Production and Consumption of Research in Police Agencies in the United States, 1989-1990
Description
The purpose of this study was to describe the dynamics of
police research, how the role and practice of research differ among
police agencies, and why this appears to happen. This study also
attempts to answer, on a national scale, four fundamental questions:
(1) What is police research? (2) Who does it? (3) Why is it done? and
(4) What impact does it have? In addition to describing the overall
contours of the conduct of research in United States police agencies,
this study also sought to explore the organizational dynamics that
might contribute to understanding the different roles research plays
in various types of police organizations. Questionnaires were mailed
in 1990 to 777 sheriff, municipal, county, and state police agencies
selected for this study, resulting in 491 surveys for
analysis. Respondents were asked to identify the extent to which they
were involved in each of 26 distinct topic areas within the past year,
to specify the five activities that consumed most of their time during
the previous year, and to describe briefly any projects currently
being undertaken that might be of interest to other police agencies. A
second approach sought to describe police research not in terms of the
topics studied but in terms of the methods police used to study those
topics. A third section of the questionnaire called for respondents to
react to a series of statements characterizing the nature of research
as practiced in their agencies. A section asking respondents to
describe the characteristics of those responsible for research in
their agency followed, covering topics such as to whom the research
staff reported. Respondent agencies were also asked to evaluate the
degree to which various factors played a role in initiating research
in their agencies. Finally, questions about the impact of research on
the police agency were posed.
Resources
| Name |
Format |
Description |
Link |
|
0 |
ICPSR06315.v1 |
https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR06315.v1 |
Tags
- law-enforcement-agencies
- research
- police-departments