NCJ Number
102100
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 14 Issue: 4 Dated: (1986) Pages: 329-348
Date Published
1986
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This article presents the results of an attempt to describe exhaustively the tactics chosen by police patrol officers when handling highly problematic situations. The observations were made in Denver, Colorado, and focused on domestic disputes and 'stops' for violations of motor vehicle regulations.
Abstract
The study determined that thirty-three categories were required to describe adequately what police did in domestic disputes and fourteen for motor vehicle stops. Tactical choices were found to vary according to the stage of the encounter between police and public. Tactics at three stages of encounters -- contact, processing, and exit -were mapped and the relations between choices at each stage determined. The article concludes with a brief analysis of the relationship between tactical choices and situational factors. (Author abstract)