NCJ Number
206189
Journal
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology Volume: 19 Issue: 1 Dated: Spring 2004 Pages: 82-89
Date Published
2004
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study analyzed police use of lethal force during simulated incidents.
Abstract
Police services must provide the public with continuous protection against criminals 24 hours a day. The police achieve this by employing shift systems providing around the clock coverage. Shift systems have been found to be fraught with problems, ranging from social disturbances to ill-health and impaired job performance. It has been commonly reported that the performance of shift workers is impaired on the night shift. In this study 61 authorized firearms officers were briefed on 2 “incidents” they would be asked to attend. The experiment took place at three different times, each time 1 hour before the completion of a shift: at 1:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m., and 5:00 a.m. In one incident the officer would be justified in shooting the suspect, whereas in the other incident it would be difficult for the officer to justify having shot the suspect. In both incidents the suspect was threatening an officer, however taking cover in both incidents would have been desirable. The results of the study revealed that the most erroneous decisions occurred during the day shift, and that officers low in hardiness made more incorrect judgments than officers high in hardiness. The results of this study are worrisome. Neglecting the statistics revealed in this study would be a serious mistake. Therefore more research needs to be conducted on this topic to prevent harmful mistakes from occurring. References