Illegal Drug Use by Police Officers: Using Research and Investigations to Inform Prevention Strategies1

Gorta, Angela

doi:10.1350/ijps.2009.11.1.112

Cited by 16 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…While there is noteworthy research among Australian policing jurisdictions, data is typically sourced externally to policing agencies (Goodman-Delahunty 2014; Crehan 2019), utilising qualitative methodologies (Hine et al 2018), or small samples (People 2008;People et al 2010;Gorta 2009). While these studies provide insight into the misconduct environment, there is a paucity of empirical analysis of substantial police misconduct datasets.…”

Section: New South Wales Policing Jurisdictionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A machine learning analysis of serious misconduct among Australian police

2020

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Fairness in policing, driven by the effective and transparent investigation and remediation of police misconduct, is vital to maintaining the legitimacy of policing agencies, and the capacity for police to function within society. Research into police misconduct in Australia has traditionally been performed on an ad-hoc basis, with limited access to law enforcement data. This research seeks to identify the antecedents of serious police misconduct, resulting in the dismissal or criminal charge of officers, among a large police misconduct dataset. Demographic and misconduct data were sourced for a sample of 600 officers who have committed instances of serious misconduct, and a matched sample of 600 comparison officers across a 13-year period. A machine learning analysis, random forest, was utilised to produce a robust predictive model, with Partial Dependence Plots employed to demonstrate within variable interaction with serious misconduct. Prior instances of serious misconduct were particularly predictive of further serious misconduct, while misconduct was most prominent around mid-career. Secondary employment, and performance issues were important predictors, while demographic variables typically outperformed complaint variables. This research suggests that serious misconduct is similarly prevalent among experienced officers, as it is junior officers, while secondary employment is an important indicator of misconduct risk. Findings provide guidance for misconduct prevention policy among policing agencies.

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Section: New South Wales Policing Jurisdictionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A machine learning analysis of serious misconduct among Australian police

2020

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“…Over 81 percent of the positive tests in Boston involved the use of cocaine, and police executives indicated that they believed cocaine had surpassed marijuana as the drug of choice among police (Smalley 2006). More recent data derived from self-report surveys of officers in a single agency in Australia suggest that police use a wider variety of drugs including marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, ecstasy, heroine, ketamine, and non-prescribed steroids (Gorta 2009). Lersch and Mieczkowski (2005a) report results of drug tests conducted in a large police agency in the Eastern United States in which very few officers tested positive.…”

Section: Drug-related Police Crimementioning

confidence: 99%

Police Crime: The Criminal Behavior of Sworn Law Enforcement Officers

Stinson

2015

Sociology Compass

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This essay examines the criminological conceptualizations and research on police crime, that is, the criminal behavior of sworn law enforcement officers. It starts with an overview of the conceptualization of police crime as it relates to organizational and scholarly perspectives of social deviance. Police deviance is often conceptualized to include various misconduct, corruption, and/or crime committed by police organizations and police officers. This essay focuses on police crime resulting in the arrest of a sworn law enforcement officer and is organized within a conceptual framework that incorporates five types of police crime: sex-related police crime, alcohol-related police crime, drug-related police crime, violence-related police crime, and profit-motivated police crime.

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“…As in all professions, however, a small number of employees fail to meet ethical and legal standards. Previous research has documented a wide variety of police crime and corruption including perjury, bribery, extortion, robbery, burglary, drug use, domestic assault, and brutality (Barker & Carter, 1994;Gorta, 2009;Kappeler, Sluder, & Alpert, 1998;McDowell, 1984;Miller & Braswell, 1985;Reiss, 1971;Roebuck & Barker, 1974;Sherman, 1981).…”

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confidence: 99%

An exploration of crime by policewomen

Stinson

Todak

Dodge

2013

Police Practice and Research

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The current study explores criminal conduct by policewomen. This information is increasingly relevant as police departments hire more women, especially if the crimes committed by policewomen differ from those of policemen. News searches identified 105 cases depicting arrests of policewomen. A content analysis was performed. Findings indicate differences exist between crimes committed by policemen and policewomen, as well as by policewomen and women in general. Crime by policewomen is most often profit-motivated. Policewomen had fewer years of service and lower ranks, committed less violent crimes, and were more likely to receive suspensions for off-duty crimes compared to their male peers.

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Illegal Drug Use by Police Officers: Using Research and Investigations to Inform Prevention Strategies1

Cited by 16 publications

References 3 publications

A machine learning analysis of serious misconduct among Australian police

A machine learning analysis of serious misconduct among Australian police

Police Crime: The Criminal Behavior of Sworn Law Enforcement Officers

An exploration of crime by policewomen

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