NCJ Number
63373
Date Published
1977
Length
42 pages
Annotation
THIS CANADIAN SURVEY OF METROPOLITAN TORONTO POLICE OFFICERS AIMED AT A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCED AN OFFICER'S DECISION TO APPREHEND DRIVERS FOR ALCOHOL-RELATED OFFENSES.
Abstract
A QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED WITH 96 TORONTO TRAFFIC OFFICERS AND GENERAL PATROL OFFICERS TO DETERMINE THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD DRINKING-DRIVING ENFORCEMENT. CONTAINING 67 ITEMS, THE QUESTIONNAIRE WAS BASED ON AN INTERVIEW SURVEY CONDUCTED AT ALCOHOL SAFETY ACTION PROJECT SITES IN THE UNITED STATES, AND IT CENTERED AROUND 5 MAJOR CATEGORIES OF INFLUENCING FACTORS: PERSONAL FACTORS, DRIVER-RELATED FACTORS, OPERATIONAL FACTORS, AND DEPARTMENTAL FACTORS AND OTHER INFLUENCES. RESULTS INDICATED THAT OFFICERS WERE NOT INFLUENCED IN THEIR DRINKING-DRIVING ARREST DECISIONS BY PERSONAL, OFFENDER-RELATED, OPERATIONAL, OR DEPARTMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS. A BUSINESS-LIKE ENFORCEMENT ATTITUDE WAS EVIDENT IN BOTH TRAFFIC AND GENERAL PATROL OFFICERS. OFFICERS FELT THAT DRINKING-DRIVING LAWS WERE NOT OVERLY SEVERE AND THAT STIFF PENALTIES WERE JUSTIFIED SINCE TOUGH DRINKING-DRIVING LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS A DETERRENT EFFECT. HOWEVER, OFFICERS FELT HINDERED IN ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY BY LACK OF TRAINING IN THE DRINKING-DRIVING AREA. RESULTS FROM THE SURVEY ALSO INDICATED THAT THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF STOPS AND THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF ARRESTS WERE QUITE LOW AND THAT OFFICERS SHOULD BE TRAINED TO BE MORE OBSERVANT OF DEVIANT TRAFFIC BEHAVIOR AND MORE AGGRESSIVE IN INVESTIGATING SUCH BEHAVIOR. SELF-REPORT OF THE FREQUENCY OF DRINKING-DRIVING DECISIONS INDICATED THAT, OF AN AVERAGE 6.1 STOPS PER WEEK BY POLICE, ONLY 1 STOP WOULD LIKELY RESULT IN AN ARREST FOR IMPAIRED DRIVING. POLICE MUST RECOGNIZE THE SPECIAL DEPLOYMENT REQUIREMENT OF DRINKING-DRIVING ENFORCEMENT AND ENSURE THAT THEIR EXISTING PRACTICES MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS. TABULAR DATA, REFERENCES, AND A COPY OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE ARE INCLUDED. (MJW)