Maintaining disorder: estimating the association between policing and psychiatric hospitalization among youth in New York City by neighborhood racial composition, 2006-2014.

PURPOSE: To assess whether neighborhood-level measures of policing are spatio-temporally associated with psychiatric hospialization among adolescents and young adults in New York City, and whether this association varies by neighborhood racial composition. METHODS: We derived population-based measures of policing from the New York City Police Department (NYPD), psychiatric hospitalization from Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) data, and socio-demographic data from the American Community Survey (ACS), aggregated by month and ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) from 2006 to 2014. Multi-level negative binomial regression models assessed hospitalization-time of youth aged 10-24 as the dependent variable and the rate of policing events as the primary independent variable, adjusting for neighborhood poverty, unemployment, and educational attainment. Multiplicative interaction was assessed between policing and tertiles of the percentage of Black residents. RESULTS: A total of 11,900,192 policing incidents and 2,118,481 person-days of hospitalization were aggregated to 19,440 ZCTA-months. After adjusting for neighborhood-level sociodemographic characteristics, an increase in one policing incident per 1,000 residents was associated with a 0.3% increase in the rate of youth psychiatric hospitalization time (IRR 1.003 [1.001-1.005]). Neighborhood racial composition modified this effect; not only was the rate of psychiatric hospitalization and policing higher in neighborhoods with a higher proportion of Black residents, but the association between these was also significantly higher in neighorhoods with a larger share of Black residents compared with predominantly non-Black neighborhoods. CONCLUSION: Neighborhoods experiencing higher rates of policing during the study period experienced higher burdens of psychiatric hospitalization among adolescent and young adult residents. This association was larger in neighborhoods of color which have been disproportionately targeted by "hot spot" and order-maintenance policing practices and policies.

Dynamics of components of physical and mental health of law enforcement officers during the period of martial law.

OBJECTIVE: Aim: To investigate the dynamics of law enforcement officers' physical and mental health components while performing their duties during the war in Ukraine. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and Methods: The research, which was conducted in 2022-2024, involved 114 law enforcement officers (male) from the Kharkiv oblast (Ukraine) of different ages: under 30 (n = 35), under 40 (n = 41), over 40 (n = 38). To test law enforcement officers' physical and mental health indicators, we used 3 methods: 1) "Fatigue-Monotony-Oversaturation-Stress"; 2) "Well-being-Activity-Mood"; 3) "Assessment of Nervous and Emotional Stress". RESULTS: Results: The negative dynamics of most components of the physical and mental health of law enforcement officers of all three groups while performing their duties during the martial law were revealed. The most pronounced significant changes occurred in such components as "Fatigue", "Oversaturation", "Stress", "Well-being", "Mood", "Nervous and Emotional Stress". The most pronounced negative changes in most components occurred in law enforcement officers over 40 years old, which is due to both the age characteristics of the subjects and their length of service. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The research confirms the high complexity and extremity of law enforcement officers' service activities during the martial law, as well as the high requirements for law enforcement officers' readiness to perform tasks in the context of a significant expansion of the National Police's powers. The results obtained also necessitate the search for effective ways to preserve and maintain the physical and mental health of law enforcement officers.

Help-Seeking from Victim Services, Personal Networks, and Reporting to Police: Stalking Victim Behaviors from the 2019 NCVS Supplemental Victimization Survey.

Understanding the predictors of stalking victimization, help-seeking behaviors of stalking victims, and their reporting to police can help law enforcement and advocates improve systems and ensure they are accessible and useful to victims. Existing stalking research focuses heavily on campus-based stalking, non-nationally representative populations, and/or dated data collection methods, such as the 2006 National Crime Victimization Survey, Supplemental Victimization Survey (NCVS-SVS), an instrument that has been updated according to current stalking definitions. This study employs the latest 2019 NCVS-SVS to analyze its new stalking screening questions and additional variables. We identified predictors of (a) stalking victimization, (b) help-seeking from victim-serving agencies, (c) help-seeking from personal networks, and (d) reporting to police. Predictors of stalking victimization included younger age, identifying as female, identifying as not heterosexual, household incomes below $50,000, and any college attendance. Victims who knew their offenders (intimate or non-intimate) were more likely than victims of stranger stalking to seek help from victim-serving agencies and personal networks. Younger victims were more likely to seek help from personal networks. None of the variables we examined predicted reporting to police. This study shows the characteristics of stalking victims have stayed consistent over time but highlights an ongoing need for resources for victims of stranger stalking, who may not know about or be able to access stalking services that are offered by intimate partner violence agencies. Future research around stalking victim characteristics should focus on populations that are newly included in national stalking data, such as those who identify as transgender and sexual identity minorities.

Can We Have Your ID Please? Understanding Differential LGBTQ+ Perceptions of the Police Through a Queer Theory and Procedural Justice Lens.

Going beyond simplistic overgeneralization, this study analyses how diversity within the LGBTQ+ community is associated with differential perspectives on, and trust in, the police in Rotterdam. It utilizes queer theory concepts like heteronormativity and homonationalism to achieve a more complex and accurate understanding of LGBTQ+ perceptions and experiences and employs procedural justice theory to understand how these perceptions and experiences result in (dis)trust in the police. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 participants in Rotterdam. The results demonstrate that perceptions around the police are more negative, and less homogenous than quantitative surveys indicate-even in a country where tolerance of sexual minorities is relatively high. Differential acceptance of diversity in queerness under the LGBTQ+ umbrella seems to be crucial in shaping LGBTQ+ perceptions of the police, with "visibly queer" individuals being less accepted, and often holding more negative perceptions of the police. Future research should thus expand on how the various sub-groups within the LGBTQ+ spectrum perceive the police, and how trust can be improved, for example by strengthening the visibility of the PinkinBlue unit within the police.

[Pseudofolliculitis barbae in police students in Dakar: epidemiological and clinical aspects, and associated risk factors]. / Pseudo-folliculite de la barbe chez les élèves policiers à Dakar : aspects épidémio-cliniques et facteurs de risque associés.

Background: Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease favoured by shaving. It is particularly common among black Africans belonging to certain socio-professional categories who are obliged to shave. Its aesthetic and professional damage is very significant. However, very few data are available for this condition, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Objective: To determine the epidemiological and clinical aspects, and the risk factors associated with the occurrence of PFB in Dakar. Population and methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in March 2019, including 655 police students at the National Police Academy in Dakar, all of African descent and with curly hair, who were required to shave weekly and agreed to participate in this study. The diagnosis of PFB was clinically based. Data analysis was processed using Epi-info version 6.0 software. Pearson's chi-square test was used for bivariate analysis with a significance threshold of p < 0.05. The Odds Ratio, with its 95% confidence interval, was used to determine the risk factors. Results: Among the 655 officers, 254 had PFB, with a prevalence of 38.8%. The prevalence of PFB was 43.7% in men (242 men out of 554) and 11.9% in women (12 women out of 101). The average age of patients with PFB was 26.80 years (± 2.59), ranging from 22 to 36 years. The age of onset of PFB was between 18 and 20 years for the majority (39.8%), with a mean age of onset of 22.2 years (± 3.6). PFB lesions were pruritic in 84.6% of cases, papular in 96.8%, and/or pustular in 60.2%. The submandibular region was the most affected site (69.8%). Complications were noted in 90.1% of cases in the form of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (87%) and keloid scars (3.1%). The risk factors associated with PFB were male sex (p<0.0001; OR=5.7; CI95% [3.07-10.75]), family history of PFB (p<0.0001; OR=5; CI95% [3.35-7.37]), keloid-prone skin (p<0.0001; OR=2.9; CI95% [1.63-4.96]), association with acne keloidalis nuchae (p<0.0001; OR=8.8; CI95% [5.55-14.08]), use of a single-blade razor (p<0.0001; OR=2.5; CI95% [1.69-3.70]), use of a fixed-head razor (p<0.0001; OR=1.8 CI95% [1.28-2.77]), shaving against the grain (p<0.0001; OR = 6.3; CI95%= [4.33-9.08]), non-use of shaving products (p = 0.009; OR = 1.5; CI95%= [1.06-2]) and waxing (p<0.004; OR=2.7; CI95% [1.33-5.77]). On the other hand, the use of clippers (p<0.0001; OR = 0.5 CI95% [0.33-0.65]), pre-shave products (p<0.0001; OR = 0.4 CI95% [0.29-0.61]) and the use of razors with movable heads (p<0.0009; OR = 0.2 CI95% [0.17-0.35]) were protective factors against PFB. Conclusion: Our study confirms the high incidence of PFB in this population of black men of African descent. A genetic abnormality revealed by shaving must be evoked in the occurrence of PFB. Further genetic and immunohistochemical studies would be needed to support this hypothesis.

What do we know about autism and policing globally? Preliminary findings from an international effort to examine autism and the criminal justice system.

Research has demonstrated that autistic individuals have higher rates of police contact, however, research has seldom explored the fundamental reasons for these interactions and how this might vary across international contexts. To remedy this, the Global Autism and Criminal Justice Consortium created and disseminated the Global Criminal Justice Survey. Descriptive statistics of survey respondents with and without police contact were compared to glean differential characteristics. Frequency and type of recent police interactions (within the last 5 years) among autistic individuals were also examined to better contextualize the reasons that autistic individuals encounter police. Study findings indicated that across a global sample (i.e., North America, Scandinavia, Europe, and Oceania) nearly half of all autistic individuals had an interaction with police and that those with a history of police contact were usually older, had higher educational qualifications, and were more likely to have a co-occurring mental health or developmental disorder. Among types of interactions, noncriminal encounters, such as welfare checks, traffic incidents, wandering, and behaviors associated with autism, were most common, followed by autistic individuals alleging a crime was committed against them. These findings offer important directions for future research and for targeted policy responses that can address the unique needs of autistic individuals within the justice system.

Algorithmic crime prevention. From abstract police to precision policing.

The growing digitisation in our society also affects policing, which tends to make use of increasingly refined algorithmic tools based on abstract technologies. But the abstraction of technology, we argue, does not necessarily entail an increase in abstraction of police work. This paper contrasts the 'abstract police' debate with an analysis of police practices that use digital technologies to achieve greater precision. While the notion of abstract police assumes that computerisation distances police officers from their community, our empirical investigation of a geo-analysis unit in a German Land Office of Criminal Investigation shows that the adoption of abstract procedures does not by itself imply a detachment from local reference and community contact. What we call contextual reference can be productively combined with the impersonality and anonymity of algorithmic procedures, leading also to more effective and focused forms of collaboration with local entities. On the basis of our empirical results, we suggest a more nuanced understanding of the digitalisation of police work. Rather than leading to a progressive estrangement from the community of reference, the use of digital techniques can enable experimentation with innovative forms of 'precision policing', particularly in the field of crime prevention.

Feeling the future of eyewitness research.

For decades, eyewitness memory research has had the worthy goal of minimizing the chances that an innocent suspect is falsely identified. However, this is not the only goal. Partial receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves provide a way to identify lineup procedures that keep the false alarm rate low while also maximizing the hit rate. Recently, there have been attempts to extend the ROC curve into high false alarm rate regions that fair lineups are intentionally designed to avoid. These new full ROCs could provide a way for the police to circumvent the protections offered by fillers in a fair lineup. Moreover, these attempts to extend the ROC curve are not based on a mathematically coherent model of latent diagnostic signals. In this article, we empirically demonstrate how this lack of a solid foundation can lead to dubious conclusions, such as eyewitnesses possessing precognition and being able to reliably identify the person they will see commit a crime in the future.

Spatial patterns of Mental Health Act apprehensions in Toronto, Canada, 2014-2022.

OBJECTIVES: This research examines the temporal rates and spatial patterns of police-involved Mental Health Act (MHA) apprehensions in Toronto, Canada, from 2014 to 2022. Building from the work of Toronto Police Services (TPS), the goal of this research is to deepen our understanding of MHA apprehensions and provide insights which may be used to guide local mental health reform efforts. METHODS: Using data collected by TPS, an exploratory, descriptive analysis of spatial patterns of MHA apprehension events between 2014 and 2022 at the neighbourhood level was conducted. To identify high-rate clusters, we used a discrete Poisson model in SaTScan, with a circular moving window. Primary and secondary clusters with a relative risk of 1.5 or greater are reported. RESULTS: From 2014 to 2022, 93,932 MHA apprehensions occurred in Toronto. Apprehension rates were found to vary substantially between neighbourhoods, with approximately 91% of Toronto's 140 neighbourhoods experiencing a net positive increase in rates during the study period after adjusting for population growth. Repeated spatial cluster analysis for each year revealed a range of 4 to 7 clusters annually, with the downtown core consistently emerging as an area of elevated risk (RR range 1.58-1.99). CONCLUSION: Rising MHA apprehensions within Toronto highlight the pressing need to confront the city's intensifying mental health needs. These findings offer valuable insights into the patterns and nature of police-involved MHA apprehensions, outline reproducible analysis methods that can be used by others, and support targeted evaluation, expansion, and implementation of downstream initiatives to improve mental health responses.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIFS: Cette recherche examine les taux temporels et les variations spatiales des appréhensions impliquant la police en vertu de la Loi sur la santé mentale (LSM) à Toronto, Canada, de 2014 à 2022. S'appuyant sur le travail du Service de police de Toronto (SPT), l'objectif de cette recherche est d'approfondir notre compréhension des appréhensions LSM afin d'identifier les tendances et les variations géographiques pour guider les efforts de réforme du système de santé mentale locaux. MéTHODES: En utilisant les données collectées par les SPT, une analyse exploratoire et descriptive des variations spatiales des appréhensions LSM entre 2014 et 2022 au niveau du quartier a été réalisée. Pour identifier les agrégats à taux augmenté, le logiciel SatScan a été utilisé avec un modèle de Poisson discret, couplé avec une fenêtre mobile circulaire. Les agrégats primaires et secondaires avec un risque relatif de 1,5 ou plus sont signalées. RéSULTATS: De 2014 à 2022, 93 932 appréhensions en vertu de la LSM ont eu lieu à Toronto. Les taux d'appréhension variaient considérablement entre les quartiers, environ 91 % des 140 quartiers de Toronto ayant connu une augmentation nette des taux pendant la période d'étude, après ajustement pour la croissance démographique. L'analyse répétée des agrégats spatiaux pour chaque année a révélé 4 à 7 agrégats annuels, le centre-ville émergeant systématiquement comme une zone à risque élevé (risque relatif 1,58­1,99). CONCLUSION: L'augmentation des appréhensions en vertu de la LSM à Toronto souligne le besoin urgent de faire face aux besoins croissants en santé mentale de la ville. Ces résultats offrent des informations précieuses sur les variations et la nature des appréhensions en vertu de la LSM impliquant la police, décrivent des méthodes d'analyse reproductibles qui peuvent être utilisées par d'autres, et soutiennent l'évaluation ciblée, l'expansion et la mise en œuvre d'initiatives en aval pour améliorer les réponses en matière de santé mentale.

Strategies for Coping with Occupational Trauma: A Scoping Review of the Police Officer Context.

BACKGROUND: Occupational trauma is heightened among police officers due to their exposure to physical, biological, chemical, and psychological hazards. Sustained occupational trauma results in mental illness among members of the police, which is a public health issue of concern. This study aimed to report a scoping review of the literature on strategies employed by police officers for coping with occupational trauma around the globe. METHODS: A search string, formulated from the review question of what is known about the strategies of police officers for coping with occupational trauma, was used to search for articles from databases. A total of 588 hits were screened against inclusion criteria, resulting in 36 full-text studies between 1983 and 2022 being included in this review. Data were extracted using a standardised data extraction tool. The multi-step process was used to analyse the extracted data, integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches. RESULTS: From this review, 'adaptive coping mechanisms', involving confrontation; 'maladaptive coping mechanisms', such as self-isolation, distancing and substance use; 'resilience', relating to mental preparation, and 'seeking support systems' from family, colleagues and professionals reflected the strategies used by police officers to cope with occupational trauma. Social stigma related to mental health disorders impacts the strategies used by police officers to cope with occupational trauma. CONCLUSIONS: the police management and healthcare practitioners must collaborate towards providing constructive environments that support and strengthen police officers' strategies for coping with occupational trauma.

Oscillatory Neural Correlates of Police Firearms Decision-Making in Virtual Reality.

We investigated the neural signatures of expert decision-making in the context of police training in a virtual reality-based shoot/don't shoot scenario. Police officers can use stopping force against a perpetrator, which may require using a firearm and each decision made by an officer to discharge their firearm or not has substantial implications. Therefore, it is important to understand the cognitive and underlying neurophysiological processes that lead to such a decision. We used virtual reality-based simulations to elicit ecologically valid behavior from authorized firearms officers (AFOs) in the UK and matched novices in a shoot/don't shoot task and recorded electroencephalography concurrently. We found that AFOs had consistently faster response times than novices, suggesting our task was sensitive to their expertise. To investigate differences in decision-making processes under varying levels of threat and expertise, we analyzed electrophysiological signals originating from the anterior cingulate cortex. In line with similar response inhibition tasks, we found greater increases in preresponse theta power when participants inhibited the response to shoot when under no threat as compared with shooting. Most importantly, we showed that when preparing against threat, theta power increase was greater for experts than novices, suggesting that differences in performance between experts and novices are due to their greater orientation toward threat. Additionally, shorter beta rebounds suggest that experts were "ready for action" sooner. More generally, we demonstrate that the investigation of expert decision-making should incorporate naturalistic stimuli and an appropriate control group to enhance validity.

Drugs, crime, and racial disparities in the homeless population gathered from a sample of police reports: Evidence from Brazil.

Brazil is one of the most unequal democracies in the world. Although the number of homeless individuals in our country has increased due to the reproduction of people living in extreme poverty, little has been discussed about their welfare and rights. In the present study, we provide analysis with a theoretical-methodological approach directed at homeless people living in the wealthy neoliberal middle-sized southeast city of São Paulo, Brazil's richest state. Data was acquired from police reports with prior permission from the Civil Police of São Paulo and the São Paulo Interior Judiciary Police Department. Our results illustrate that the homelessness phenomenon in Franca appears to be comparable to that of other large urban cities, where Blacks, a minority of the population, make up the bulk of homeless individuals. It also denies that homeless activity increases criminality, emphasizes the difference between Blacks and Whites drug users' criminal behavior, with Whites being more active in theft and robbery and Blacks in trafficking, and extends the idea that drug use by homeless people is stress-related and hence an indicator of a health condition.

Generalized and racialized consequences of the police response to intimate partner violence in the U.S.: A systematic scoping review.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) impacts more than 40% of people in the U.S. Since the 1980s, the U.S. has maintained a police-centric response to IPV, which relies on arrest-via policies like mandatory arrest laws-as its primary intervention. There is mixed evidence on whether IPV policing decreases subsequent IPV at the individual level, but less is known about IPV policing's broader collateral consequences. This systematic scoping review is the first to synthesize existing evidence for the generalized consequences of IPV policing in the U.S. We searched Web of Science, ProQuest, and EBSCO Host, and identified 36 relevant articles. Survivor criminalization was the most studied generalized consequence of IPV policing and existing studies have documented positive associations between mandatory arrest laws and risk of survivor arrest. We also found numerous methodologically rigorous studies on the effects of mandatory arrest laws on population-level IPV victimization. The review also identifies gaps in the evidence base: there is a need for research on additional potential consequences of IPV policing such as police violence against survivors, involvement of child protective services, and psychosocial and physical health outcomes of survivors.

Officer gunpoint during police stops: Repercussions for youth mental health and perceived safety.

Youth-police contact is increasingly acknowledged as a stressor and a racialized adverse childhood experience that can undermine youths' mental health. The present study investigates a particularly distressing feature of youths' direct and witnessed in-person police stops-officer gunpoint (i.e., officers drawing of firearms and pointing them at youth, their peers, or other community members). We examine patterns of youths' officer gunpoint exposure and associations with youth mental health and safety perceptions. Data come from the Survey of Police-Adolescent Contact Experiences (SPACE), a cross-sectional survey of a community-based sample of Black youth ages 12-21 in Baltimore City, Maryland (n = 335), administered from August 2022 to July 2023. Findings indicate that ~33% of youth reporting in-person police stops had been exposed to officer gunpoint during stops. Officer gunpoint was significantly and positively associated with being male, unemployed, having an incarcerated parent, living in a neighborhood with greater disorder, and having been directly stopped by police, in addition to youth delinquency and impulsivity. Net of covariates, experiencing officer gunpoint was associated with a significantly higher rate of youth emotional distress during stops. Significant associations between officer gunpoint and youths' current police violence stress, police avoidance, and diminished safety perceptions also emerged and were largely explained by youths' heightened emotional distress at the time of police stops. Trauma-informed approaches are needed to mitigate the mental health harms of youth experiencing officer gunpoint.

Facilitating Interaction with Police During Routine Traffic Stops for Persons with ASD.

A product of ASD socio-communicative-deficits and insufficient police training related to autism, ASD-police interactions have the potential to become problematic, with negative outcomes for ASD individuals and police alike. Thus, the combination of police acclimation, simulatory experience for drivers with ASD and the introduction of Connecticut's recent Blue Envelope could improve overall experiences for drivers. A simulated routine traffic stop practice event, utilising pre- and post- measures was conducted in an effort to quantify drivers' feelings about current and future interactions with police. Our prediction that participants would experience a statistically significant improvement in anxiety, comfort and self-perceived knowledge levels about future ASD-police interactions immediately following the intervention was confirmed. Our prediction that initially significant disparities between participants with and without police experience - those with previous police encounters versus those that don't - would become not significant immediately following the intervention was disconfirmed. While the longitudinal data suggested that improved post-intervention ASD psychological measures remained statistically significant in the long-term, the sample responses to our long-term questionnaire were too few in number to make any definitive conclusions. It is suggested that practice traffic stops such as these could benefit both drivers with ASD and law enforcement nationwide. It is further suggested that police officer curriculums should include additional training regarding special populations.

A Framework for Concussion Management Strategies in Law Enforcement Officers.

Athletic trainers are increasingly utilized in non-traditional settings, such as in law enforcement, where they can contribute to healthcare management, including concussion management of law enforcement officers (LEOs). Despite the prevalence of concussions among LEOs, there is a notable gap in concussion management guidelines for this population. LEOs may lack the education and resources necessary for concussion recognition and proper management. Drawing on advancements in concussion management in athletes and military personnel, here we present a comprehensive framework for concussion management in LEOs encompassing concussion education, a graduated return to duty (RTD) protocol, and considerations for implementation and documentation specific to law enforcement. We also present several barriers and facilitators to implementation. Due to job requirements, it is critical for law enforcement organizations and their medical providers to adopt a concussion management strategy. Without proper concussion management, LEOs may risk subsequent injury and/or suffer from prolonged recovery and adverse long-term outcomes.

Adult Drug Treatment Courts and Community-Level Drug Possession Arrests.

Though the literature largely recognizes adult drug treatment courts (ADCs) as beneficial to participants, with lower rates of recidivism and drug use, the question remains of how ADCs impact communities and how other institutions (e.g., law enforcement) react to their presence. This study extends previous work estimating higher arrests associated with ADCs, particularly for crimes involving higher degrees of law enforcement discretion. Results indicate lower drug possession arrest rates for White residents in rural communities, and higher in urban areas, generally, but especially for Black citizens. Though the exact source of these changes has yet to be determined, current analysis indicates larger effect sizes for arrests scaled per officer, as compared to per population, pointing toward changes in law enforcement behavior.

Police body-worn cameras and privacy: Views and concerns of officers and citizens.

Police body-worn cameras (BWC) have been lauded for their potential to increase transparency and accountability by documenting officers' actions and interactions with citizens. However, despite their widespread use in recent years, several law enforcement agencies have been hesitant to adopt this technology because of privacy concerns. This article explores the views of police officers and citizens from the Canadian province of Quebec towards the use of BWCs. Specifically, it seeks to: (a) understand how officers feel about being monitored by BWCs and (b) assess citizens' privacy concerns towards police BWCs. A mixed-method research design was used, including interviews and focus groups with 78 police officers, including 46 officers from four pilot sites, and a telephone survey of 1609 residents from the same sites. The results show that officers are concerned about the potential effects of BWCs on their privacy and the privacy of the public. One major area of concern is the impact it may have on their work performance and the use of adaptative measures that support them in carrying out challenging duties. By contrast, most citizens have no reservations about being recorded by a BWC. Certain individual characteristics-such as age and perceptions of the police-however, were associated with heightened privacy concerns. Without neglecting citizens' privacy, this study provides insights into the development of BWC policies that preserve officers' right to privacy and ability to fulfill their duty.

Moral injury appraisals and posttraumatic stress symptoms in trauma-exposed police officers: a latent class analysis.

Background: Police officers encounter various potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and may be compelled to engage in actions that contradict their moral codes. Consequently, they are at risk to develop symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but also moral stress or moral injury (MI). To date, MI in police officers has received limited attention.Objective: The present study sought to identify classes of MI appraisals and PTSD symptoms among police officers exposed to PTEs, while also investigating potential clinical differences between these classes.Method: For this study, 421 trauma-exposed police officers were assessed on demographics and several clinical measurements including MI appraisals (self-directed and other-directed), PTSD severity, and general psychopathology. Latent class and regression analyses were conducted to examine the presence of different classes among trauma-exposed police officers and class differentiation in terms of demographics, general psychopathology, PTSD severity, mistrust, guilt, self-punishment, and feelings of worthlessness.Results: The following five classes were identified: (1) a 'Low MI, high PTSD class' (28%), (2) a 'High MI, low PTSD class' (11%), (3) a 'High MI, high PTSD class' (17%), (4) a 'Low MI, low PTSD class' (16%), and (5) a 'High MI-other, high PTSD class' (27%). There were significant differences between the classes in terms of age, general psychopathology, PTSD severity, mistrust, guilt, and self-punishment but no differences for gender and feelings of worthlessness.Conclusion: In conclusion, we identified five classes, each exhibiting unique patterns of cognitive MI appraisals and PTSD symptoms. This underscores the criticality of measuring and identifying MI in this particular group, as it allows for tailored treatment interventions.

This study identified classes differing in terms of endorsement of MI appraisals and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among police officers exposed to potentially traumatic events.Five classes were identified, each exhibiting unique patterns of MI appraisals and PTSD symptoms.It is important to measure the presence of MI appraisals in addition to PTSD symptoms in traumatized police officers as it can inform treatment interventions.

Comparative analysis of injury identification using KABCO and ISS in linked North Carolina trauma registry and crash data.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine differences between police-reported injury severity and trauma registry data among persons with linked records in North Carolina and quantify the degree of alignment. METHODS: We analyzed linked North Carolina trauma registry and motor vehicle crash data from 2018. Injury severity identification was assessed using police-reported 5-point scale KABCO from crash data and Injury Severity Score (ISS) from trauma records. The analysis was stratified by age, sex/gender, race, ethnicity, and road users type to examine differences across groups. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values between police-reported injury severity and trauma registry data using ISS as the gold standard. RESULTS: A higher proportion of patients were classified as suspected minor injuries (39.0%) compared to moderate injuries in trauma registry (25.1%). Police-reported crash data underreported injury severity when compared to trauma registry data. Police-reported KABCO had a higher degree of specificity when classifying minor injuries (79.3%) but substantially underestimated seriously injured patients, with a sensitivity of 49.9%. These findings were also consistent when stratified by subpopulations. CONCLUSION: Hospital-based motor vehicle crash data are a main source of injury severity identification for road safety. Police-reported data were relatively accurate for minor injuries but not seriously injured patients. Understanding the characteristics of each data source both separately and linked will be critical for problem identification and program development to move toward a safe transportation system for all road users.