Role of Police Psychology in Controlling Excessive Force in 50 Large Cities in the United States, 1992
Description
As part of the development of an information base for
subsequent policy initiatives, the National Institute of Justice
sponsored a nationwide survey of police psychologists to learn more
about the characteristics of officers who abuse force, the types of
measures police psychologists recommend to control police violence and
the role of police psychologists in preventing and identifying
individual police officers at risk for use of excessive force. Police
personnel divisions in 50 large cities were contacted for names and
addresses of the police psychologists who provided services to their
departments. Data were collected using a telephone interview protocol
that included 61 questions. In this study, excessive force was defined
as a violation of a police department's use-of-force policy by an
incumbent officer that was serious enough to warrant a referral to the
police psychologist. Background information collected on respondents
included years with the department, years as a police psychologist, if
the position was salaried or consultant, and how often the
psychologist met with the police chief. A battery of questions
pertaining to screening was asked, including whether the psychologist
performed pre-employment psychological screening and what methods were
used to identify job candidates with a propensity to use excessive
force. Questions regarding monitoring procedures asked if and how
police officer behavior was monitored and if incumbent officers were
tested for propensity to use excessive force. Items concerning police
training included which officers the psychologist trained, what types
of training covering excessive force were conducted, and what modules
should be included in training to reduce excessive force. Information
about mental health services was elicited, with questions on whether
the psychologist counseled officers charged with excessive force, what
models were used, how the psychologist knew if the intervention had
been successful, what factors limited the effectiveness of counseling
police officers, characteristics of officers prone to use excessive
force, how these officers are best identified, and who or what has the
most influence on these officers. General opinion questions asked
about factors that increase excessive force behavior and what services
could be utilized to reduce excessive force.
Resources
| Name |
Format |
Description |
Link |
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0 |
ICPSR06402.v1 |
https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR06402.v1 |
Tags
- police-officers
- police-training
- police-use-of-force
- psychological-evaluation
- violence