The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence of battery, rape, and HIV risk practices in a sample of long-term homeless women and to explore correlates of HIV risk practices. Fifty-three women who had been homeless for at least three months in the last year were interviewed at day and night shelters. The women were demographically similar to other samples of homeless men and women and had similar rates of drug use. However, a higher proportion of homeless women were exposed to battery (91 percent), rape (56 percent), and mental distress, and they had a smaller support network (three people). Eighty-six percent had been battered prior to homelessness. A positive association was found between HIV risk practices and the use of certain drugs and having a protector. A higher level of assertiveness was associated with less HIV risk. The study demonstrated that homeless women are at very high risk of battery and rape. Being homeless may require life-styles that increase the risk of HIV infection and transmission.

Purpose -This paper aims to examine Florida law enforcement agency policies to determine whether they contain language from the International Associations of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Model Policy on use of force. Consistency of policy content is instructive. Design/methodology/approach -Data for this study include written policies of Florida law enforcement agencies (n ¼ 160) which were collected through e-mail requests to all agencies in the state (n ¼ 323). Content analysis was used to analyze the policies. Findings -Findings suggest that 74 percent of all agencies include language that refers to a use of force continuum, including 90 percent of sheriffs' offices and 70 percent of police departments.Research limitations/implications -The research suggests that the majority of agencies continue to include a use of force continuum. Only Florida agencies were surveyed, and the response rate was 50 percent. Practical implications -The research suggests that a majority of agencies adhere to the principle that clear use of force policies can reduce liability concerns, and shows that written policies can be effective training tools. Social implications -Use of force remains the chief public concern in law enforcement's discretionary actions. Therefore, agencies must address use of force issues comprehensively. Originality/value -There is no research that examines the content of current use of force policies. This paper adds to the literature on force policy and examines such policies in the nation's fourth largest state. The paper suggests areas for future research and offers a normative model of a force policy.

The study examined Florida law enforcement agency homicide investigation practices previously identified in the literature as best (or most frequent). Departments handling at least 25 homicides per year and those that handle fewer were surveyed, a comparison not previously examined. The agencies had similar clearance rates. Smaller agencies and those handling fewer homicides tended to use an outside agency for crime scene services, did not have a cold case function, were less likely to use a computerized case management system, and did not view public cooperation as a barrier to homicide investigations to the degree that larger agencies did.

This special issue of Homicide Studies devotes attention to the how of homicide investigation. Much like the Homicide Research Working Group itself, this issue calls attention to the contributions of both practical and academic homicide experts. We were looking for manuscripts that examined or extended the various facets of investigating homicide. The processes and practices of law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and investigators greatly affect case resolution. How these entities interact as well as engage with members of the community go far in determining case success and views of efficacy.

Mental chronometry, or the examination of the time it takes a human to perceive and react to a stimulus, has been studied by researchers for more than a century. The reaction time to commence and cease shooting a firearm varies to some extent by individual and is impacted by internal psychological and physiological aspects of the person and by external environmental factors. Public safety officers and others, such as combat-deployable military personnel, must be cognizant of the factors affecting high-stakes decision-making and reactionary threat response. This extends to the design of training programs, the development of comprehensive policy regarding force usage and defensive tactics, and the necessary knowledge for after action investigation of such events. While the psychological literature is robust on the issue of attention and mental chronometry, public safety trainers and the curriculums in law enforcement recruit academies have not adequately expanded topics to explain the relevance for law enforcement officers. Because of this gap within the criminal justice literature, the paper does not focus solely on previous research evidence.