NCJ Number
172622
Date Published
1996
Length
32 pages
Annotation
This study examined the management of 128 conflict situations by uniformed police in Bonn, Germany.
Abstract
Data were obtained through participant observation and were categorized according to areas of conflict and conflict- management strategies. Operations of the uniformed police of the city were observed between May 15 and November 22, 1991. Only those cases that involved conflicts to be resolved were used in the study. The 113 cases in which a clear punishable offense was to be prosecuted were eliminated from the study, as were 13 incidents conducted to prevent danger to the public and 90 miscellaneous operations. This left 128 operations in which conflict-resolving intervention occurred. Two people participated in the conflict in the majority of cases (55). In approximately 25 percent of the cases there were three participants. Conflict situations were addressed passively (cooling-off of the conflict, downgrading the conflict potential, and delegating the final resolution to other institutions) in more cases than active intervention by the police, even in situations such as domestic conflicts and conflicts that involved physical attacks in which the parties expected active participation by the police. Further research should investigate the factors that influence strategies used by the police. 3 figures and 6 references