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Title: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FORENSIC EXPOSURE AND FORENSIC KNOWLEDGE.
Creator: Alves, Giovanna M, Hancock, Peter A., University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: It has been shown that popular crime television series can have an impact in the behavior and perception of viewers. Forensic evidence, or evidence that is gathered through scientific methods, is often central to the plot of these shows. Exposure to forensic evidence in these shows has impacted the legal system by changing perceptions and opinions towards evidence presented in courtrooms, a consequence termed the CSI effect. A subset of the CSI effect named the Police Chief's Effect refers to...
Show moreIt has been shown that popular crime television series can have an impact in the behavior and perception of viewers. Forensic evidence, or evidence that is gathered through scientific methods, is often central to the plot of these shows. Exposure to forensic evidence in these shows has impacted the legal system by changing perceptions and opinions towards evidence presented in courtrooms, a consequence termed the CSI effect. A subset of the CSI effect named the Police Chief's Effect refers to the ability of criminals to learn about forensic evidence from these shows. Although understudied, the Police Chief's effect has the potential to increase the difficulty of criminal investigations if criminals are better able to plan their actions and conceal evidence. The intent of this thesis is to explore a relationship between forensic techniques portrayed in television and the forensic knowledge an individual obtains from it. Previous studies have looked at the Police Chief's effect in the context of a non-violent crime, even though most of the television shows highlight crime of a violent nature. The present study evaluates the ability of participants to consider forensic evidence when planning a murder, taking into account their crime show viewing history. The results revealed that the overall number of crime shows, percentage of those episodes and involvement in the shows was not associated with forensic evidence. However, a moderate correlation was found between the number of crime shows watched and forensic evidence in female participants.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFH2000507, ucf:45666
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000507

Title: A Behavioral Model of Law Enforcement Applicant Characteristics Derived from a Simulated Cheating Task: Implications for Pre-Employment Hiring Practices.
Creator: Montaquila, Julian, Caulkins, Bruce, Wiegand, Rudolf, Teo, Grace, Beever, Jonathan, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Recently, numerous high-profile instances of police misconduct and corruption have been thrust into the national spotlight. Hiring police officers who will act with integrity and not betray public trust remains essential. The present research experimentally examines this phenomenon by evaluating pre-employment assessment results against applicant performance on a simulated cheating task (i.e., The Dots Task) in order to derive information to improve contemporary pre-employment screening and...
Show moreRecently, numerous high-profile instances of police misconduct and corruption have been thrust into the national spotlight. Hiring police officers who will act with integrity and not betray public trust remains essential. The present research experimentally examines this phenomenon by evaluating pre-employment assessment results against applicant performance on a simulated cheating task (i.e., The Dots Task) in order to derive information to improve contemporary pre-employment screening and selection models. Four case examples are presented which depict malicious actors who possessed privileged access, assumed no one would ever scrutinize their activities, and attempted to leverage a lack of oversight for their personal benefit. A literature review of previous research findings is presented, and results from the current study are discussed. Spearman correlation analyses consistently indicated that participants who cheated were predisposed to moral disengagement via advantageous comparison. Participants who left all or part of their monetary award were less prone to general moral disengagement, particularly displacement of responsibility, while the opposite effect was observed for participants who took more than their earned award. Impression management was positively associated with stealing extra money, and cheating was more common among participants with elevated distorted thought patterns, including obsessional thinking, paranoid ideation, and alienation/perceptual distortion. Stepwise linear multiple regression analyses further substantiated the relationship between cheating and both distorted thought patterns and impression management, as well as provided evidence that (1) internalizing morality as part of one's self-identity and (2) warmth act as protective factors against cheating behavior. Positive relationships between cheating and distortion of consequences were also present within multiple regression analyses. Behavioral models produced from stepwise linear multiple regression analyses offer the potential to predict the likelihood and severity of cheating behavior that an individual may be predisposed to commit based upon their pre-employment assessment data, thereby enhancing pre-employment screening and selection decisions.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007409, ucf:52714
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007409

Title: ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT, ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOR, AND PERCEIVED PERFORMANCE: ANALYSIS OF CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION UNITS OF TURKISH NATIONAL POLICE.
Creator: Tongur, Aykut, Kapucu, Naim, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Policing is more difficult than ever before in today's world since types of crime and criminal profiles change as a result of technological development and globalization. Police organizations should review their organizational and operational strategies to improve the fight against contemporary crimes and criminals. Behaviors and performance of police officers are very important in fighting crime. In this struggle, especially today, officers should exhibit organizational citizenship behaviors...
Show morePolicing is more difficult than ever before in today's world since types of crime and criminal profiles change as a result of technological development and globalization. Police organizations should review their organizational and operational strategies to improve the fight against contemporary crimes and criminals. Behaviors and performance of police officers are very important in fighting crime. In this struggle, especially today, officers should exhibit organizational citizenship behaviors and perform better. One of the most important factors affecting these two concepts in organizations is organizational support. The literature stresses the social exchange cycle and reciprocity rules in the relationships of organizations and their members. In this cycle, if the organization cares about its members and if members perceive that the organization is supportive, they feel obliged to behave positively, perform better, and help the organization to reach its goals and objectives. If they don't perceive organizational support, they won't care about the organization, either. Hypotheses were developed based on these assumptions in the literature. This study tested these assumptions in Crime Scene Investigation units of the Turkish National Police (TNP). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the relationships among variables of Perceived Organizational Support (POS), Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB), and Perceived Performance (PP). Measurement models for these three latent constructs were developed by deriving the indicators from the literature. Most earlier studies tried to figure out reasons of the OCB. This study has a different perspective that investigates both reasons and results of OCB. A survey was developed to measure the latent variables of the study, and 405 of approximately 3,000 Crime Scene Investigators in the Turkish National Police responded to the iv survey. Results of the study showed that the relationship between POS and OCB is positive and significant. This is consistent with the literature. The relationship between OCB and PP is also positive and significant, and this is also consistent with the literature. However, the relationship between POS and PP is negative and insignificant. This result contradicts the results of previous studies in the literature and can be attributed to the subjective nature of measuring individuals' perceptions. According to the literature, perceptions are subjective rather than objective; therefore, data coming from reports of individual perceptions may not reflect the actual situation. Demographic information of the participants served as the control variables of the study. Information about the education level, rank, age, gender, size of the unit, and tenure of the respondents was collected by way of the conducted survey, and the effects of these variables were analyzed on the endogenous variable of the study, Perceived Performance. This study found no significant relationships between these control variables and Perceived Performance. Therefore, all these control variables were removed from the Structural Equation Model of the study. This study revealed that the TNP needs to be more supportive toward its members in order to have officers show organizational citizenship behavior and perform better. The TNP should revise its policies, especially regarding rotations from one province to another, working hours, rewards, and overtime pay. These are all indicators of organizational support and will result in a higher performance level among officers.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0004058, ucf:49124
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004058

Title: Correlates to Police and Correctional Burnout: An Exploratory Study.
Creator: McDonald, James, Holmes, Stephen, Adams, Kenneth, Wolf, Ross, Addelston, Judi, Goltz, Jeffrey, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This study builds on the small but growing body of research examining the antecedents and effects of burnout on police and corrections officers. A review of the extant literature on burnout in general and on the literature exploring police and correctional officer burnout in particular identified several variables that contribute to the social-psychological condition of burnout. The variables identified in the literature review were grouped according to biographical factors (gender, race...
Show moreThis study builds on the small but growing body of research examining the antecedents and effects of burnout on police and corrections officers. A review of the extant literature on burnout in general and on the literature exploring police and correctional officer burnout in particular identified several variables that contribute to the social-psychological condition of burnout. The variables identified in the literature review were grouped according to biographical factors (gender, race/ethnicity, and age), biographical stressors (marital status and level of education), organizational factors (occupational field, agency size, tenure, and rank), workplace stressors (recent promotions, transfers or discipline, and perceptions of fairness in promotions, discipline, and transfers), or life-event stressors. This study utilized the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) to assess burnout. The Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) developed by Holmes and Rahe (1996) was used to identify life-event stressors. The sample for this study was drawn from police and correctional officers attending professional development training at a regional criminal justice training center in Central Florida. Of the 577 students surveyed, 417 remained in the sample after duplicates were eliminated. A multi-stage analysis, which included analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent sample t-tests, and ordinary least squared techniques (OLS), was conducted to explore the influences of different correlates of burnout on police and correctional officers. Multiple one-way ANOVA models and independent sample t-tests were run first, followed by several stages of multiple regression analysis. In the initial OLS regression models, only the variables for biographical factors, biographical stressors, and occupational factors were entered in the models. In following stage, workplace stressors were added to the regression models, followed by the addition of life-event stressors into the final regression models. The correlates of burnout found to be most significant included race/ethnicity, agency size, and perceptions of fairness in promotions and discipline. Of the correlates that were significant, race/ethnicity and perceptions of fairness were the most noteworthy, since the data indicated White/Caucasian officers experienced greater levels of burnout than minority officers, a finding that appeared related to an officer's perceptions of fairness in promotions and discipline. In addition, a statistically significant difference in professional efficacy scores was detected between officers from smaller agencies (99 officers or fewer) and officers from the largest agencies (1,000 officers or more). The findings from this study seem to suggest that burnout may be influenced by perceptions of fairness in promotional and disciplinary processes, which may be confounded by an officer's race/ethnicity. To address this matter, police and correctional agency administrators might want to consider designing promotional and disciplinary procedures that stress transparency and emphasize merit-based outcomes rather than equality-based outcomes. With regard to agency size, administrators from small agencies should consider steps that make the job more rewarding to their officers so they are less susceptible to burnout.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004215, ucf:49016
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004215

Title: PERSONAL PERCEPTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS INFLUENCING POLICE DISCRETION: THE CASE OF TURKISH PATROL OFFICERS' RESPONSIVENESS.
Creator: Tasdoven, Hidayet, Kapucu, Naim, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Police officers make decisions at the street level in a variety of situations that have direct impact on quality of life, justice in society, and individual freedom. These decisions inherently involve the exercise of discretion, since successfully performed police tasks are linked to the officer's choosing among alternative courses of action. Appropriateness of unsupervised decisions taken under street contingencies remains questionable in terms of police-behavior legitimacy. Law enforcement...
Show morePolice officers make decisions at the street level in a variety of situations that have direct impact on quality of life, justice in society, and individual freedom. These decisions inherently involve the exercise of discretion, since successfully performed police tasks are linked to the officer's choosing among alternative courses of action. Appropriateness of unsupervised decisions taken under street contingencies remains questionable in terms of police-behavior legitimacy. Law enforcement agencies seek ways to control excessive discretion to avoid undesired consequences of police discretion and maintain organizational legitimacy. Traditionally, organizations developed reward and sanction structures that aimed to shape officer behavior on the street. Recent perspectives, on the other hand, emphasize that it is imperative to manage discretion by employing a value-based approach that requires the agency to encourage subordinates in the exercise of certain behaviors simply because they are believed to be right and proper. This approach depends primarily on beliefs, values, and attitudes of employees rather than external contingencies of environment. Drawing on expectancy and value-based approaches, this study examines the factors affecting patrol officers' discretionary decisions to enforce law in the Turkish National Police (TNP). The reward expectancy concept was derived from the expectancy theory of motivation, which uses extrinsic rewards in structuring discretion. Regarding the value-based approach, public service motivation (PSM) represents the intrinsic motives of officers in this study, while selective enforcement corresponds to the attitudes of officers. Discretionary behaviors of officers on the street were conceptualized as responsiveness, which refers to the degree to which officers iv are willing to respond to street contingencies. The study tested the mediating role of work effort between reward expectancy/responsiveness and public service motivation/responsiveness relationships. Samples of the study were drawn from uniformed patrol officers in seven provinces of Turkey. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Responses of 613 patrol officers were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study developed four latent constructs and validated their measurement models by using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Structural equation modeling was used to investigate causal and confirmatory relationships among latent variables. Findings of the study suggested that reward expectancy did not have a statistically significant relationship to responsiveness. The study did not find a significant association between reward expectancy and work effort of officers. This finding was found to be attributable to the fact that officers do not believe in the fair distribution procedures of rewards and they do not value organizational rewards. Public service motivation of respondents, on the other hand, indicated a strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship with both work effort and responsiveness. These results indicated that intrinsic motives of officers in the TNP are more powerful in explaining officer responsiveness to street contingencies. As hypothesized, officer attitudes toward selective enforcement negatively influenced officer responsiveness, indicating that officers' beliefs and values influence their discretionary behaviors. Among the demographic characteristics of participants, only age of officer indicated a negative significant relationship to responsiveness. This finding suggested that motivation decreases as age increases. Contrary to other findings in the literature, this study found that intensity perceptions of respondents was positively associated with responsiveness. The study revealed some policy, theoretical, and methodological implications. The findings suggested that the TNP should either completely eliminate the existing reward system or revise it to motivate officers to be responsive. A leadership practice that promotes PSM and discourages selective enforcement was also suggested. Contrary to research that emphasizes the role of extrinsic motivation on police discretion, this study empirically reported that intrinsic motivation has an even stronger effect on officer behavior and needs to be taken into account in future studies. The study contributes to an understanding of police discretionary behavior in the TNP, which has unique characteristics of structure, culture, and law. The limitations of the study in terms of its dependency on officer perceptions and concerns about construct validity were discussed and future research was suggested.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0003886, ucf:48734
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003886

Title: STUDENT ATTITUDES TOWARDS CAMPUS LAW ENFORCEMENT: EXPLORING ISSUES OF CONFIDENCE AND UTILIZATION.
Creator: Ortiz, Vivian, Ross, Lee, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The assessment of citizen attitudes has, in recent decades, become standard practice within the criminal justice system. However, in assessing the criminal justice system, most research has gathered data on the attitudes and perceptions of specific populations within society (i.e. older citizens) and has not really focused on younger age groups, or more specifically, students enrolled in colleges and universities. The present study examined attitudes of college students in the areas of...
Show moreThe assessment of citizen attitudes has, in recent decades, become standard practice within the criminal justice system. However, in assessing the criminal justice system, most research has gathered data on the attitudes and perceptions of specific populations within society (i.e. older citizens) and has not really focused on younger age groups, or more specifically, students enrolled in colleges and universities. The present study examined attitudes of college students in the areas of confidence and utilization of campus police. Utilizing a non-random convenience sample of undergraduate and graduate students (N=393) at a large four-year research institution, participants completed a 21-item survey to measure their confidence and utilization of campus police, resources, and services. The results suggest that confidence does not affect utilization of police and students stated they would utilize police despite their confidence level. However, more significantly, students also indicated that while they would utilize police, they reported they had not. As a result, various recommendations were made to improve communications between students and campus police and directions for future research were also noted.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003126, ucf:48638
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003126

Title: Media Coverage and the Ferguson Unrest.
Creator: Wyatt, Brittanni, Gay, David, Corzine, Harold, Jasinski, Jana, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The media aids in bringing to light many social issues across the nation each and every day. Historically, police force on African Americans can be seen amongst many media outlets. However, with technological advances the media has flourished which makes it possible for the media to supply coverage of police force on African Americans more now than ever before. This exploratory analysis aimed to uncover ways in which the media has framed the individuals involved in the shooting of Michael...
Show moreThe media aids in bringing to light many social issues across the nation each and every day. Historically, police force on African Americans can be seen amongst many media outlets. However, with technological advances the media has flourished which makes it possible for the media to supply coverage of police force on African Americans more now than ever before. This exploratory analysis aimed to uncover ways in which the media has framed the individuals involved in the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9, 2014. Articles from four media outlets were used in this analysis. Data was collected from the articles that specifically focused on terms and phrases used to describe the deceased and the officer involved as well as the altercation between the two individuals involved. Results of the analysis show that specific words to identify and describe the deceased and officer involved were used at a much higher rate in national news outlets as opposed to a local news out-let from Missouri. These results are specifically discussed as well as limitations and ideas for further research on the data that was collected and use.?
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0006019, ucf:51001
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006019

Title: EXAMINING THE EFFECT OF ORGANIZATIONAL POLICY CHANGEON TASER UTILIZATIONS.
Creator: Miller, Michael, Holmes, Stephen, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of organizational policy changes within the Use-of-Force Continuum on taser usage and officer's perceptions of taser effectiveness. Tasers have been used by police since the 1970s and their use is increasing as the technology has improved. Data reveals that tasers are beneficial for controlling non-compliant suspects while preventing serious injuries and rarely has their use resulted in death. Much of the public controversy surrounding...
Show moreThe purpose of this study is to examine the effect of organizational policy changes within the Use-of-Force Continuum on taser usage and officer's perceptions of taser effectiveness. Tasers have been used by police since the 1970s and their use is increasing as the technology has improved. Data reveals that tasers are beneficial for controlling non-compliant suspects while preventing serious injuries and rarely has their use resulted in death. Much of the public controversy surrounding tasers centers on when and how often officers deploy them. Use of force data from 890 police citizen encounters during a two-year period was analyzed to examine how changes in organizational policy have affected taser deployments and how policy changes have affected taser use. The study's findings support that after the policy change, the frequency of taser use by officers decreased, while the levels of suspect resistance encountered by officers increased. The frequency and severity of suspect injuries did not change and the numbers of officers injured in use-of-force encounters also did not change. Survey response data from officers were compared to archival data, which revealed that while officers perceive an increased risk of harm to themselves as a result of the organizational policy change that was not supported in the findings. Officers did not perceive an increased risk of harm to suspects which was supported in the archival data findings. Officers also expressed a belief that the organizational change that placed the taser at a higher level on the Use-of-Force Continuum is appropriate for most use-of-force encounters. This study concludes with future directions and trends for taser use in law enforcement.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: CFE0002150, ucf:47501
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002150

Title: OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AND WORK-RELATED WELLBEING OF TURKISH NATIONAL POLICE (TNP) MEMBERS.
Creator: Kula, Sedat, T.H. Wan, Thomas, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Previous studies suggest that the organizational dynamics of police organizations and the nature of police work contribute to law enforcement stress, which in turn reduces job satisfaction and increases burnout. It is also well documented that undesirable organizational factors are more hazardous to the well-being of employees than are the stressors due to nature of police work. The present study examines whether, and to what degree, organizational and operational stresses in law enforcement...
Show morePrevious studies suggest that the organizational dynamics of police organizations and the nature of police work contribute to law enforcement stress, which in turn reduces job satisfaction and increases burnout. It is also well documented that undesirable organizational factors are more hazardous to the well-being of employees than are the stressors due to nature of police work. The present study examines whether, and to what degree, organizational and operational stresses in law enforcement are associated with job satisfaction, work-related burnout, and supervisor support, holding the effects of age, rank, education, gender, tenure, and shift type constant in the analysis. A total of 538 Turkish National Police (TNP) employees from seven cities in Turkey, comprising 407 regular police officers and 131 ranked police officers, completed the study survey. The influence of organizational and operational stresses on the work-related well-being of TNP employees as measured by job satisfaction and work-related burnout was analyzed by structural equation modeling (SEM) under the theoretical framework of Kahn and Byosiere's (1992) causal theory. The results of the study indicate that TNP employees' perceived organizational stress has a statistically significant positive effect on work-related burnout and a negative effect on job satisfaction. The more TNP employees experience their organization as stress inducing, the lower their job satisfaction levels and the higher their burnout levels. Perceived operational stress of TNP employees was found to be significantly associated with their work-related burnout, but not with their job satisfaction. This study suggests that there is an indirect causal effect of both organizational and operational stresses on job satisfaction via supervisor support as mediator. Supervisor support fully mediates the relationship between operational stress and job satisfaction, and partially mediates the relationship between organizational stress and job satisfaction. After controlling the influence of several demographic variables, job satisfaction made a statistically significant contribution to predicting work-related burnout. This finding suggests that as job satisfaction of TNP employee increases, their work-related burnout decreases. The findings of the study revealed that among the six demographic variables, only education level of TNP employees and rank make statistically significant contribution to their job satisfaction levels. As rank and education level of TNP employees increase, their job satisfaction also increases. The predictor variables of organizational stress, operational stress, and supervisor support, along with education and rank collectively, explain 56 % of the total variation in job satisfaction. On the other hand, organizational stress, operational stress, job satisfaction, and supervisor support together account for 34 % of the total variance in work-related burnout. Overall, the findings of this study illustrate a need for internal policy reform and managerial change in how the executives of TNP organize their agencies and policies, since organizational stressors are the most prevalent factors determining the work-related well-being of TNP employees.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0003862, ucf:48750
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003862

Title: Les Temps Roulent: An Analysis of Emergency Medical and Police Response Times to Shootings and Lethality in New Orleans.
Creator: Sacra, Sarah, Corzine, Harold, Huff-Corzine, Lin, Gay, David, McCutcheon, James, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Lethality of aggravated assaults has long been discussed in terms of weapons used, location of assault, demographics of victims, and regions of the US in which the assault occurred. However, dating back to the 1950s, medical response times have been discussed as a mediating factor, but minimally explored in analyses. The current study assesses the lethality of shootings with a primary focus on emergency medical and police response times in New Orleans, LA. Along with routine activities and...
Show moreLethality of aggravated assaults has long been discussed in terms of weapons used, location of assault, demographics of victims, and regions of the US in which the assault occurred. However, dating back to the 1950s, medical response times have been discussed as a mediating factor, but minimally explored in analyses. The current study assesses the lethality of shootings with a primary focus on emergency medical and police response times in New Orleans, LA. Along with routine activities and social disorganization indicators, 102 shootings that occurred in 3 months are analyzed to establish response time patterns of lethality. Results indicate that neither medical nor police response times impact the odds of a victim surviving a shooting, but instead, it is the days on which the violent encounters occur and the socioeconomic characteristics of the neighborhood that have a stronger influence on life or death, although not statistically significant. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005881, ucf:50877
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005881

Title: Factors Contributing to Victim Employment, Victim Income Status, and Intimate Partner Violence in Jamaica.
Creator: Fraser, Marsha, Wan, Thomas, Yegidis, Bonnie, Dziegielewski, Sophia, Ross, Lee, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Using 166 IPV police reports in Jamaica, this mixed-methods study (a) explored the utility of routine activities theory and control balance theory for explaining the relationship between victim employment and IPV; (b) explored risk factors for IPV; and (c) examined the relationships between victim employment and victim income status with IPV murder and IPV severity in the Jamaica. Content analysis of the narratives of the police reports supported both theories suggesting an integration of the...
Show moreUsing 166 IPV police reports in Jamaica, this mixed-methods study (a) explored the utility of routine activities theory and control balance theory for explaining the relationship between victim employment and IPV; (b) explored risk factors for IPV; and (c) examined the relationships between victim employment and victim income status with IPV murder and IPV severity in the Jamaica. Content analysis of the narratives of the police reports supported both theories suggesting an integration of the two theories may be most fitting. Estrangement and infidelity emerged as bold themes. Infidelity was identified as an additional risk factor in the Jamaican context. Quantitative analysis revealed that employed victims and victims with income were significantly older than their counterparts. Being unemployed and having no income were associated with being female. Male victims were 4.98 times more likely to be employed and 7.30 times more likely to have income than female victims. Older victims were 2.36 times more likely to have income than younger victims. Victim employment and victim income status failed to predict the odds of IPV murder or to impact the level of IPV severity. However, the offender's weapon emerged as a salient predictor. When an offender used a sharp weapon or a gun, the odds of the victim being murdered was 4.77 greater and .71 greater respectively than if no such weapon was used. Using a sharp weapon magnified the IPV severity (B = 1.20) while using a gun reduced the IPV severity (B = .78). This study is useful for informing public policies addressing IPV in Jamaica.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007632, ucf:52495
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007632

Title: ORGANIZATIONAL SAFETY CULTURE AND IDIVIDUAL SAFETY BEHAVIOR: A CASE STUDY OF THE TURKISH NATIONAL POLICE AVIATION DEPARTMENT.
Creator: Uryan, Yildirim, T. H. Wan, Thomas, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Human related accidents in high-risk industries amount to a significant economic hazard and incur tremendous damages, causing excessive operational costs and loss of life. The aviation industry now observes human-related accidents more frequently than in the past, an upswing attributable to cutting-edge technology usage and the complex systems employed by aviation organizations. Historically, aviation accidents have been attributed to individual unsafe behavior. However, contemporary accident...
Show moreHuman related accidents in high-risk industries amount to a significant economic hazard and incur tremendous damages, causing excessive operational costs and loss of life. The aviation industry now observes human-related accidents more frequently than in the past, an upswing attributable to cutting-edge technology usage and the complex systems employed by aviation organizations. Historically, aviation accidents have been attributed to individual unsafe behavior. However, contemporary accident causation models suggest that organizational-level factors influence individual safety performance, as human-related accidents take place in an organizational context. The present study examines the formation of organizational safety culture and influence on individualsÃ‚Â' safety behavior in a police aviation environment. The theory of planned behavior guides the study model in explaining individual variability in safety behavior via organizational safety culture. The study conceptualized organizational safety culture and individual safety behavior as multidimensional constructs. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for each latent construct to validate the construct validity for each measurement model. Organizational safety culture was observed via safety climate facets, which contained four subcomponents including individual attitude, group norms, management attitude, and workplace pressures. Individual safety behavior contained violation and error components observed by self-reported statements. Structural equation modeling was conducted to test the study hypotheses. Utilizing a sample of 210 employees from the Turkish National Police Aviation Department, a 53-item survey was conducted to measure individualsÃ‚Â' safety culture perceptions and self-reported safety behaviors. The results suggest that individual safety behavior is significantly influenced by organizational safety culture. Except for the relation between workplace pressures and intention, all suggested relations and correlations were statistically significant. The four-factor measurement model of organizational safety climate fit reasonably well to the data, and most correlations between the safety climate components were significant at the .05 level. IndividualsÃ‚Â' self-reported error behavior is positively associated with age, and individualsÃ‚Â' self-reported violation behavior is positively associated with years of service. Overall, along with organizational safety culture, age and service-year variables accounted for 65% of the variance in intention, 55% of the variance in violation behavior, and 68% of the variance in error behavior. Lastly, no significant difference manifested among pilots, maintenance personnel, and office staff according to their self-related safety behaviors. The findings have theoretical, policy, and managerial implications. First, the theory of planned behavior was tested, and its usefulness in explaining individualsÃ‚Â' safety behavior was demonstrated. The survey instrument of the study, and multi-dimensional measurement models for organizational safety climate and individual safety behavior were theoretical contributions of the study. Second, the emergence of informal organizational structures and their effects on individuals indicated several policy implications. The study also revealed the importance of informal structures in organizations performing in high-risk environments, especially in designing safety systems, safety policies, and regulations. Policy modification was suggested to overcome anticipated obstacles and the perceived difficulty of working with safety procedures. The influences of age on error behavior and years of service on violation behavior point to the need for several policy modifications regarding task assignment, personnel recruitment, health reports, and violation assessment policies. As well, managerial implications were suggested, including changing individualsÃ‚Â' perceptions of management and group attitudes toward safety. The negative influence of anticipated obstacles and the perceived difficulties of safety procedures on individual safety behavior pointed out managementÃ‚Â's role in reducing risks and accidents by designing intervention programs to improve safety performance, and formulating proactive solutions for problems typically leading to accidents and injuries.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: CFE0003190, ucf:48587
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003190

Title: The Response of American Police Agencies to Digital Evidence.
Creator: Yesilyurt, Hamdi, Wan, Thomas, Potter, Roberto, Applegate, Brandon, Lang, Sheau-Dong, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Little is known about the variation in digital forensics practice in the United States as adopted by large local police agencies. This study investigated how environmental constraints, contextual factors, organizational complexity, and organizational control relate to the adoption of digital forensics practice. This study integrated 3 theoretical perspectives in organizational studies to guide the analysis of the relations: institutional theory, contingency theory, and adoption-of-innovation...
Show moreLittle is known about the variation in digital forensics practice in the United States as adopted by large local police agencies. This study investigated how environmental constraints, contextual factors, organizational complexity, and organizational control relate to the adoption of digital forensics practice. This study integrated 3 theoretical perspectives in organizational studies to guide the analysis of the relations: institutional theory, contingency theory, and adoption-of-innovation theory. Institutional theory was used to analyze the impact of environmental constraints on the adoption of innovation, and contingency theory was used to examine the impacts of organizational control on the adoption of innovation. Adoption of innovation theory was employed to describe the degree to which digital forensics practice has been adopted by large municipal police agencies having 100 or more sworn police officers.The data set was assembled primarily by using Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) 2003 and 1999. Dr. Edward Maguire`s survey was used to obtain 1 variable. The joining up of the data set to construct the sample resulted in 345 large local police agencies. The descriptive results on the degree of adoption of digital forensics practice indicate that 37.7% of large local police agencies have dedicated personnel to address digital evidence, 32.8% of police agencies address digital evidence but do not have dedicated personnel, and only 24.3% of police agencies have a specialized unit with full-time personnel to address digital evidence. About 5% of local police agencies do nothing to address digital evidence in any circumstance. These descriptive statistics indicate that digital evidence is a matter of concern for most large local police agencies and that they respond to varying degrees to digital evidence at the organizational level. Agencies that have not adopted digital forensics practice are in the minority. The structural equation model was used to test the hypothesized relations, easing the rigorous analysis of relations between latent constructs and several indicator variables. Environmental constraints have the largest impact on the adoption of innovation, exerting a positive influence. No statistically significant relation was found between organizational control and adoption of digital forensic practice. Contextual factors (task scope and personnel size) positively influence the adoption of digital forensics. Structural control factors, including administrative weight and formalization, have no significant influence on the adoption of innovation. The conclusions of the study are as follows. Police agencies adopt digital forensics practice primarily by relying on environmental constraints. Police agencies exposed to higher environmental constraints are more frequently expected to adopt digital forensics practice. Because organizational control of police agencies is not significantly related to digital forensics practice adoption, police agencies do not take their organizational control extensively into consideration when they consider adopting digital forensics practice. The positive influence of task scope and size on digital forensics practice adoption was expected. The extent of task scope and the number of personnel indicate a higher capacity for police agencies to adopt digital forensics practice. Administrative weight and formalization do not influence the adoption of digital forensics practice. Therefore, structural control and coordination are not important for large local police agencies to adopt digital forensics practice.The results of the study indicate that the adoption of digital forensics practice is based primarily on environmental constraints. Therefore, more drastic impacts on digital forensics practice should be expected from local police agencies' environments than from internal organizational factors. Researchers investigating the influence of various factors on the adoption of digital forensics practice should further examine environmental variables. The unexpected results concerning the impact of administrative weight and formalization should be researched with broader considerations.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0004181, ucf:49081
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004181

Title: The Tragic City: Black Rebellion and the Struggle for Freedom in Miami, 1945-1990.
Creator: Dossie, Porsha, Lester, Connie, French, Scot, Walker, Ezekiel, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This thesis examines the creation of South Florida's tri-ethnic racial hierarchy during the postwar period, from 1945-1990. This racial hierarchy, coupled with discriminatory housing practices and police violence, created the necessary conditions for Dade County's first deadly uprising in 1968. Following the acquittal of several officers charged in the killing of an unarmed black businessman, a second uprising in 1980 culminated in three days and three nights of violent street warfare between...
Show moreThis thesis examines the creation of South Florida's tri-ethnic racial hierarchy during the postwar period, from 1945-1990. This racial hierarchy, coupled with discriminatory housing practices and police violence, created the necessary conditions for Dade County's first deadly uprising in 1968. Following the acquittal of several officers charged in the killing of an unarmed black businessman, a second uprising in 1980 culminated in three days and three nights of violent street warfare between law enforcement and black residents in Miami's northwest Liberty City neighborhood. The presence of state sanctioned violence at the hands of police in Liberty City set the stage for the city's second uprising. Further, the oftentimes murky and ambiguous racial divide that made people of color both comrades and rivals within Miami's larger power structure resulted in an Anglo-Cuban alliance by the late 1960s and early 1970s that only worsened racial tensions, especially among the city's ethnically diverse, English speaking black population. This thesis project uses a socio-historical framework to investigate how race and immigration, police brutality, and federal housing policy created a climate in which one of Miami's most vulnerable populations resorted to collective violence.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007173, ucf:52269
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007173

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Law Enforcement (3)	+ -
Turkish National Police (3)	+ -
race (3)	+ -

GPS (2)	+ -
Policing (2)	+ -
domestic violence (2)	+ -
performance (2)	+ -
police reports (2)	+ -
policing (2)	+ -
violence (2)	+ -
AVL (1)	+ -
Abuse of Police Authority (1)	+ -
Arrests (1)	+ -
Arthur McDuffie (1)	+ -
Attrition (1)	+ -
Automatic Vehicle Locator (1)	+ -
Bahamians (1)	+ -
Behavioral Model (1)	+ -
Burnout (1)	+ -
C.S.I Effect (1)	+ -
CITIZENS POLICING THE POLICE: AN EVALUATION OF CITIZENS RECORDING POLICE OFFICER AND WIRETAPPING LAWS (1)	+ -
CSI Effect (1)	+ -
Cheating (1)	+ -
Compensation (1)	+ -
Content Analysis (1)	+ -
Crime (1)	+ -
Crime Scene Investigation (1)	+ -
Crime TV shows (1)	+ -

ETD Collection (27)	+ -
Honors Collection (5)	+ -
PRISM: Political & Rights Issues & Social Movements (2)	+ -

University of Central Florida (31)	+ -
Wan, Thomas (4)	+ -
Corzine, Harold (3)	+ -
Gay, David (3)	+ -
Huff-Corzine, Lin (3)	+ -

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