NCJ Number
153665
Journal
Campus Law Enforcement Journal Volume: 25 Issue: 1 Dated: (January-February 1995) Pages: 3-8,35
Date Published
1995
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Police-citizen interactions and the use of police discretion in a university setting were studied by means of participant observations and event analysis at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1992.
Abstract
The researcher rode along with the university police patrol, observed campus police in their interactions with citizens, talked to officers about their experiences and expectations, and took notes on each interaction with students and other citizens. The analysis revealed that the use of police discretion is more a rule than an exception with respect to the choice of outcomes and tactics. The police officers behaved in a professional manner; most citizens were respectful and polite. Individual police officers varied in the emphasis placed on traffic control, security duties, and public relations. The 72 interactions observed involved 42 traffic violations, 9 other violations, 4 complaints, 6 requests for assistance, 10 other control actions, and 1 chat with a random student without any cause. Findings supported previous research about the specifics of campus policing and revealed that campus police use discretion widely.