NCJ Number
110625
Journal
Texas Police Journal Volume: 35 Issue: 5 Dated: (June 1987) Pages: 8-11
Date Published
1987
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article, using data from Texas, focuses on assaults on police officers and the circumstances most likely to result in an assault on a police officer.
Abstract
Research on this topic is from two different sources: (1) a study of 162 arrest reports occurring between January 1986 and August 1986 in the Austin, Tex., area; and (2) interviews of police officers of all ranks. Evidence shows that more assaults occur early in the year, during a public disturbance or public intoxication report, and between the hours of 6pm and 3am. This period contains the most active hours for bars and clubs. Over 70 percent of both felony and misdemeanor reports and under 70 percent of the push reports (where the offender pushes the arresting officer) occurred then. Approximately 47.5 percent of reports were found to have a direct link between alcohol and assault. The study showed that the central and eastern sections of the Austin area are most active regarding assaults. In the case of misdemeanor assaults, almost 65 percent of the assaults were in retaliation to the police officer's attempts to apply handcuffs to the suspect. To reduce these assaults, the Austin Police Department instituted new tactical training procedures, increased verbal skills training, developed and issued hinge handcuffs.