvr-berlin.de/deutsch/forschung/index.html (bottom of page), as well as a list of the faculty’s publications which can be ordered. The study examines the question if the accused persons’ evidence-giving varies, depending upon their social group membership.
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5. Harassment Within the Police
An empirical project study by Klaus Mucha of the Fachbereich Polizei der Berliner FHöV (Berlin University of Applied Administration Sciences, Police Faculty) deals with this topic within the Berlin Police. It can be ordered at € 2.50 from the FH at http://www.fhvr-berlin.de/deutsch/forschung/index.html
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6. Fear of Crime Highest by End of Winter...
and lowest by the end of spring. This is the result of a study carried out in Glasgow and Sheffield. Source: N. Semmens u.a., Preliminary findings on seasonality and the fear of crime. In: British Journal of Criminology, 42, 4, 2002, p. 798-806.
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7. Increased Crime Rate Due to Casinos?
The study examines the correlation between gambling in casinos, crime rate and quality of life in severel US towns. As a result, there was no clear correlation perceivable. The crime rate in creased in some communities after a casino was opened, in other communities it decreased or remained the same. The authors conclude that there a other, more important factors. Source: B.G. Stitt u.a., Does the presence of casinos increase crime? In: Crime and Delinquency 49, 2, 2003, p. 253-284.
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8. Signs of Lying During Investigations
Video tapes were analysed for this study in order to reveal typical signs of lying during investigations. The common assumption that liars are more nervous could not be confirmed. On the contrary, typical behaviour accompanying questionings seems not to exist. Source: S. Mann, A. Vrij, R. Bull, Suspects, lies, and videotape: An analysis of authentic high-stake liars. In: Law and Human Behavior 26, 3, 2003, p. 365-376.
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9. Social-psychological Study About Xenophobic Offenders
10 Protection and Assistance for Victims
The Police has lauched a new assistance and consultation offer for victims of offences. Under the slogan „Opfer darf nicht Opfer bleiben“ all relevant information about protection and assistance for victims are available at www.polizei.propk.de/rathilfe/opferinfo, e.g. concerning theft/burglary, assalut, robbery, domestic violence, Sexual molestation / rape, sexual abuse of children and other crime. Source: DFK-Newsletter 9/2003;
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11. The sociobiographic background of Neonazi violent offenders
The sociobiographic background of 61 Neonazi violent offenders has been investigated by personal interviews and psychological investigations. All of them were men. All subjects were personally interviewed and investigated by the first author, due to an order of the court demanding a psychiatric expertise before trial. The investigation showed highly negative sociobiographic constellations. The big majority of the Neonazi violent offenders have a broken home (69 %), and violence in their original families was extremely usual as a conflict solution method. Their socialisation during school was found to be highly problematic and the level of education was very low: 79 % of the Neonazi violent offenders had an extremely low education level. Only one third of them did not report any interactional problems in school and only 11 % were not found to have disorder of social behaviour according to WHO during childhood and adolescence. The occupational status was also very low, and 79 % of those who were not in training at the time of crime were unemployed. Two thirds of the investigated Neonazi violent offenders had been sentenced by a court before because of various other kinds of delinquency mostly burglary or robbery. Polymorphous delinquency was very high. On average, the subjects had been sentenced for the first time at the age of 17. 89 % of the investigated Neonazi violent offenders did not have an ideology based on historical or political knowledge, but only used empty or bizarre phrases. It is concluded that right-wing violent criminality is common criminality based on circular processes of broken home, problematic corresponding social environment, disorders of behaviour, personality deficits, weak life perspectives and poor use of education possibilities. Quelle: Marneros, Andreas/Steil, Bettina/Galvao, Anja, Der soziobiographische Hintergrund rechtsextremistischer Gewalttäter. In: Monatsschrift für Kriminologie 5, 86, 2003, S. 364-372
12. Coordinated Police Training in Switzerland
In autumn 2003, the conference of the cantonal justice directors and chief constables (KKJPD) passed an outline on educational politics which provides for the linking of Police training to the general Swiss education system. The basic Police training will take place in regional training centres provided with progressive training infrastructures and highly qualified staffs. The leaders’ and specialists’ training levels will be coordinated by a training centre and offered in cooperation with existing training institutions (universities and universities of applied sciences). For further information see www.kkjpd.ch.
MP
13. NRW Police interview 150,000 Citizens
The Police of North-Rhine Westphalia interviews citizens concerning the subjective feeling of security/safety, fear of crime, but also the assessment/valuation of the police’s work. Altogether, about 100 questions were sent to 5,000 representative selected citizens of Duisburg, e.g., in October 2003.
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Police Newsletter No. 62, March 2004
The Police Newsletter is a joint venture product of TC TeamConsult, Genf/Zurich, and Freiburg i. Br. (D), and the Chair of Criminology (Crime Policy and Police Science) at the University of Bochum (Professor Dr. Thomas Feltes). The Html version of the Newsletter is available at www.Polizei-Newsletter.de. All Newsletter issues published until now can also be looked up there and the German, French, Spanish or English version can be subscribed or unsubscribed.
1. Computer Games and Violence
2. Relation Between Intelligence and Delinquency?
3. Violence Prevention in Primary Schools
4. Criteria for Evaluation of Policing
5. New Online Journal on Police Studies
6. The Impact of Drug Treatment and Testing Orders on Offending
7. England Reinforces the Police
9. Swiss Police Institute
10. New Defence Arm From the USA
11. REITOX Drug Report for Germany
12. Security in 2003 – Questioning in Switzerland
13. Cyberstalking – a New Catchword
1.Computer Games and Violence
The subject of this contribution is the relationship between genre-specific computer game consumption, television consumption, experiences in up-bringing, and violent delinquency during adolescence. The data basis for this study comprises 436 juveniles between the ages of 15 and 18 years. It was ascertained through multiple regression analyses that computer game consumption is a relevant factor in connection with unarmed assaults. The strongest connections with violent delinquency as a whole, however, are violent experiences within the family as well as watching horror and war films. Raithel, Jürgen, Medien, Familie und Gewalt im Jugendalter. Zum Zusammenhang von Gewaltkriminalität, Erziehungserfahrungen, Filmkonsum und Computerspielnutzung In: Monatsschrift für Kriminologie 4, 86, 2003, p.287-298 (abstract from the website: www.iuscrim.mpg.de/verlag/krim/kzs/monatsschrift.html
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2. Relation Between Intelligence and Delinquency?
Is there a correlation between intelligence and delinquency of women? A study comprising almost 6.000 cases tackles this question. As a result, the authors find out that there is indeed a correlation – as against earlier findings about men and delinquency showing that there is no correlation. For women, there are further essential factors such as abuse during childhood as well as the development in family and school. Source: D.J. Hubbard, T.C. Pratt, A meta-analysis of the predictors of delinquency among girls. In: Journal of Offender Rehabilitation 34, 3, 2003, p 1-13.
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3. Violence Prevention in Primary Schools
The Police of Schleswig-Holstein provides two folders concerning violence prevention for primary schools and Klasse 6-8: http://www.polizei.schleswig-holstein.de/download/faltblatt_pit2.pdf and http://www.polizei.schleswig-holstein.de/download/faltblatt_pit1.pdf
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4. Criteria for Evaluation of Policing
Six criteria, such as effectiveness, availability, behaviour of the local police officers, are relevant for the citizens’ evaluation of the police, as well as tradition. Source: M.S. de Vries, Legitimacy and public-sector quality: How citizens judge the quality of the police. In: Police Journal 75, 4, 2003, p. 301-321.
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5. New Online Journal on Police Studies
Police Command Studies International is an e-journal, published exclusively to support the career interests of the professional policeman throughout the UK and world-wide, providing the latest thinking in technical research and management, plus practical solutions to front-end problems and the evaluation of equipment in development. It will cover the latest events, international conferences, seminars and publications. The e-journal will be published in a range of languages, according to demand. At the moment, it is in English, Swedish, German, Russian and Spanish. http://www.police-studies.com
TF (Thanks to Max Hermanutz)
6. The Impact of Drug Treatment and Testing Orders on Offending
The two-year reconviction results of drug-dependent offenders in Croyden, Gloucestershire and Liverpool are presented in a study. Those offenders who completed their orders showed considerable reductions in convictions. More information can be found at page http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/whatsnew1.html (Findings 184).
KR
7. England Reinforces the Police
In 2002, a plus of almost 4,000 police officers was on duty in England and Wales, and in 2003 the number was again increased by 3,800 (3 percent). However, in 2000 there were almost 2,000 police officers less than in 1999. Nearly 3 percent (i.e. almost 4,000 police officers) are members of ethnic minorities. Source: Home Office Statistical Bulletin 11/03 - Police Service Strength England and Wales, 31 March 2003,
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/whatsnew1.html
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The North Rhine Westphalian Office for the Protection of the Consitution has published a study titled „Die Kultur als Machtfrage. Die Neue Rechte in Deutschland“. It is available at www.im.nrw.de/sch/doks/vs/neurech.pdf and can be ordered as brochure from: Innenministerium Nordrhein-Westfalen, Abteilung Verfassungsschutz, Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Postfach 103013, 40021 Düsseldorf, Fax: 0211/871-16-1190, e-mail: Bestellung.Verfassungsschutz@im.nrw.de
From August 27 to 29, 2003, the symposium "Rechtsextremismusforschung – aktuelle Tendenzen empirischer Untersuchungen" took place at the Hamburg Institut für Sozialforschung (HIS). Its aim was to take stock of current research and to offer a platform to discuss their findings and their theses. For the session’s report by Janina Söhn „Rechtsextremismusforschung – aktuelle Tendenzen empirischer Untersuchungen“ see Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung 5(1), available at: http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs-texte/1-04/1-04tagung-soehn-d.htm
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9. Swiss Police Institute
The Swiss Police Institute is a private foundation located at Neuenburg and supported by federation, cantones and communities. It manages the national vacational training of the Swiss Police and has a website of its own now: www.institut-police.ch .
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10. New Defence Arm From the USA
The US company Arianne distributes a new self-defence arm called „Myotron“. It is based on a completely new technology, say the internet ads: the wave generator is half the size of a conventional electro-shocker and requires practically no maintainance. It aims at the aggressor’s control of voluntary muscle contacting. Within a millisecond’s time the agggressor is unable to fight, because the waves emitted by the “Myotron” cause a disorder of the brain synapses and thus block his/her aggression and movement. The aggressor recovers within an hour’s time completely without secondary injuries. The Myotron’s use cannot cause neither injuries nor death. You must, however, be in touch with the aggressor; the waves penetrate up to 5 centimeters of clothes. Manufacturer’s information at: http://www.myotron.net/full_page_ad.htm
ML
11. REITOX Drug Report for Germany
Once a year, the DBDD (German Reference Centre for the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction) writes the report on the drug situation in Germany for the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction . The annual report gives a survey on new trends and activities in the field of illegal drugs. The report 2003 (reference year 2002) was finished in October 2003 and is available as pdf file in German and will soon be available in English as well. The key topics of this year’s report are the evaluation of national drug strategies, cannabis cases in treatment and multiple drug use. The report can be downloaded from the home page of the Deutschen Referenzstelle der Europäischen Drogenbeobachtungsstelle in Munich at http://www.dbdd.de/Download/REITOX_D2003_D_finb.pdf.
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12. Security in 2003 – Questioning in Switzerland
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13. Cyberstalking – a New Catchword
After „stalking“ has become known in Germany within a short time, “cyberstalking” is tackled now. A first report of the Ministriy of Justice dates back to 1999. It deals with the kind and extent of cyberstalking: www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/cyberstalking.htm . The „Cyberangels“ take aup the topic on their website http://www.cyberangels.org/international/de (English, French and Spanish as well available at this site)
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Police Newsletter No. 63, April 2004
The Police Newsletter is a joint venture product of TC TeamConsult, Genf/Zurich, and Freiburg i. Br. (D), and the Chair of Criminology (Crime Policy and Police Science) at the University of Bochum (Professor Dr. Thomas Feltes). The Html version of the Newsletter is available at www.Polizei-Newsletter.de. All Newsletter issues published up to now can also be looked up there and the German, French, Spanish or English version can be subscribed or unsubscribed.
4. More Guns, less Crime? Do RTC laws reduce crime?
5. Programme on Training and Capacity Building to Address Trafficking in Human Beings
8. Eurobarometer
9. Concealed Information Test
10. Discrimination of German and foreign (juvenile) offenders by prosecuting authorities
11. Domestic violence offenders: characteristics and offending related needs
… may not be considered as two separate problems and have to be treated as a whole in stress-reducing programmes. Source: G.T. Patterson, Examining the effects of coping and social support on work and life stress among police officers. In: Journal of Criminal Justice 31, 3, 2003, p. 215-226
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An empirical study goes into this question, evaluating an ethics course at the university of North Carolina. The result is similar to other evaluations (of other courses, as well): The impacts of an individual one semester course is very limited, values, attitudes or even the students’ behaviour cannot be altered. It is only possible to make the students care less of themselves and more about others. Although this effect must not be underestimated, the study’s authors suggest either to reduce the expectations in ethics courses during criminal justice studies, or to extend duration and intensity of such courses. Source: V.B. Lord, B.E. Bjerregaard, Ethics Courses: Their Impact on the Values and Ethical Decisions of Criminal Justice Students. In: Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 14, 2, 2003, p. 191-207
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The German Federal Government’s reply to a minor interpellation by the Democrats (FDP): the use of so-called silent SMS has become essential. By means of this mobile phone technology, the approximate place of a target person can be detected. It is a very important tool for investigation, search and observation purposes, told the Federal Government. Furthermore there are plans to set up movement profiles. “Silent“ SMS means that the investigator sends an unrecognizable message to the suspect. The target mobile phone does not recognize it as a message. It produces, however, connection data which the police can obtain from the provider. This technology permits cellular radio direction-finding with an accuracy of approx. 50 metres within towns. Source: Der Kriminalist 10/2003
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4. More Guns, less Crime? Do RTC laws reduce crime?
“Right-to-Carry“ (RTC) concealed-handgun laws mandate that authorities issue concealed handgun permits to qualified applicants. The supposition by those supporting the laws is that allowing private citizens to carry concealed handguns in public can reduce violent crime by deterring prospective criminals afraid of encountering armed civilians. Critics of the laws argue that violent altercations are more likely to turn deadly when more people carry guns. Whether the laws cause violent crime to increase or to decrease has become an important public policy question, as most states have now adopted such legislation. The present study evaluates Florida‘s 1987 RTC law, which prior research suggests plays a key role in the RTC debate. We find little evidence that increases in the number of citizens with concealed-handgun permits reduce or increase rates of violent crime. RTC laws are now adopted in 22 states. Source: T.V. Kovandzic, T.B. Marvell, Right-to-Carry Concealed Handguns and Violent Crime: Crime Control through Gun Decontrol? In: Criminology and Public Policy 2, 3, 2003, p.363-396.
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5. Programme on Training and Capacity Building to Address Trafficking in Human Beings
The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) in Vienna has launched a programme “Development of an Anti-Trafficking Training Module for Police”. The programme was implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior of Austria and aims to develop sustainable police training structures on trafficking in human beings by way of developing a regional curriculum for police training. The document is available in English and 13 South Eastern Europe languages. For further information and a copy of the paper, contact the director Consultancy Services, Gerda.Theuermann@icmpd.org . Furthermore, a specific limited-access website has also launched at www.anti-trafficking.net .
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For more than 12 years GfK Macon AG has been offering geographical information systems. Typical fields of use are regional statistics, crime mapping and Ringfahndung. RegioGraph und DISTRICT convert data from various sources into aussagekräftige maps. A few mouse clicks allow to place crime centres or the routes preferred by smugglers on the map.
The programmes allow to show certain crime rates, to produce views comprising several countries. They are provided with sets of updated worldwide digital maps containing administrative and postcode borders as well as topographic information about streets, railway lines, inhabited areas, rivers, lakes etc. Further information at: www.macon.de.
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The Staatsinstitut für Frühpädagogik (IFP), a research institution of the Bayerische Staatsministerium für Arbeit und Sozialordnung, Familie, Frauen und Gesundheit … has published an online family manual in the internet, addressing parents, educators, teachers, scientists and family experts. Beside many references concerning benefits for families and offers for support, questions about upbringing, partnership etc. are discussed, expert contributions are published and legal questions are explained. There is a monthly online journal, a discussion platform and a newsletter can be subscribed. Part of the information about living with children are available in turkish language for authorities, associations and organisations. For further information see http://www.familienhandbuch.de .
AK
On behalf of the European Commission the 'Standard Eurobarometer' is published twice a year which was initialized in 1973 and allows to carry out opinion polls and evaluate data within the EU member states in certain intervals. An inquiry published in April 2003 deals with the complex topic of public security, drug problems in living areas and crime. It revealed that the feeling of insecurity has slightly, but steadily increased in the whole of Europe (except Germany) between 1996 and 2002. Within this period, the interviewed persons were increasingly confronted with drug problems in their living areas. In Greece, the fear of victimization was highest, whereas in Austria and Germany the interviewed persons were least afraid. In all EU countries, more than half of the interviewed persons feel that more monitoring or police presence would reduce the crime rate. Furthermore they think that juveniles are more likely to be prevented from committing a crime by prevention programmes than by strict penalties, and that poverty and unemployment as well as a lack of education and training are decisive factors for juvenile deliquency. The complete study and its exact results at http://europa.eu.int/comm/public_opinion/archives/special.htm as pdf document.
AK
9. Concealed Information Test
The Concealed Information Test (CIT) is a psychologically well-founded technique of forensic psychophysiology ("detection of deception"), but unfortunately it is widely ignored by the jurisprudent expert community. This paper summarizes the German adjudication regarding psychophysiological credibility assessment and gives an overview of the method and evaluation of the CIT from a psychological perspective. Furthermore, the possible implementations, especially in preliminary proceedings, are discussed based on the concrete application of the CIT in Japan. It is concluded that, under specific but quite practicable circumstances, the CIT is an efficient tool for credibility assessment or detection of concealed knowledge about a crime in criminal and forensic investigations. Surce: Rill, Hans-Georg/Gödert, Heinz Werner/Vossel, Gerhard, Forensische Psychophysiologie ("Lügendetektion"). Ein Plädoyer für den Tatwissentest, In: Monatsschrift für Kriminologie 3, 86, 2003, S. 165- 180
10. Discrimination of German and foreign (juvenile) offenders by prosecuting authorities
The study deals with the question of discrimination of German and foreign (juvenile) offenders by prosecuting authorities. Proceedings from public prosecutor's offices in Bavaria, involving 203 male juvenile offenders, were researched. The offenders were prosecuted because of burglaries (§ 243 I Nr.1 StGB). In this study an unequal treatment between Germans and foreigners regarding the issuance of a warrant of arrest and the execution of such a warrant cannot be proven. Further there are hardly any indications that the determinants of procedures are differently spread between Germans and foreigners charged with a crime. Dittmann, Jörg/Wernitznig, Beate, Strafverfolgung und Sanktionierung bei deutschen und ausländischen Jugendlichen und Heranwachsenden. Eine Untersuchung am Beispiel des Einbruchsdiebstahls. In: Monatsschrift für Kriminologie 3, 86, 2003, p. 195-205
11. Domestic violence offenders: characteristics and offending related needs
Elizabeth Gilchrist, Rebecca Johnson, Rachel Takriti, Samantha Weston, Anthony Beech and Mark Kebbell examined the characteristics and offending related or criminogenic needs of domestic violence offenders on probation or referred for a pre-sentence report in England. The main findings were that they are not a homogeneous group in those terms. They identified two types of domestic violence offenders: the antisocial/narcissistic offenders and the borderline/emotionally dependent offenders. For further information please contact
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/whatsnew1.html
(Findings 217 - Domestic violence offenders: characteristics and offending related needs)
KR
The so-called “Police Training Officer” (PTO) training program is possibly the first one which applies systematically problem-based learning tools to the field training of new officers. The program issued a very useful manual which describes the organization of the course, its contents and adapted pedagogical tools. It is available on the web: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=971
DW
Police Newsletter No. 64, May 2004
The Police Newsletter is a joint venture product of TC TeamConsult, Genf/Zurich, and Freiburg i. Br. (D), and the Chair of Criminology (Crime Policy and Police Science) at the University of Bochum (Professor Dr. Thomas Feltes). The Html version of the Newsletter is available at www.Polizei-Newsletter.de. All Newsletter issues published up to now can also be looked up there and the German, French, Spanish or English version can be subscribed or unsubscribed.
1. Police Futurists International (PFI)
2. Guiding Criminal Justice Students Through Mid-Semester Slump
3. Compstat all over the US?
4. Family Violence and Community Capacity
5. Police and Media
6. Involving the pubic: the role of police authorities
7. Staff Delinquency in Enterprises
8. Internet Crime Info Portal
9. UN Court Sentenced Media Bosses For Appeal For Murder
10. Ten Years Fighting Corruption
11. Studying the Connexion Between Dwelling Property and Crime
12. Migration, Refugees and Integration
1. Police Futurists International (PFI)
PFI was started in the early 90’s by a group of law enforcement officers worldwide whose mission is ‘To foster excellence in policing by promoting and applying the discipline of Futures Research’. PFI is an organization of law enforcement practitioners, educators, researchers, private security specialists, technology experts and other professionals dedicated to improving criminal and social justice through the professionalisation of policing. The organisation stems from courses at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, near Washington DC. Further information can be obtained from the website http://www.policefuturists.org/. Futures Research (long-range planning and forecasting) is the pivotal discipline that constitutes the philosophical underpinnings of PFI. The tools and techniques of this field are applied in order to more accurately anticipate and prepare for the evolution of law enforcement ten, twenty, and even fifty years into the future. Futures Research offers both philosophical and methodological tools to analyse, forecast, and plan in ways rarely seen in policing in the past.
TF
2. Guiding Criminal Justice Students Through Mid-Semester Slump
The students’ attention significantly decreases by mid-semester, no matter how long the semester lasts – this is an experience from all universities. Especially weak students get uninterested in certain lectures and then often are unable to catch up. So it is important for the persons teaching not only to prepare the subjects’ start well, but also to think about how to tackle the mid-semester slump. This can be done, e.g., by open discussions or else by adopting new methods (and/or media). Source: M.J. Bolton, Overcoming Inertia: Guiding Criminal Justice Students Through Mid-Semester Slump. In: Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 14, 2, 2003, p. 355-370.
TF
3. Compstat all over the US?
This paper provides the first national description of Compstat programs, considered in the framework of strategic problem solving. Rely ing on a survey of American police departments conducted by the Police Foundation, we examine the diffusion of Compstat programs and the nature of Compstat models throughout the United States. We also assess the penetration of models of strategic problem solving more generally into American policing. Our findings document a process of “diffusion of innovation“ of Compstat-like programs in larger police agencies that follows a rapid pace. At the same time, our data suggest that many elements of strategic problem solving had begun to be implemented more widely across American police agencies before the emergence of Compstat as a programmatic entity, and that such elements have been adopted broadly. Source: D. Weisburd, S. Mastrofski et al., Reforming to Preserve: Compstat and Strategic Problem Solving in American Policing. In: Criminology and Public Policy 2, 3, 2003, p.421-456
TF
4. Family Violence and Community Capacity
The study, entitled "Behind Closed Doors," examined whether the degree of collective efficacy and community capacity in the neighborhood in which an abused woman lived had a positive effect on her help-seeking and increased the probability that the violence would decline or cease, taking into account other factors in the woman's situation that might make the probability of violence cessation more or less likely. The study found that abused women living in organized neighborhoods where collective efficacy was high were no more likely to escape further intimate-partner violence and seek various kinds of help than women living in other neighborhoods. http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/grants/194711.pdf
TF
5. Police and Media
There are hardly any analyses concerning press reports of the police despite the existence of police press agencies since the 70ies. Police press agencies possess first-hand knowledge about criminality and hold therefore a monopoly on local crime reporting as source for the media. The article which is based on a content analysis of the press reports by the police shows that the police press agency anticipates mediareports about crime to a large extent at the outset. This applies mainly to the timely distribution of given information (reporting in waves of crime) and the structure of offences. In comparison to the criminal statistics you will recognise a distorted picture which also applies to the dealing with information concerning the suspects. Nevertheless, their personal details (suspects and victims) are largely kept in privacy. . Schäfer, Anne, Polizeiliche Pressearbeit und ihr Umgang mit der Kriminalstatistik In: Monatsschrift für Kriminologie 1, 85, 2002, S. 55-67
6. Involving the pubic: the role of police authorities
David Dalgleish, Maria Docking, Andy Myhill, Oliver Sindall and Stella Yarrow examined in their study how police authorities engage the public in dialogue and they identified the benefits to the police service. This report is a summary documenting the findings and recommendations of two reports. A full report of the findings can be found under the titles “The role of police authorities in public engagement” and “Public perceptions of police accountability and decision-making” available at
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/whatsnew1.html
(On-line Report 37/03 - The role of police authorities in public engagement ), (On-line Report 38/03 - Public perceptions of police accountability and decision-making (4.11.03)). For further information please contact
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/whatsnew1.html
(On-line Report 37/03 - The role of police authorities in public engagement
KR
7. Staff Delinquency in Enterprises
Fraud, theft, embezzlement: staff delinquency is spreading in German enterprises. No matter of the level: leaders, office staff or store staff – all of them cause damage, and the tendency is upward. In about 40 percent of all fraud, theft and embezzlement cases the offenders belong to the enterprise’s staff. The loss caused by staff delinquency is still increasing. Thus German companies had to suffer damages of approx. 3 billion Euro. Only a minority of enterprises is insured against this risk. So only some 50 million Euro per year of compensation for damage fell due during recent years. Source: GdV-Presseforum Mai 2003 at http://www.gdv.de/presseservice/21725.htm
TF
8. Internet Crime Info Portal
Mainly journalists are the target group of the „Informationsportal zum Thema Kriminalität“ launched in November 2003. At www.journascience.org texts about various themes concerning crime fighting and analysing are offered. Links, an expert survey and a glossary will complete the offer.
TF
9. UN Court Sentenced Media Bosses For Appeal For Murder
In the USA polemic talk shows are nothing unusual, even today, and in unstable countries it happens how and then that there are unveiled calls for murder and genocide on the radio and in newspapers. In 1994, the Rwanda "Radio Machete" and "Hate Radio" as well as the radical bi-weekly Kangura newspaper vigorously agitated against the Tutsi majority and moderating Hutu. They were successful: more than 800,000 Tutsi were killed. As the media bosses explicitly declared their propaganda to be oral war supporting the armed war, they were sentenced by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)). The founder and leading ideologist of the RTLM got a life sentence for committing genocide, incitement to commit genocide, conspiracy, crimes against humanity, persecution and extermination of the Tutsi. The detailed article at: http://www.heise.de/tp/deutsch/inhalt/co/16251/1.html
ML
10. Ten Years Fighting Corruption
Since 1993 Transparency International (http://www.transparency.org) has been branding corruption worldwide. Recently the organisation published the first “global corruption barometre” developed in cooperation with Gallup International. In three out of four countries the political parties are those institutions the citizens want to see free of corruption, especially in Argentina and Japan. Second rank the courts, especially in Peru and Indonesia. Third already ranks the police. In Germany, however, 76 percent of the interviewed persons do not consider corruption to be significant, whereas 6.6 percent do so. You will find the barometre (pdf file) at: http://www.transparency.org/surveys/index.html
ML
11. Studying the Connexion Between Dwelling Property and Crime
A recent study of the Allianz Life Insurance Company finds a significant negative correlation between dwelling property rate and crime rate in Germany. The statistics prove that in German Ländern charakterized by a higher rate of the crime rate is lower, related to the number of offences recorded by the police. The same is true for burglary. A final cause-result analysis is, however, not question of this study. Source: Allianz Lebensversicherungs-AG, Unternehmenskommunikation, Reinsburgerstraße 19, 70178 Stuttgart. Source: DFK-Newsletter, www.kriminalpraevention.de
12. Migration, Refugees and Integration
The series of brochures „Migration, Flüchtlinge und Integration“ provides background information about special question of asylum and foreigners law and discusses problems of immigration and migration. Volume X is titled "Wanderungsbewegungen“. Each volume is available at EUR 3 (incl. postage). For further information see the website of the Bundesamt für die Anerkennung ausländischer Flüchtlinge www.bafl.de. Source: Bundesministerium des Innern, Email: poststelle@bmi.bund.de, Internet: www.bmi.bund.de. Source: DFK-Newsletter, www.kriminalpraevention.de
Police Newsletter No. 65, June 2004
The Police Newsletter is a joint venture product of TC TeamConsult, Genf/Zurich, and Freiburg i. Br. (D), and the Chair of Criminology (Crime Policy and Police Science) at the University of Bochum (Professor Dr. Thomas Feltes). The Html version of the Newsletter is available at www.Polizei-Newsletter.de. All Newsletter issues published up to now can also be looked up there and the German, French, Spanish or English version can be subscribed or unsubscribed.
1. Insurance Fraud and Customers’ Satisfaction
2. Reducing Burglary Initiative: The role of publicity in crime prevention
3. Full Text Server of the Virtual Library of Psychology
4. Collection of Literature and Jurisdiction on Police Law etc.
5. A Longitudinal Study of Changes in Socialising and Drinking Behaviour of Police Recruits
6. Street Lighting, Crime and Fear of Crime
7. Drug Use and Impact Factors in Great-Britain
8. Media and Crime
9. What’s Promising In Community Service: Implementation of 7 Pathfinder Projects
10. External Funding Proposals and their Evaluation
11. Annual Report 2003 of the Commission “Polizeiliche Kriminalprävention”
12. Crime Reduction Center (CRC) of the British Home Office Launches New Website
13. Police Use of Force In an International Comparison – Texts From the Bochum Meeting in the Internet
1. Insurance Fraud and Customers’ Satisfaction
The German insurance companies suffer an estimated damage of approx. four thousand million Euro due to fraud. An inquiry by the Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung on behalf of the association of German insurance companies (GDV) revealed that the number of damages has slightly declined. The insurances companies perceive a tendency towards organised professional fraud: whereas the number of fraud is decreasing, the organised gangs cause incomparably greater damages. There is a direct correlation between the customers’ inclination to commit fraud and their satisfaction: the less satisfaction, the higher fraud inclination. http://www.gdv.de/presseservice/21731.htm
TF
2. Reducing Burglary Initiative: The role of publicity in crime prevention
The study by S. D. Johnson and K. J. Bowers examined the impact of local publicity on crime reduction, especially for burglaries. The publicity being used was e.g. newspaper articles, leaflets, television appearance. Some of the key points are a clear relationship between the timing and intensity of publicity and burglary reduction, the reduction of burglaries by publicising local crime prevention activity. More details can be found at page http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/whatsnew1.html, Home Office Research Study 272 - The role of publicity in crime prevention: findings from the Reducing Burglary Initiative Findings 213 - Reducing Burglary Initiative: the role of publicity in crime prevention (12.12.03).
KR
3. Full Text Server of the Virtual Library of Psychology
PsyDok, the full text server of the virtual library of psychology, serves the filing of scientifique psychological literature. PsyDok, a free service, is a cooperative project of the special subject collection Psychology of the Saarländische Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek (SULB) http://www.sulb.uni-saarland.de/ and the Zentrum für Psychologische Information und Dokumentation (ZPID) http://www.zpid.de. The aim is to improve the online publications’ offer and documentation of information in the psychology field. Flyers and posters can be downloaded.
TF
4. Collection of Literature on Police Law etc.
Clemens Arzt, professor at the Fachhochschule für Verwaltung und Rechtspflege in Berlin für Staats- und Verwaltungsrecht (University of Applied Sciences for public administration and legal affairs) specialized in police law, provides jurisdictional surveys, end-of-semester exams with sample solutions and more concerning the fields of police law and penal procedure law at www.security-service.com/Frame-Uebersicht-Fund.html, the commercial homepage of “Security-Service“, the editor of „Polizei-heute“. There is free access to these pdf files, only some folios etc. are available at Arzt’s personal website http://www.fhvr.berlin.de/deutsch/dozenten/personen/arzt/arzt.html with password.
TF
5. A Longitudinal Study of Changes in Socialising and Drinking Behaviour of Police Recruits
An Australian longitudinal study examines the changes in socialising behaviour of police recruits during their first year in duty. It finds out that police recruits become more gregarious and drink more alcohol with their colleagues. The most significant increase takes place during the first six months. Booze-ups become more and more frequent, with the recruits reporting to feel a pressure to drink to belong in that company. Source: Obst, Patricia L.; Davey, Jeremy D.: Does the police academy changes your life? A longitudinal study of changes in socialising behaviour of police recruits. In: International Journal of Police Science & Management (ISSN: 1461-3557), 5 (1): 31-40, 2003.
AK
6. Street Lighting, Crime and Fear of Crime
A study goes into the correation between street lighting, crime and fear of crime, examines common relevant theories and discusses existing lighting standards in correation with decreasing crime rates. Proceeding on the thesis that improving the lighting situation on the one hand strengthens the feeling of security and on the other hand reduces the crime rate, the British government recently allocated 300 million pound to local authorities enabling them to modernise the street lighting. Further studies and political conclusions to make the crime rate decrease by better street lighting, are discussed. Source: Cozens, P.M.; Neale, R.H.; Whitaker, J. u.a.: A critical review of street lightning, crime and fear of crime in the British city. Crime Prevention and Community Safety: An International journal (ISSN: 1460-3780), 5 (2): 7-24, 2003.
AK
7. Drug Use and Impact Factors in Great-Britain
Three studies of the British Crime Survey deal with drug use by the British. They aim at detecting risk groups and deducing political and social prevention measures. Age was found to be a crucial factor for drug use. Further decisive factors are e.g gender, ethnicity and geographical region. Source: Home Office Statistical Bulletin 15/03 - Geographical Variations in Drug Use; http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/hosb1503.pdf Findings 229 - Prevalence of drug use: key findings from the 2002/2003 British Crime Survey; http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/r229.pdf Findings 209 - Ethnicity and drug use: key findings from the 2001/2002 British Crime Survey. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/r209.pdf
AK
8. Media and Crime
In an opinion poll, the magazine Chrismon examined the question of how the mass media report about crime in Germany. The found out that 42 percent of the Germans consider crime to be slightly or considerably worse in reality than pictured in the media. Detailed results and diagrams at: http://www.chrismon.de/cframe-umfrage.html .
TF (Thanks to HJ Kerner)
9. What’s Promising In Community Service: Implementation of 7 Pathfinder Projects
Sue Rex, Loraine Gelsthorpe, Colin Roberts and Peter Jordan published a report about the pathfinder project within the framework of a crime reduction programme. Different approaches to work with offenders in order to reduce further offending were used: PSM (pro-social modelling), SA (skills accreditation) and TON (tackling other offending-related needs). More details can be found under Home Office Findings 231. For a more detailed report see also Home Office Occasional Paper 87: “Crime reduction programme: An evaluation of community service pathfinder-projects final report 2002”. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/rdsolr2204.pdf
KR
10. External Funding Proposals and their Evaluation
Wolff-Michael Roth (Canada) has published a fascinating qualitative analysis of a research proposal he had submitted for funding. First it was refused, but one year later it was accepted, without any change. The contribution titled Vagaries and Politics of Funding: Beyond "I Told You So” has been issued in Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung, Volume 5, No. 1 – January 2004 http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs-texte/1-04/1-04roth-d.htm
TF
11. Annual Report 2003 of the Commission “Polizeiliche Kriminalprävention”
Recently this commission, the body charged with the activities and public relations in the field of police crime prevention in the Federal Republic, submitted the annual report 2003. It gives a survey of the commission’s priorities during the previous year and informs about the present projects and plans of the “Programm Polizeiliche Kriminalprävention” (ProPK). The annual report is not only meant for the decision-makers within the police, but also for all institutions and social groups working on crime prevention. Free copies are available from Zentrale Geschäftsstelle Polizeiliche Kriminalprävention, Taubenheimstraße 85, 70372 Stuttgart, Telefax: 0711-2268000, info@polizei-beratung.de The report can also be downloaded from www.polizei-beratung.de/profil/jahresbericht.xhtml.
TF (Text by Zentrale Geschäftsstelle Polizeiliche Kriminalprävention; thanks!)
12. Crime Reduction Center (CRC) of the British Home Office Launches New Website
The Crime Reduction Website is aimed at practitioners to help them achieve and sustain reductions in crime and disorder. The website was launched in July 2000 by the Home Secretary in response to a need for a web-based interactive resource where practitioners, policy-makers and others can find guidance on good practice to which they can add new ideas and identified local solutions. The Toolkits are an integral part of the website and provide a consolidated and comprehensive approach to crime reduction through partnership working. The Toolkits adopt a problem-solving approach for use by police, local authorities, health, voluntary and private sectors, and others involved in helping to reduce crime and disorder locally. The website is designed to be a working tool. It is text-rich to meet the need for hard information to be accessed quickly and to ensure that website pages look the same on different browsing software. Pages are fast to download and print clearly on a variety of hardware. The Crime Reduction Centre manages the website on behalf of the wider crime reduction community. The active participation of Home Office policy units, other government departments, the police, local authorities and other groups (such as Secured by Design) is a major feature in ensuring that the site remains relevant to the needs of its users http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/.
PS
13. Police Use of Force In an International Comparison –Texts From the Bochum Meeting in the Internet
The lectures given during the meeting „Polizeigewalt“ in April 2004 at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum are now available at the website of Police Use of Force group http://www.policeuseofforce.org/, among others M. Haberfeld (New York, USA): Management Training for the New York Police Department (NYPD), P.A.J. Waddington (England): Policing Hostile Encounters, O. Adang (Niederlande): Managing Dangerous Conflict Situations and a very informative contribution by Peter Manning (Boston, USA): Some Observations Concerning a Theory of Democratic Policing. A contribution by Philip Stenning (Neuseeland/ Kanada) about Private Policing – Advantages and Disadvantages is pending.
TF
Police Newsletter No. 66, July 2004
The Police Newsletter is a joint venture product of TC TeamConsult, Genf/Zurich, and Freiburg i. Br. (D), and the Chair of Criminology (Crime Policy and Police Science) at the University of Bochum (Professor Dr. Thomas Feltes). The Html version of the Newsletter is available at www.Polizei-Newsletter.de. All Newsletter issues published up to now can also be looked up there and the German, French, Spanish or English version can be subscribed or unsubscribed.
1. New Website Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
2. Acceptable Behaviour Contracts addressing antisocial behaviour in London
3. New Criminal Justice Newsletter
4. New Prostitution Law Presented in Questions and Answers
5. Spanish Language CD-ROM Available for Law Enforcement.
6. Evaluating Police Re-Organisation in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
7. DFK Study on Hate Crimes
9. eBook about MRI (Magnet Resonance Tomography)
10. Using Community Policing for Homeland Security
11. MDMA (Ecstasy) Fact Sheet
12. Police Conduct: NCJRS documents overview
1. New Website Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
OJJDP launched its redesigned Web site. The fresh, contemporary site enables users to find information faster--with fewer clicks. Navigational elements have been refined to make the site more intuitive. Publications can be searched by topic, subtopic, and series and sorted in alphabetical or chronological order. Users can search the site by topic or keyword and then narrow the search by asking for specific types of information--funding opportunities, programs, events, publications--related to that topic. Resources: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp
TF (Danke an HJ Kerner)
2. Acceptable Behaviour Contracts addressing antisocial behaviour in London
A Home Office report evaluates the impact of 95 Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs) issued in the London Borough of Islington. ABCs can be effective in reducing the amount of antisocial behaviour (ASB) committed by young people. Children on ABCs in Islington were less likely to engage in ASB, less likely to be stopped or arrested by the police and were less likely to commit criminal acts whilst on contract. In total, forty-three percent of contracts issued in Islington were breached (40 out of 94 contracts issued). “Those on contract tended to have a range of social and familial problems and were known to a range of welfare services. A survey of 42 police forces and 262 local authorities in England and Wales in 2002 found that there were at least 173 contract schemes, and a total of 1,868 contracts had been issued, an average of 11 contracts per scheme. Source: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/rdsolr0204.pdf
3. New Criminal Justice Newsletter
The “Criminal Justice Washington Newsletter” by Mike Israel is available at http://www.crimeletter.net/ The concept behind this newsletter is the fairly widely held belief that criminologists have a research based perspective that ought to be heard by policy makers; and it has not been in an effective enough way. The Letter is pointed toward relevant participation by the community of criminologists and professionals; although it is intrinsically valuable being informed about something so mystifying; and the newsletter can assist teaching, and stimulate research ideas.
TF
4. New Prostitution Law Presented in Questions and Answers
The brochure made up in questions and answers is meant to offer a first assistance in handling the new German prostitution law. It was initiated by the community crime presention committee of Hanover and is primarily addressed to prostitutes and brothel managers. A special version was developed for the competent authorities. See http://www.kriminalpraevention.niedersachsen.de/ under „Serviceangebot“ – „Materialien“.
TF
5. Spanish Language CD-ROM Available for Law Enforcement.
"Espanol for Law Enforcement: An Interactive Training Tool" (CD-ROM) (NCJ 201801) was developed to help the user obtain a working knowledge of the Spanish language and apply that knowledge to law enforcement situations. The video provides English translations, phonetic spellings, and pronunciations of Spanish words in situations involving interviews, crime scenes, motor vehicles, and domestic violence. (NIJ) For more information, visit: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/201801.htm Place orders at: http://puborder.ncjrs.org/
TF
6. Evaluating Police Re-Organisation in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
On 1 January 2002 a re-organisation of the police of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern became effective, pursuing five targets: decentralising decision-making, optimising police tasks by increased police presence, intensifying traffic monitoring, improving criminal fact-finding, creating lean structures by reducing the hierarchy. For the first time, scientists monitored a change within the police structure. The evaluation report of one of the police departments (Anklam) has recently been published (by Prof. Bornewasser). It is available at: http://www.mv-regierung.de/im/pages/hinweise/evalutio.pdf, the press statement at: http://www.mv-regierung.de/im/pages/hinweise/evalutio.htm
TF
7. DFK Study on Hate Crimes
On the occasion of its annual controlling board meeting in Berlin in January 2004, the Deutsche Forum für Kriminalprävention (DFK) has discussed the findings of a research project about the problem of preventing offences against members of certain groups – especially young people, which the Federal Ministry of Justice had ordered from the DFK in 2001. For the first time the DFK has presented an extensive report concerning the reduction of hate crimes. The scientists found out that violence based on prejudice is especially dangerous because it offends the basis of peaceful coexistence, the inviolability of the dignity of man as a common value. An abstract and the complete text at: www.kriminalpraevention.de
TF
For the study of the Mannheim Institut für praxisorientierte Sozialforschung (ipos), approx. 2,000 young people aged between 14 and 27 were interviewed about their housing situation, economical situation (job security, etc.), social and family situation, religious opinions, leisure activities (including social commitment), political opinion, their attitude towards violence and foreigners. The study was ordered by the Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend and can be downloaded at http://www.bmfsfj.de/Kategorien/Forschungsnetz/forschungsberichte,did=16338.html
TF
9. eBook about MRI (Magnet Resonance Tomography)
Joseph P. Hornak offers an e-book introducing into the secrets of MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging), an imaging technique used primarily in medical settings to produce high quality images of the inside of the human body: http://www.cis.rit.edu/htbooks/mri/index.html; The site http://www.neuroeconomics.de/ offers hints to German brain research studies (see www.humanbrainmapping.org, presenting several links for download). Attempts are made in the US to measure advertising effects directly in the brain by means of nuclei spin tomography, with one of the first results being the reason for Coca-Cola’s success, although Pepsi-Cola gets better marks in independent taste tests. In Germany, criminals’ brains are examined for particularities.
TF
10. Using Community Policing for Homeland Security
"Connecting the Dots for a
Proactive Approach". Community policing is in the eyes of the United States
Government an important resource for preparing for and responding to acts of
terrorism. In the Q4 2003 issue of Border and
Transportation Security magazine, three COPS staffers explore how to harness the
power of community policing to secure the homeland. (COPS)
Source:
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1046
TF
11. MDMA (Ecstasy) Fact Sheet
"Fact Sheet: MDMA (Ecstasy)" February 2004 provides a summary of data related to the club drug ecstasy. The fact sheet includes information on ecstasy use, health effects, and related enforcement initiatives. Source: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/factsht/mdma/ or http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/pdf/ncj201387.pdf
12. Police Conduct: NCJRS documents overviewIncidents involving the use of excessive force by police officers frequently receive attention from the media, legislators, and, in some instances, civil and criminal courts. Whether the excessive force is aberrant behavior of individual officers or a pattern and practice of an entire law enforcement agency, both the law and public opinion condemn such incidents. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/176330.htm. A recent study (http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/grants/196694.pdf) of self-report data by police from 7,512 adult custody arrests in six moderate to large U.S. jurisdictions found that the rate of physical force varies from 12 to 17. When force is used, the most frequent type cited is weaponless tactics, the most common of which is grabbing. A new study (http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/197925.pdf ) has found that the two factors that most influence public opinion of the police are residents' perceptions of neighborhood characteristics and their interactions with police. Los Angeles residents who had informal personal contact with police (e.g., increased officer visibility in neighborhoods, police participation at community meetings) were likely to express approval of the police, even when those residents perceived their neighborhoods as crime ridden, dangerous, and disorderly--all factors that ordinarily led to lower approval ratings. The media were found to have little influence on public opinion of the police. A recent National Institute of Justice case study (http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/188565.pdf ) of three police departments suggests that early warning systems can reduce citizen complaints and other problematic police behaviors. The complete text provides a glimpse of available research on police administration, stress, and use of force and the perception the public has of law enforcement officers in their communities. Overall, 23 different papers are linked, each with an abstract, and the full document available as pdf. A copy of this text is available at http://www.polizei-newsletter.de/pdf-files.htm (Thomas Feltes, based on the NCJSR Catalog No.72, Sept./Okt. 2003, p.13-17 Source: http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles1/catal72.txt copyright: NCJRS)
TF
Police Newsletter No. 67, September 2004
The Police Newsletter is a joint venture product of TC TeamConsult, Genf/Zurich, and Freiburg i. Br. (D), and the Chair of Criminology (Crime Policy and Police Science) at the University of Bochum (Professor Dr. Thomas Feltes). The Html version of the Newsletter is available at www.Polizei-Newsletter.de. All Newsletter issues published up to now can also be looked up there and the German, French, Spanish or English version can be subscribed or unsubscribed.
2. Mobile Monitoring Robot
3. Online Game against Vandalism
4. North Rhine-Westphalian Police and e-government
5. A new French e-journal of criminology
6. Local Politics and Violent Crime in U.S. Cities
7. Effectiveness of Police Raids
8. Life-Course Desisters? Data from the longest longitudinal study
9. „Fear“ not necessarily Fear of Crime
10. Leadership, Employee Attitudes and Customer Satisfaction
11. Project Polizei-Online/Bildung 21
12. Realising and Limiting Risks of Accidents: EUSka 4.0
TF
2. Mobile Monitoring Robot
MOSRO MINI is the mobile monitoring robot for your private household, but equally in offices, agencies, workshops or summerhouses. Within some minutes it can be individually programmed by means of a computer for its place of activity and goes through the whole place, “looking” into every room, up to six hours. It is able to avoid contact with furniture and other obstacles. For more than six hours of monitoring it remains contacted to the charging station. Three infra-red scanner record movements, even in complete darkness. The integrated video system provides a complete survey of the monitored area on a computer or PDA – to any place on earth. In case of danger the system alerts, e.g. via mobile phone. Price: €1.200. www.robowatch.de
3. Online Game against Vandalism
The VIA February issue of the Schweizer Bahngesellschaften (travelling by train, bus and ship) presented an online game against vandalism. In this game, “Rail-Guard”, players are charged with the security of the station. If people act dangerously in the station area, the players have to react. The game is over, when a person has an accident. The game was developed within a range of measures against vandalism by
SBB. Play at: www.magicticket.ch More games at: http://www.magicticket.ch/d/4/47/4710_uebersicht_f.asp
TF (Thanks to Th. Holzer)
4. North Rhine-Westphalian Police and e-government
The North Rhine-Westphalian police is introducing e-government. At www.polizei.nrw.de you can lay an information, submit complaints or apply for a job. The offers will be improved and extended step by step. The internet forms are deliberately made up in a plain language, completed by explanatory texts and videos in German sign language. The police emphasizes that the offer is „barrier-free“ i.e. that physically handicapped persons have access The possibility of filing crime complaints proved to be successful in 9 police departments last year. People eagerly made use of this new possibility in the test communities: approx. 4,500 cases in Cologne, i.e. more than 3.5 percent of all complaints filed in Cologne. Without this possibility, about 1,500 commited crimes would not have become known to the Cologne police.
TF
5. A new French e-journal of criminology
Penal field is a new French journal of criminology that publishes bilingual contributions available on the web and that is entirely free. The review can be visited at the following URL: http://champpenal.revues.org/index.html. The journal, edited by Pierre V. Tournier, director of research at the CNRS, is independent from any institution.
DW
6. Local Politics and Violent Crime in U.S. Cities
An empiric US study proved that there is a direct and causal correlation between the way a community is ruled and the crime rate. Communities with elected regional or district representatives show lower crime rates. The reason probably is that the citizens can take an influence on community politics more directly. Another correlation was revealed: the political leaders’ commitment and strength and the crime rate (the stronger and the more consistent – and thus citizen-oriented – the politics, the lower the rate). Source: Thomas D. Stucky, Local Politics and Violent Crime in U.S. Cities. In: Criminology 41, 4, 2003, p. 1101-1135
TF
7. Effectiveness of Police Raids
This paper investigates the effectiveness of police raids in reducing drug dealing in and around nuisance bars. We examine effects of both dosage (number of raids) and duration (months) of the intervention, as well as the conditioning effects of land use and population characteristics in shaping the underlying risk levels of drug dealing in the target and surrounding areas. Results indicate that the police intervention suppresses levels of drug dealing during periods of active enforcement but the effects largely disappear when the intervention is withdrawn. Also, the effects of the intervention are mediated by risk characteristics in target and surrounding areas. Target areas characterized by higher levels of risk are more resistant to intervention effects than those with lower levels of risk. Risk factors in nearby areas are also significant. Bars with high levels of risk arising from land uses in surrounding areas are easier to treat, while bars with high levels of population-based risk in surrounding areas are harder to treat. Source: Jacqueline Cohen, Wilpen Gorr and Piyusha Singh: "Estimating Intervention Effects in Varying Risk Settings: Do Police Raids Reduce Illegal Drug Dealing at Nuisance Bars?" In: Criminology, Vol. 41 (2), May 2003, pp. 257-292.
PS
8. Life-Course Desisters? Data from the longest longitudinal study
Linking recently collected data to form what is arguably the longest longitudinal study of crime to date, this paper examines trajectories of offending over the life course of delinquent boys followed from ages 7 to 70. We asses whether there is a distinct offender group whose rates of crime remain stable with increasing age, and whether individual differences, childhood characteristics, and family background can foretell long-term trajectories of offending. On both counts, our results come back negative. Crime declines with age sooner or later for all offender groups, whether identified prospectively acording to a multitude of childhood and adolescent risk factors, or retrospectively based on latent-class models of trajectories. We conclude that desistance processes are at work even among active offenders and predicted life-course persisters, and that childhood prognoses account poorly for long-term trajectories of offending. Source: Robert J. Sampson and John H. Laub: "Life-Course Desisters? Trajectories of Crime Among Delinquent Boys Followed to Age 70," In: Criminology, Vol. 41 (3), August 2003, pp. 555-592.
PS
9. „Fear“ not necessarily Fear of Crime
Research on fear of crime has been primarily quantitative, focused mostly on "fear," "crime," and "disorder." Little work has investigated alternative reactions, including "safety," when crime/disorder are prevalent. With the purpose of exploring reactions to crime and underlying processes, this study applies a grounded theory approach to in-depth interviews and field observations with a group of 69 disadvantaged urban residents, randomly selected from a sample of Chicago welfare recipients. Results suggest that fear, absent in neighborhoods with incivilities and in many violent areas, is not the prevalent response to local crime/disorder; "cues" other than crime/disorder trigger fears; fear may not be of crime/disorder; and neighborhood problems elicit precautions, which neither influence fear nor "paralyze" respondents. The processes underlying these reactions are discussed. Source: Irene Carvalho and Dan A. Lewis: "Beyond Community: Reactions to Crime and Disorder among Inner-City Residents," In: Criminology, Vol. 41 (3), August 2003, pp. 779-812.
PS
10. Leadership, Employee Attitudes and Customer Satisfaction
Leadership is generally regarded as key to performance, and improving police leadership is a central plank in the police reform agenda. To date, no research evidence has been provided to show a clear link between particular styles of police leadership and police effectiveness. Whenever police performance has been criticised and police leadership has fallen under scrutiny as a result, there has been no generally accepted leadership theory against which practice could be tested, and no clarity about how police leadership might need to change. In broad terms, the study found that police officers want their leaders to make them feel proud of the service being provided and of their contribution. The behaviours identified by those interviewed as linked to effective leadership could be categorised into groups as follows: Being committed to achieving a high quality service to the community and supporting staff to achieve this. Displaying high personal and professional standards and challenging poor behaviour. Enabling, valuing and developing staff. Source: Home Office On-line report 20/04 - Police leadership: expectations and impact. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/rdsolr2004.pdf
TF (English abstract from the Home Office website)
11. Project Polizei-Online/Bildung 21
At the last CEBIT, the Ministry of the Interior of Baden-Württemberg and the Deutsche Telekom signed a cooperation agreement to create a basis for a “global learning” project. It was agreed upon the extension of the existing system of training and information „Polizei Online“ to develop a comprehensive system of knowledge transfer and knowledge management. Finally, the know-how will be applied in EU projects, the European Police Learning Net (EPLN) and the Mitteleuropäische Polizeiakademie (MEPA). Uwe Seidel is the reponsible person in the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Interior. Source: http://www.global-learning.de/g-learn/cgi-bin/gl_userpage.cgi?Structured
TF
12. Realising and Limiting Risks of Accidents: EUSka 4.0
PTV AG presents EUSka as a graphic system for analysing traffic accidents. The system has been developed by the Verkehrstechnischen Institut der Deutschen Versicherer (VTIV, traffic experts of the German insurance companies) in close cooperation with representatives of the Ministries of the Interior and the police. EUSka has proved useful in practise in Baden Wurttemberg, Thuringia, Sachsen-Anhalt and, since 2004, in Saxony as well. Through a standard interface, the accident data flow from the individual file system into EUSka, where they are referenced geographically so that they can be displayed in a digital map on the monitor. Then the data are available for quicksearch. PTV distributes the complete system including very detailed up-to-date maps and predefined analyse routines for traffic security tasks. Further information at: http://www.ptv.de/cgi-bin/traffic/traf_euska.pl.
TF
Police Newsletter No. 68, October 2004
The Police Newsletter is a joint venture product of TC TeamConsult, Genf/Zurich, and Freiburg i. Br. (D), and the Chair of Criminology (Crime Policy and Police Science) at the University of Bochum (Professor Dr. Thomas Feltes). The Html version of the Newsletter is available at www.Polizei-Newsletter.de. All Newsletter issues published up to now can also be looked up there and the German, French, Spanish or English version can be subscribed or unsubscribed.
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Content:
1. Organized for Change: The Activist's Guide to Police Reform
2. Joint Action of Police and Providers Against Child Pornography
3. Data Base for Crime Prevention in Australia
4. Kriminelle Karrieren, die anhand von Gerichtsdaten rekonstruiert wurden, unterscheiden sich von solchen, die anhand von selbstberichteter Kriminalität nachgezeichnet wurden
5. Police Culture and Coercion
6. Retaining officers in the police service: a study of resignations and transfers in ten British Police forces
7. The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Robbed: Inequality in U.S. Criminal Victimization, 1974–2000
8. Influence of Advertising
9. Social Context of Violent Victimization
10. What stops or modifies a criminal career?
11. New Prevention Information System
12. 'Reference Book About Domestic Violence Towards Women
1. Organized for Change: The Activist's Guide to Police Reform
"Organized for Change: The Activist's Guide to Police Reform, contains strategies to help advocates committed to moving their police departments closer to a vision of community–centered policing. The manual describes the nuts and bolts of a scope of advocacy strategies, both traditional and non-traditional; among them: organizing, developing the media, petitioning administrative agencies, and backing legislation. It provides examples of each advocacy strategy that can be leveraged to achieve police reform". Full Report 146 pages http://www.policylink.org/pdfs/PoliceAdvocacy.pdf ; Source: Police Accountability Newsletter September 2004
2. Joint Action of Police and Providers Against Child Pornography
In August, a federal initiative against child pornography was presented in the internet. For the joint initiative of police, important providers as e.g. AOL, MSN, T-Online and the news portals Spiegel Online and Focus Online see at http://www.polizei-beratung.de/aktionen/kinderpornografie. It informs about child pornography, offers useful hints and names supporting organisations and contacts and tells what anybody can do who finds himself confronted with such web sites. Also see www.polizei.propk.de, mail zgs@polizei.propk.de.
3. Data Base for Crime Prevention in Australia
The Australian government has introduced an electronic documentation through the AIC about the Australian crime prevention projects between 1990 and 2002. http://www.aic.gov.au/research/cvp/register/
TF (Thanks to H.-J. Kerner)
4. Criminal career research based on self-reports sometimes yields different conclusions compared with research based on official records
Most knowledge about delinquency careers is derived from official records. The main aim of this paper is to compare conclusions about delinquency careers derived from court referrals with conclusions derived from self-reports. Data are analyzed from the Seattle Social Development Project, which is a prospective longitudinal survey of 808 youths. Annual court and self-report data were available from age 11 to age 17 for eight offenses. The prevalence of offending increased with age, in both court referrals and self-reports. There was a sharp increase in the prevalence of court referrals between ages 12 and 13, probably because of the reluctance of the juvenile justice system to deal with very young offenders. The individual offending frequency increased with age, in self-reports, but it stayed constant in court referrals, probably because of limitations on the annual number of referrals per offender. There was significant continuity in offending in both court referrals and self-reports, but continuity was greater in court referrals. The concentration of offending (and the importance of chronic offenders) was greater in self-reports. An early age of onset predicted a large number of offenses in both self-reports and court referrals. However, an early onset predicted a high rate of offending in court referrals but not in self-reports, possibly because very young offenders who were referred to court were an extreme group. About 37% of offenders and 3% of offenses led to a court referral. The more frequent offenders were less likely to be referred to court after each offense, but most of them were referred to court sooner or later. There was a sharp increase between ages 12 and 13 in the probability of an offender and an offense leading to a court referral. It is concluded that criminal career research based on self-reports sometimes yields different conclusions compared with research based on official records. Source: David P. Farrington, Darrick Jolliffe, J. David Hawkins, Richard F. Catalano, Karl G. Hill, and Rick Kosterman: "Comparing Delinquency Careers in Court Records and Self-Reports," In: Criminology, Vol. 41 (3), August 2003, pp. 933-958.
PS
5. Police Culture and Coercion
Researchers have long noted the link between police culture and coercion. To date, however, there have been no empirical studies of this relationship. Using data collected as part of a systematic social observation study of the police in Indianapolis, Indiana, and St. Petersburg, Florida, this research examines the relationship between traditional views of police culture from an attitudinal perspective and coercion from a behavioral perspective. After developing a classification scheme of officers' outlooks in the context of police culture, we examine the extent to which officers' alignment with cultural attitudes translates into differences in coercive behavior. The findings indicate that those officers who closely embody the values of the police culture are more coercive compared with those that differentially align with the culture, suggesting that police use of force is a function of officers' varying attitudinal commitments to the traditional view of police culture. The implications of these findings for policy and future research are considered. Source: William Terrill, Eugene A. Paoline III, and Peter K. Manning: "Police Culture and Coercion," In: Criminology, Vol. 41 (4), November 2003, pp. 1003-1034.
PS
6. Retaining officers in the police service: a study of resignations and transfers in ten British Police forces
Most leavers joined the service for positive reasons and many leavers continued to be satisfied with some aspects of the job. In particular, they valued the opportunity for varied work. l Most leavers had underlying levels of dissatisfaction with management, did not feel valued and felt there was too much paperwork. Just over half of transferers (55%) gave wanting to move house or area as one of their reasons for leaving the force. Some groups (women, officers from minority ethnic groups, probationers and graduates) had higher resignation rates. Women left the service at diff e rent stages in their careers compared with men – the most frequently given reason for their resigning was domestic responsibilities. Source: Findings 212 - Retaining officers in the police service: a study of resignations and transfers in ten forces (3 pages) http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/r212.pdf Occasional Paper 86 - Retention of police officers: a study of resignations and transfers in ten forces (64 pages) http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/occ86.pdf
TF (English abstract from the Home Office website)
7. The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Robbed: Inequality in U.S. Criminal Victimization, 1974–2000
This paper investigates inequality in criminal victimization in the United States over the past quarter century. By analyzing data from the National Crime Victimization Survey, it shows that the crime drop since the early 1970s has benefited upper-income households much more than the poor, so that criminal victimization has become more concentrated among the poor (particularly in the area of nonstranger violence). The paper then decomposes this trend statistically in order to investigate factors that may explain it. That analysis finds that demographic changes in each quintile explain a significant share of the growing concentration of criminal victimization among the poor. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 20 (2): 89-116, June 2004; abstract at http://www.kluweronline.com/article.asp?J=4934&I=26&A=1
AK
8. Influence of Advertising
The design of advertisements in radio and TV spots and their influence is the topic of a survey of new research findings published in “Media-Persektiven” 4, 2004, p.184-188; among them a report from New York referring to 100 studies on the effectiveness of advertising during the last/passed 20 years. It is available as pdf file at http://www.ard-werbung.de/mp/publikationen/fachzeitschrift/ and contains various links to the original studies.
TF
9. Social Context of Violent Victimization
The results of a recent study support the belief that research on the relationship between peer context and victimization may benefit from a network approach. They show that adolescents‘ peer networks can significantly facilitate or impede the likelihood of violent victimization. If one is a central and popular member of a dense conventional peer group, then one is safer from violence. The delinquent peer group is another matter; the results indicate that network location and den city make violent victimization more likely to occur. Prominent location in a dense delinquent group clearly does not guarantee protection from violent victimization; instead, as our results show, such membership appears to trap individuals in contexts in which it is more likely that violence will be targeted at them. In this respect, delinquents would do well to be as isolated as possible from other delinquents, as the results suggest that peripheral members tend to be safer. Source: C. Schreck, B. Fisher, J.A. Miller, The Social Context of Violent Victimization: A Study of the Delinquent Peer Effect. In: Justice Quarterly 21, 1, 2004, S. 23-47
TF
10. What stops or modifies a criminal career?
Taking a job, graduating from high school, entrance into military (!), and marriage all present potentially pivotal periods of transition during which past social histories can be replaced with a new set of relationships and circumstances. The results demonstrate that prosocial coworkers disrupt previously established delinquent peer networks and are associated with reductions in adult criminal behaviour. Source: J.P. Wright, F.T. Cullen, Employment, Peers, and life-course transitions. In: Justice Quarterly 21, 1, 2004, S. 183-205
TF
11. New Prevention Information System
The Deutsche Forum für Kriminalprävention and various prevention committees and criminal investigation offices of the federal states have presented the new prevention information system PrävIS they developed in cooperation. It aims at providing a survey of projects and initiatives. It comprises decentralized collecting modules and a online data base which provides selected data of all committees and institutions involved. It can be called via the homepages of the individual institutions or at www.praevis.de. Source: DFK-Newsletter
12. 'Reference Book About Domestic Violence Towards Women
In May 2004, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth presented the reference book 'Häusliche Gewalt gegen Frauen und gesundheitliche Versorgung'. It is the result of the scientific accompanying of the intervention project S.I.G.N.A.L against violence towards women sponsored by the Federal Ministry. The findings of the project and the reference book are meant to support specialists in hospitals. Within the S.I.G.N.A.L. project, physicians and nursing staffs were trained in recognising injuries and complaints resulting from violence, recording injuries in a way to make them usable in court actions, in speaking to afflicted women about this and informing them about existing possibilities for help. Simultaneously the scientific report was published. It revealed that approx. 36 p.c. of the interviewed persons under medical care due to violent attacks had suffered from domestic violence at least once since the age of 16, with 57 p.c being injured. Further information at www.bmfsfh.de and www.bkfrauengesundheit.de. The reference book and the scientific report can be downloaded or ordered from the Broschürenstelle (Tel.: 0180 5329329) of the Ministry free of charge. Source: Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend, eMail: poststelle@bmfsfj.de, Internet: www.bmfsfj.de Source: DFK-Newsletter
TF
Police Newsletter No. 69, November 2004
The Police Newsletter is a joint venture product of TC TeamConsult, Genf/Zurich, and Freiburg i. Br. (D), and the Chair of Criminology (Crime Policy and Police Science) at the University of Bochum (Professor Dr. Thomas Feltes). The Html version of the Newsletter is available at www.Polizei-Newsletter.de. All Newsletter issues published up to now can also be looked up there and the German, French, Spanish or English version can be subscribed or unsubscribed.
1. Violence at work
2. Selective Policing: Traffic stops – profiling is inappropriate
3. Police officer characteristics for use of force allegations.
4. Criminology and Criminal Justice Links)
5. Online Publication System by the University of Constance and New Data About Crime in Germany
6. Police Training and Police Socialization: How to Become a Good Police Officer
7. Improved Internet Service of the British Crime Reduction Center
8. Quality Management in Crime Prevention
9. Extra Universities for Police and Security Services?
10. Big Brother is Watching You
11. New Subsequent Degree Studies in Criminology and Police Science
12. Crimes Against Tourists
1. Violence at work
A report of the British Home Office examines findings from the 2002/03 British Crime Survey concerning both, the extent as well as the nature of violence at work in England and Wales. In addition the report has a look at workers' concern to become victims of workplace violence. Regarding the extent it is noticed, that the risk of becoming a victim of violence at work in total is low, whereby security professional groups, as e.g. police officers, however, also persons who are occupied in public health service and social work were more affected than others. Regarding the nature of violence, it is noticed among others that the offenders often had been drinking or were affected by other drugs. In addition victims and offenders were mostly unknown to each other before the offence. The majority of most incidents of violence was committed by men. In 41 p.c. of physical assaults offenders of between 25 and 39 years of age were involved, 30 p.c. concerned offenders in the age of between 16 and 24 years. For further information please refer to: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/rdsolr0404.pdf
AK
2. Selective Policing: Traffic stops – profiling is inappropriate
The factors that influence officer decision making after a traffic stop is initiated are examined using the US Police-Public Contact Survey data collected in 1999. This investigation of police behaviour is framed with an understanding of the organizational roots of racial profiling tactics and policies. The findings show that young black and Hispanic males are at increased risk for citations, searches, arrests, and uses of force after other extralegal and legal characteristics are controlled. Additional analyses show that minority drivers are not, however, more likely to be carrying contraband than are white drivers. The results demonstrate the potential inappropriate use of profiling strategies. As expected, the discovery of evidence had the strongest influence on police decision making for the most coercive actions (i.e., arrest and use of force). This finding is consistent with the larger literature on police behaviour that has found legal variables to be the strongest predictors of police behaviours) Klinger 1997, Mastrofski et al. 1995). The study points out, that, to be effective in changing officers´ behaviour, police administrators need to address the informal policies and organizational cultures that perpetuate the “myth” of the effectiveness of profiling strategies. Source: R.S. Engel, J.M. Calnon, Examining the influence of driver´s characteristics during traffic stops with police: Results from a national survey. In: In: Justice Quarterly 21, 1, 2004, S. 49-90
TF
3. Police officer characteristics for use of force allegations.
The purpose of the study was to investigate whether there was a relationship between police officer characteristics (e.g., experience, race, gender, age) and internal affairs investigations for allegations of use of force. Analysis showed that officers with less than five years experience had odds of being investigated for allegations of using force that were nearly 4.4 times the odds among officers with twenty or more years of experience. Officers with five to nine years experience were eight times more likely to be investigated for use of force allegations than those with twenty or more years of experience. In general, the lower the departmental experience, the higher the odds of being investigated. No significant racial disparities were observed in investigations for allegations of use of force, but officers with a history of allegations of use of force investigations were considerably more likely to be subsequently investigated for alleged uses of force. It was concluded that investigations for allegations of use of force by officers might be reduced considerably if more attention were paid to training and mentoring of new and younger officers. Source: James P. McElvain and Augustine J. Kposowa, Police officer characteristics and internal affairs investigations for use of force allegations. In: Journal of Criminal Justice, Volume 32, Issue 3, May-June 2004, Pages 265-279.
TF
4. Criminology and Criminal Justice Links)
The Institute of Criminology of the University of Constance updated their link collection. See at http://www.ifk.jura.uni-tuebingen.de/www.html.
5. Online Publication System by the University of Constance and New Data About Crime in Germany
The Constance publication system KOPS allows to publish electronic documents in the WWW, and thus worldwide, to members of the university. A search module allows to find documents stored in KOPS. The texts are permanently filed by the university’s library. So-called meta-data make the documents accessible for search machines. KOPS is based on OPUS (Online Publikationsverbund der Universität Stuttgart). Source: http://www.ub.uni-konstanz.de/kops/ containing the Konstanzer Inventar zur Kriminalitätsentwicklung (KIK, Constance stock on crime development) by Wolfgang Heinz: www.uni-konstanz.de/rtf/kik, delinquency of Germans per age and gender reflected by Police statistics of crime and criminal prosecution. Konstanz 2004 www.uni-konstanz.de/rtf/kik/krimdeu2002.pdf
TF
6. Police Training and Police Socialization: How to Become a Good Police Officer
Richard Ericson characterized the study by Janet Chan et al. as most competent and important concerning police officer training. The professional socialization of police officers by theoretical and practical training as well as their becoming familiar with police culture is described by a empirical study. Peter Manning considers this study to be fundamental work and the only systematic long-time study combining quantitative and qualitative methods. Chan et al. analyze in a well-founded way how police recruits develop during the two years of training in theory (at a police academy) and on the job, how their personalities change and how they adapt themselves to their environment. For the detailed review of the study recommended to all in charge of police training see im Teil „Buchbesprechungen“ of the PNL. Source: Janet B.L. Chan (with Chris Devery and Sally Doran): Fair Cop. Learning the Art of Policing. Toronto, Buffalo, London, University of Toronto Press, 2003, 343 pages, 20.- Pfund, ISBN 0-8020-8491-5 (Paperback)
TF
7. Improved Internet Service of the British Crime Reduction Center
The Home Office improved the online service with the re-designed web presentation (http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/), including offers for training and information. It is aimed at police practitioners and policy-makers.
TF
8. Quality Management in Crime Prevention
The Lower Saxony prevention committee has initiated a project aiming at improving the quality of crime prevention in Europe substantially. This "Beccaria-Projekt” includes the 1st International Beccaria Meeting in Hanover from 20 to 22 January 2005. For information about the meeting and the project see www.beccaria.de.
TF
9. Special Universities for Police and Security Services?
The Hamburg Police plans to reform the police training fundamentally. A kind of police university is being discussed, and several models. The vice-president of the Hamburg Police advocates a model where outsiders might be allowed to the police training at the University of Applied Sciences for public administration. This could be realised by one or two terms of basic study for both police and security services recruits. During this period, police students would be treated like ordinary students and would not get a training remuneration. For higher service officers who get on in their careers by the training, however, nothing will change. Duration and contents of the present training will be altered only slightly, see http://www.institut.de/index_home.html
TF
10. Big Brother is Watching You
In an article published by the ZEIT on August 11, 2004 Thomas Fischermann goes into the problem that, since 9/11, the network of monitoring in the US is becoming closer and closer. The contribution contains many links to American web sites looking in a critical way into this topic. Source: http://www.zeit.de/2004/34/ueberwachung_liste
TF
11. New Postgraduate Studies in Criminology and Police Science
Starting in winter term 2004/2005, the University of Bern offers continuing education courses in Criminology and International Criminal Law and probably one year later in forensic psychology as well. The courses complete with the degrees „Master of advanced studies in Criminology“ or „International Criminal Law“ or „Diploma of advanced studies in Criminology”. In forensic psychology, the degree „Master of advanced studies in Psychology of Law“ is awarded. The courses address to legal experts and social scientists as well as persons having practical job experience. The subsequent degree studies have to be concluded within three years. The fee amounts to CHF 13.000. More information at: http://www.scip.unibe.ch contact: Nora Erlich nora.erlich@krim.unibe.ch Information concerning other (planned) courses at: http://www.kriminologie.com/krimstudium.htm
12. Crimes Against Tourists
"Crimes Against Tourists" (54 pp.)
describes the problem of tourist crime and reviews the factors that contribute
to it. The guide identifies a series of questions to help readers analyze their
local problem and a number of measures that can be taken to address the problem.
Access full text at:
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1306
TF
Police Newsletter No. 69, November 2004
The Police Newsletter is a joint venture product of TC TeamConsult, Genf/Zurich, and Freiburg i. Br. (D), and the Chair of Criminology (Crime Policy and Police Science) at the University of Bochum (Professor Dr. Thomas Feltes). The Html version of the Newsletter is available at www.Polizei-Newsletter.de. All Newsletter issues published up to now can also be looked up there and the German, French, Spanish or English version can be subscribed or unsubscribed.
1. Violence at work
2. Selective Policing: Traffic stops – profiling is inappropriate
3. Police officer characteristics for use of force allegations.
4. Criminology and Criminal Justice Links)
5. Online Publication System by the University of Constance and New Data About Crime in Germany
6. Police Training and Police Socialization: How to Become a Good Police Officer
7. Improved Internet Service of the British Crime Reduction Center
8. Quality Management in Crime Prevention
9. Extra Universities for Police and Security Services?
10. Big Brother is Watching You
11. New Subsequent Degree Studies in Criminology and Police Science
12. Crimes Against Tourists
1. Violence at work
A report of the British Home Office examines findings from the 2002/03 British Crime Survey concerning both, the extent as well as the nature of violence at work in England and Wales. In addition the report has a look at workers' concern to become victims of workplace violence. Regarding the extent it is noticed, that the risk of becoming a victim of violence at work in total is low, whereby security professional groups, as e.g. police officers, however, also persons who are occupied in public health service and social work were more affected than others. Regarding the nature of violence, it is noticed among others that the offenders often had been drinking or were affected by other drugs. In addition victims and offenders were mostly unknown to each other before the offence. The majority of most incidents of violence was committed by men. In 41 p.c. of physical assaults offenders of between 25 and 39 years of age were involved, 30 p.c. concerned offenders in the age of between 16 and 24 years. For further information please refer to: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/rdsolr0404.pdf
AK
2. Selective Policing: Traffic stops – profiling is inappropriate
The factors that influence officer decision making after a traffic stop is initiated are examined using the US Police-Public Contact Survey data collected in 1999. This investigation of police behaviour is framed with an understanding of the organizational roots of racial profiling tactics and policies. The findings show that young black and Hispanic males are at increased risk for citations, searches, arrests, and uses of force after other extralegal and legal characteristics are controlled. Additional analyses show that minority drivers are not, however, more likely to be carrying contraband than are white drivers. The results demonstrate the potential inappropriate use of profiling strategies. As expected, the discovery of evidence had the strongest influence on police decision making for the most coercive actions (i.e., arrest and use of force). This finding is consistent with the larger literature on police behaviour that has found legal variables to be the strongest predictors of police behaviours) Klinger 1997, Mastrofski et al. 1995). The study points out, that, to be effective in changing officers´ behaviour, police administrators need to address the informal policies and organizational cultures that perpetuate the “myth” of the effectiveness of profiling strategies. Source: R.S. Engel, J.M. Calnon, Examining the influence of driver´s characteristics during traffic stops with police: Results from a national survey. In: In: Justice Quarterly 21, 1, 2004, S. 49-90
TF
3. Police officer characteristics for use of force allegations.
The purpose of the study was to investigate whether there was a relationship between police officer characteristics (e.g., experience, race, gender, age) and internal affairs investigations for allegations of use of force. Analysis showed that officers with less than five years experience had odds of being investigated for allegations of using force that were nearly 4.4 times the odds among officers with twenty or more years of experience. Officers with five to nine years experience were eight times more likely to be investigated for use of force allegations than those with twenty or more years of experience. In general, the lower the departmental experience, the higher the odds of being investigated. No significant racial disparities were observed in investigations for allegations of use of force, but officers with a history of allegations of use of force investigations were considerably more likely to be subsequently investigated for alleged uses of force. It was concluded that investigations for allegations of use of force by officers might be reduced considerably if more attention were paid to training and mentoring of new and younger officers. Source: James P. McElvain and Augustine J. Kposowa, Police officer characteristics and internal affairs investigations for use of force allegations. In: Journal of Criminal Justice, Volume 32, Issue 3, May-June 2004, Pages 265-279.
TF
4. Criminology and Criminal Justice Links)
The Institute of Criminology of the University of Constance updated their link collection. See at http://www.ifk.jura.uni-tuebingen.de/www.html.
5. Online Publication System by the University of Constance and New Data About Crime in Germany
The Constance publication system KOPS allows to publish electronic documents in the WWW, and thus worldwide, to members of the university. A search module allows to find documents stored in KOPS. The texts are permanently filed by the university’s library. So-called meta-data make the documents accessible for search machines. KOPS is based on OPUS (Online Publikationsverbund der Universität Stuttgart). Source: http://www.ub.uni-konstanz.de/kops/ containing the Konstanzer Inventar zur Kriminalitätsentwicklung (KIK, Constance stock on crime development) by Wolfgang Heinz: www.uni-konstanz.de/rtf/kik, delinquency of Germans per age and gender reflected by Police statistics of crime and criminal prosecution. Konstanz 2004 www.uni-konstanz.de/rtf/kik/krimdeu2002.pdf
TF
6. Police Training and Police Socialization: How to Become a Good Police Officer
Richard Ericson characterized the study by Janet Chan et al. as most competent and important concerning police officer training. The professional socialization of police officers by theoretical and practical training as well as their becoming familiar with police culture is described by a empirical study. Peter Manning considers this study to be fundamental work and the only systematic long-time study combining quantitative and qualitative methods. Chan et al. analyze in a well-founded way how police recruits develop during the two years of training in theory (at a police academy) and on the job, how their personalities change and how they adapt themselves to their environment. For the detailed review of the study recommended to all in charge of police training see im Teil „Buchbesprechungen“ of the PNL. Source: Janet B.L. Chan (with Chris Devery and Sally Doran): Fair Cop. Learning the Art of Policing. Toronto, Buffalo, London, University of Toronto Press, 2003, 343 pages, 20.- Pfund, ISBN 0-8020-8491-5 (Paperback)
TF
7. Improved Internet Service of the British Crime Reduction Center
The Home Office improved the online service with the re-designed web presentation (http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/), including offers for training and information. It is aimed at police practitioners and policy-makers.
TF
8. Quality Management in Crime Prevention
The Lower Saxony prevention committee has initiated a project aiming at improving the quality of crime prevention in Europe substantially. This "Beccaria-Projekt” includes the 1st International Beccaria Meeting in Hanover from 20 to 22 January 2005. For information about the meeting and the project see www.beccaria.de.
TF
9. Special Universities for Police and Security Services?
The Hamburg Police plans to reform the police training fundamentally. A kind of police university is being discussed, and several models. The vice-president of the Hamburg Police advocates a model where outsiders might be allowed to the police training at the University of Applied Sciences for public administration. This could be realised by one or two terms of basic study for both police and security services recruits. During this period, police students would be treated like ordinary students and would not get a training remuneration. For higher service officers who get on in their careers by the training, however, nothing will change. Duration and contents of the present training will be altered only slightly, see http://www.institut.de/index_home.html
TF
10. Big Brother is Watching You
In an article published by the ZEIT on August 11, 2004 Thomas Fischermann goes into the problem that, since 9/11, the network of monitoring in the US is becoming closer and closer. The contribution contains many links to American web sites looking in a critical way into this topic. Source: http://www.zeit.de/2004/34/ueberwachung_liste
TF
11. New Postgraduate Degree in Criminology and Police Science
Starting in winter term 2004/2005, the University of Bern offers continuing education courses in Criminology and International Criminal Law and probably one year later in forensic psychology as well. The courses complete with the degrees „Master of advanced studies in Criminology“ or „International Criminal Law“ or „Diploma of advanced studies in Criminology”. In forensic psychology, the degree „Master of advanced studies in Psychology of Law“ is awarded. The courses address to legal experts and social scientists as well as persons having practical job experience. The subsequent degree studies have to be concluded within three years. The fee amounts to CHF 13.000. More information at: http://www.scip.unibe.ch contact: Nora Erlich nora.erlich@krim.unibe.ch Information concerning other (planned) courses at: http://www.kriminologie.com/krimstudium.htm
12. Crimes Against Tourists
"Crimes Against Tourists" (54 pp.)
describes the problem of tourist crime and reviews the factors that contribute
to it. The guide identifies a series of questions to help readers analyze their
local problem and a number of measures that can be taken to address the problem.
Access full text at:
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1306
TF
Police Newsletter No. 70, December 2004
The Police Newsletter is a joint venture product of TC TeamConsult, Genf/Zurich, and Freiburg i. Br. (D), and the Chair of Criminology (Crime Policy and Police Science) at the University of Bochum (Professor Dr. Thomas Feltes). The Html version of the Newsletter is available at www.Polizei-Newsletter.de. All Newsletter issues published up to now can also be looked up there and the German, French, Spanish or English version can be subscribed or unsubscribed.
1. Using Homicide Data to assist murder investigations
2. Chinese Human Smuggling Organizations Studied
3. Blueprints for Violence Prevention
4. "Striking Out" as Crime Reduction Policy?
5. Do “Bad Boys” Really Get the Girls?
6. Violence and Death - Trauma for the Police
7. Policing for London and “Honest” Policing
8. European Sourcebook of Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics
9. Private Ownership of Army Firearms in Switzerland
10. Burglary Prevention from the Point of View of Burglars
11. Fair Cop. Or: The Art of Policing
1. Using Homicide Data to assist murder investigations
This study explores whether routinely collected statistics on homicide can aid homicide investigation, particularly for hard-to-solve (those taking more than 28 days to solve) and unsolved cases. The main data set consisted of 2.145 cases on the Homicide Index (covering the period between 1995 and 2000) in which an offender had been convicted of murder or a lesser offence. The report considers two approaches to predict the likelihood of different offender characteristics based on known characteristics of the victim and/or offence: a simple frequency approach and a more sophisticated statistical modelling approach. The statistical modelling approach involved determining which victim characteristics were important (that is statistically significant) in predicting specific offender characteristics. The victim's age and sex, the circumstances of the crime and the method of killing, were found to be significantly associated with accurately predicting the age of the offender. The statistical modelling approach predicted offender characteristics with greater accuracy than the frequency approach. Notably, the statistical model more accurately predicted the relationship between offender and victim, the ethnic origin of the offender, and the age of the offender. However, both approaches performed with similar accuracy in predicting an offender's criminal record. Source: On-line report 26/04 - Using homicide data to assist murder investigations (8.6.04); see also: Findings 218 - Reviewing murder investigations: an analysis of progress reviews from six police forces (8.6.04) and On-line report 25/04 - Reviewing murder investigations: an analysis of progress reviews from six police forces (8.6.04)
TF
2. Chinese Human Smuggling Organizations Studied
"Characteristics of Chinese Human Smugglers" (20 pp.) (NCJ 204989) presents the findings of a study that uncovered the inner workings of Chinese human smuggling organizations by going directly to the source - the smugglers themselves. Researchers found that most human smugglers are ordinary citizens whose social networks provide the necessary connections and resources to profit from human trade. Access full text at: http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/204989.pdf
TF
3. Blueprints for Violence Prevention
After reviewing more than 600 violence prevention programs, the initiative has identified 11 model and 21 promising programs that prevent violence and drug use and treat youth with problem behaviors. A 180-page online Report, describes the Blueprints initiative, presents lessons learned about program implementation, and provides recommendations for those designing, implementing, and funding violence prevention programs. "Successful Program Implementation: Lessons From Blueprints," a 12-page Bulletin, presents findings from a process evaluation of Blueprints programs, identifying critical components of implementation. Resources: "Blueprints for Violence Prevention" (NCJ 204274) is available online only at http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=11721
"Successful Program Implementation: Lessons From Blueprints" (NCJ 204273) is available online at http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=11719
TF
4. "Striking Out" as Crime Reduction Policy?
During the 1990s, in response to public dissatisfaction over what were perceived as ineffective crime reduction policies, 25 states and Congress passed three strikes laws, designed to deter criminal offenders by mandating significant sentence enhancements for those with prior convictions. Few large-scale evaluations of the Impact of these laws an crime rates, however, haue been conducted. Our study used a multiple time series design and UCR data from 188 Cities with populations of 100,000 or more for the two decades from 1980 to 2000. We found, ferst, that three strikes laws are positively associated with homicide rates in Cities in three strikes states and, second, that Cities in three strikes states witnessed no significant reduction in crime rates. Source: "Striking Out” as Crime Reduction Policy: The Impact of “Three Strikes” Laws on Crime Rates in U.S. Cities. T.V. Kovandzic, J.J. Sloan, L. M. Vieraitis. In: Justice Quarterly, Volume 21 No. 2, June 2004, p. 207-239
TF
5. Do “Bad Boys” Really Get the Girls?
Drawing on the “handicap principle”, the authors of this study suggest that delinquency and other risk-taking behavior might be seen as evidence of positive, adaptive qualities such as nerve and bravery. Drawing on social learning theory, the authors also suggest that potential romantic partners might be attracted to such traits and that this romantic attention might reinforce delinquency and other risk-taking behavior. Using data from the first and third waves of the National Youth Survey, they test these assertions. Results suggest that delinquency serves to increase romantic involvement and that romantic involvement may provide vicarious, but not necessarily direct, reinforcement for delinquency among both male and female adolescents. Source: Do “Bad Boys” really get the Girls? Delinquency as a Cause and Consequency of Dating Behavior among Adolescents. C.J. Rebellon, M. Manasse, Justice Quarterly, Volume 21 No. 2, June 2004, p.
TF
6. Violence and Death - Trauma for the Police
An article by Dorothea Winckler about this topic can be found at http://www.polizeieinsatzstress.de/ under the category „Beiträge aus Wissenschaft und Presse“ .
TF (Thanks to W. Mallach)
7. Policing for London and “Honest” Policing
This article by Maurice Punch deals with the Metropolitan Police Service of London (MPS), which is the largest force in the UK with about 30.000 officers. London is a complex and diverse city to police and there have been periodic difficulties with minorities. So what do Londoners think about their police, what do they want them to do and what do the police think about their work? In general Londoners wanted a more visible and responsive police agency that was engaged with the local community. Yet many officers also were frustrated at their inability to respond to people’s needs and to provide the quality of service they expected. Within the police organization there was pressure to meet central targets, there was too much paper work, teams were short staffed and they were often critical of management. As a result the broad thrust is that in 2000 Londoners found their police less responsive, less visible, less accessible and less engaged with the community than they would like. The author examines the implications of this for police management and argues for “honest” policing where senior officers are clear about what they can deliver and not deliver - and do not unduly raise expectations. They also have to invest in the “primary processes”, avoid a one-sided emphasis on crime control and provide what citizens want – a visible, accessible, responsive, competent and well resourced local police. The full article is available as online-document at the Police-Newsletter´s website ONLY.
TF
8. European Sourcebook of Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics
The first European Sourcebook project started in 1996. In that year the Council of Europe established a committee to prepare a compendium of crime and criminal justice data for its member states. Information was collected from 36 European countries covering the period 1990 to 1996. It included both statistical data and information on the statistical rules and the definitions behind these figures. This resulted in the publication of the Sourcebook by the Council of Europe in 1999, now also available on-line. Also a 'Key Findings' bulletin was published in 2000 and an issue of the European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research was mainly devoted on some results of the Sourcebook data. The second edition: A second European Sourcebook project sponsored by the governments of Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands has been completed and the findings have been published in December 2003. The publication reports on criminal justice data of 40 European countries covering the period 1995 - 2000. Within the next few weeks, the pdf files and also the tables in Excel format will be available on this website. In the meantime, the publication is available in pdf format at the website of the WODC (the research department of the Dutch Ministry of Justice). Also, a flyer with key-findings and ordering information can be found there. http://www.wodc.nl/images/WODC%20212binnenwerk(ex213)_tcm11-5245.pdf
ps
9. Private Ownership of Army Firearms in Switzerland
The Swiss army is disarming. By 2002, an average of 25,000 soldiers were discharged per year. In 2003, 11,700 soldiers were discharged and after all, 88,000 soldiers will be discharged in 2004. Every soldier may ask for a very special farewell gift: his service fire-arm. Thus 44,700 weapons, in 2003 alone, were transferred into private ownership, and this year, 39,600 fire-arms will be. This glut of firearms (114,000 private ones within three years) has economic effects. Many former soldiers turn the gift into cash at once. That is why the prices of fire-arms have hit rock bottom.
BB
10. Burglary Prevention from the Point of View of Burglars
The short version of the research project titled 'Wirksamkeit technischer Einbruchsprävention bei Wohn- und Geschäftsobjekten' (effectiveness of technical prevention of burglary on living and business objects) initiated by the Deutsche Forum für Kriminalprävention (DFK) is available now. It aimed at elaborating recommendations for the further implementation and development of technical precaution measures of burglary prevention. Imprisoned burglars, police officers and insurance representatives were questioned about burglars’ motivation, scheduling and criminal behaviour. The 70-pages short version containing prevention recommendations is available at www.kriminalpraevention.org and www.einbruchspraevention.de
TF
11. Fair Cop. Or: The Art of Policing
The art of policing is the topic of this highly competent and important study which is considered to be the „state of the art“ by the international police science community. Chan et al. goes into the frequently asked question how to become a good police officer and describes the professional socialisation by training in theory and on the job and how the police recruits adapt themselves to the police culture. For a detailed review of the book see at www.polizei-newsletter.de/buecher.htm. Janet Chan et al., Fair Cop. Learning the Art of Policing, Toronto, Buffalo, London, University of Toronto Press, 2003, 343 pages.
TF
Police Newsletter No. 70, December 2004
The Police Newsletter is a joint venture product of TC TeamConsult, Genf/Zurich, and Freiburg i. Br. (D), and the Chair of Criminology (Crime Policy and Police Science) at the University of Bochum (Professor Dr. Thomas Feltes). The Html version of the Newsletter is available at www.Polizei-Newsletter.de. All Newsletter issues published up to now can also be looked up there and the German, French, Spanish or English version can be subscribed or unsubscribed.
1. Using Homicide Data to assist murder investigations
2. Chinese Human Smuggling Organizations Studied
3. Blueprints for Violence Prevention
4. "Striking Out" as Crime Reduction Policy?
5. Do “Bad Boys” Really Get the Girls?
6. Violence and Death - Trauma for the Police
7. Policing for London and “Honest” Policing
8. European Sourcebook of Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics
9. Private Ownership of Army Firearms in Switzerland
10. Burglary Prevention from the Point of View of Burglars
11. Fair Cop. Or: The Art of Policing
1. Using Homicide Data to assist murder investigations
This study explores whether routinely collected statistics on homicide can aid homicide investigation, particularly for hard-to-solve (those taking more than 28 days to solve) and unsolved cases. The main data set consisted of 2.145 cases on the Homicide Index (covering the period between 1995 and 2000) in which an offender had been convicted of murder or a lesser offence. The report considers two approaches to predict the likelihood of different offender characteristics based on known characteristics of the victim and/or offence: a simple frequency approach and a more sophisticated statistical modelling approach. The statistical modelling approach involved determining which victim characteristics were important (that is statistically significant) in predicting specific offender characteristics. The victim's age and sex, the circumstances of the crime and the method of killing, were found to be significantly associated with accurately predicting the age of the offender. The statistical modelling approach predicted offender characteristics with greater accuracy than the frequency approach. Notably, the statistical model more accurately predicted the relationship between offender and victim, the ethnic origin of the offender, and the age of the offender. However, both approaches performed with similar accuracy in predicting an offender's criminal record. Source: On-line report 26/04 - Using homicide data to assist murder investigations (8.6.04); see also: Findings 218 - Reviewing murder investigations: an analysis of progress reviews from six police forces (8.6.04) and On-line report 25/04 - Reviewing murder investigations: an analysis of progress reviews from six police forces (8.6.04)
TF
2. Chinese Human Smuggling Organizations Studied
"Characteristics of Chinese Human Smugglers" (20 pp.) (NCJ 204989) presents the findings of a study that uncovered the inner workings of Chinese human smuggling organizations by going directly to the source - the smugglers themselves. Researchers found that most human smugglers are ordinary citizens whose social networks provide the necessary connections and resources to profit from human trade. Access full text at: http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/204989.pdf
TF
3. Blueprints for Violence Prevention
After reviewing more than 600 violence prevention programs, the initiative has identified 11 model and 21 promising programs that prevent violence and drug use and treat youth with problem behaviors. A 180-page online Report, describes the Blueprints initiative, presents lessons learned about program implementation, and provides recommendations for those designing, implementing, and funding violence prevention programs. "Successful Program Implementation: Lessons From Blueprints," a 12-page Bulletin, presents findings from a process evaluation of Blueprints programs, identifying critical components of implementation. Resources: "Blueprints for Violence Prevention" (NCJ 204274) is available online only at http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=11721
"Successful Program Implementation: Lessons From Blueprints" (NCJ 204273) is available online at http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/publications/PubAbstract.asp?pubi=11719
TF
4. "Striking Out" as Crime Reduction Policy?
During the 1990s, in response to public dissatisfaction over what were perceived as ineffective crime reduction policies, 25 states and Congress passed three strikes laws, designed to deter criminal offenders by mandating significant sentence enhancements for those with prior convictions. Few large-scale evaluations of the Impact of these laws an crime rates, however, have been conducted. Our study used a multiple time series design and UCR data from 188 Cities with populations of 100,000 or more for the two decades from 1980 to 2000. We found, first, that three strikes laws are positively associated with homicide rates in Cities in three strikes states and, second, that Cities in three strikes states witnessed no significant reduction in crime rates. Source: "Striking Out” as Crime Reduction Policy: The Impact of “Three Strikes” Laws on Crime Rates in U.S. Cities. T.V. Kovandzic, J.J. Sloan, L. M. Vieraitis. In: Justice Quarterly, Volume 21 No. 2, June 2004, p. 207-239
TF
5. Do “Bad Boys” Really Get the Girls?
Drawing on the “handicap principle”, the authors of this study suggest that delinquency and other risk-taking behavior might be seen as evidence of positive, adaptive qualities such as nerve and bravery. Drawing on social learning theory, the authors also suggest that potential romantic partners might be attracted to such traits and that this romantic attention might reinforce delinquency and other risk-taking behavior. Using data from the first and third waves of the National Youth Survey, they test these assertions. Results suggest that delinquency serves to increase romantic involvement and that romantic involvement may provide vicarious, but not necessarily direct, reinforcement for delinquency among both male and female adolescents. Source: Do “Bad Boys” really get the Girls? Delinquency as a Cause and Consequency of Dating Behavior among Adolescents. C.J. Rebellon, M. Manasse, Justice Quarterly, Volume 21 No. 2, June 2004, p.
TF
6. Violence and Death - Trauma for the Police
An article by Dorothea Winckler about this topic can be found at http://www.polizeieinsatzstress.de/ under the category „Beiträge aus Wissenschaft und Presse“ .
TF (Thanks to W. Mallach)
7. Policing for London and “Honest” Policing
This article by Maurice Punch deals with the Metropolitan Police Service of London (MPS), which is the largest force in the UK with about 30.000 officers. London is a complex and diverse city to police and there have been periodic difficulties with minorities. So what do Londoners think about their police, what do they want them to do and what do the police think about their work? In general Londoners wanted a more visible and responsive police agency that was engaged with the local community. Yet many officers also were frustrated at their inability to respond to people’s needs and to provide the quality of service they expected. Within the police organization there was pressure to meet central targets, there was too much paper work, teams were short staffed and they were often critical of management. As a result the broad thrust is that in 2000 Londoners found their police less responsive, less visible, less accessible and less engaged with the community than they would like. The author examines the implications of this for police management and argues for “honest” policing where senior officers are clear about what they can deliver and not deliver - and do not unduly raise expectations. They also have to invest in the “primary processes”, avoid a one-sided emphasis on crime control and provide what citizens want – a visible, accessible, responsive, competent and well resourced local police. The full article is available as online-document at the Police-Newsletter´s website ONLY.
TF
8. European Sourcebook of Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics
The first European Sourcebook project started in 1996. In that year the Council of Europe established a committee to prepare a compendium of crime and criminal justice data for its member states. Information was collected from 36 European countries covering the period 1990 to 1996. It included both statistical data and information on the statistical rules and the definitions behind these figures. This resulted in the publication of the Sourcebook by the Council of Europe in 1999, now also available on-line. Also a 'Key Findings' bulletin was published in 2000 and an issue of the European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research was mainly devoted on some results of the Sourcebook data. The second edition: A second European Sourcebook project sponsored by the governments of Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands has been completed and the findings have been published in December 2003. The publication reports on criminal justice data of 40 European countries covering the period 1995 - 2000. Within the next few weeks, the pdf files and also the tables in Excel format will be available on this website. In the meantime, the publication is available in pdf format at the website of the WODC (the research department of the Dutch Ministry of Justice). Also, a flyer with key-findings and ordering information can be found there. http://www.wodc.nl/images/WODC%20212binnenwerk(ex213)_tcm11-5245.pdf
ps
9. Private Ownership of Army Firearms in Switzerland
The Swiss army is disarming. By 2002, an average of 25,000 soldiers were discharged per year. In 2003, 11,700 soldiers were discharged and after all, 88,000 soldiers will be discharged in 2004. Every soldier may ask for a very special farewell gift: his service fire-arm. Thus 44,700 weapons, in 2003 alone, were transferred into private ownership, and this year, 39,600 fire-arms will be. This glut of firearms (114,000 private ones within three years) has economic effects. Many former soldiers turn the gift into cash at once. That is why the prices of fire-arms have hit rock bottom.
BB
10. Burglary Prevention from the Point of View of Burglars
The short version of the research project titled 'Wirksamkeit technischer Einbruchsprävention bei Wohn- und Geschäftsobjekten' (effectiveness of technical prevention of burglary on living and business objects) initiated by the Deutsche Forum für Kriminalprävention (DFK) is available now. It aimed at elaborating recommendations for the further implementation and development of technical precaution measures of burglary prevention. Imprisoned burglars, police officers and insurance representatives were questioned about burglars’ motivation, scheduling and criminal behaviour. The 70-pages short version containing prevention recommendations is available at www.kriminalpraevention.org and www.einbruchspraevention.de
TF
11. Fair Cop. Or: The Art of Policing
The art of policing is the topic of this highly competent and important study which is considered to be the „state of the art“ by the international police science community. Chan et al. goes into the frequently asked question how to become a good police officer and describes the professional socialisation by training in theory and on the job and how the police recruits adapt themselves to the police culture. For a detailed review of the book see at www.polizei-newsletter.de/buecher.htm. Janet Chan et al., Fair Cop. Learning the Art of Policing, Toronto, Buffalo, London, University of Toronto Press, 2003, 343 pages.
TF