NCJ Number
60492
Date Published
1979
Length
9 pages
Annotation
THE ORGANIZATION AND PROGRAM OF POLICE RESEARCH IN DENMARK ARE DESCRIBED.
Abstract
THERE WAS LITTLE POLICE RESEARCH IN DENMARK UNTIL THE ESTABLISHMENT IN 1975 OF A PENOLOGICAL RESEARCH COMMITTEE TO COORDINATE PENOLOGICAL RESEARCH, TO MAINTAIN AN INFORMATION SERVICE ON PENOLOGICAL RESEARCH, TO INITIATE RESEARCH PROJECTS, AND, IF NECESSARY, TO UNDERTAKE RESEARCH ON ITS OWN. PRIOR TO 1975, POLICE RESEARCH WAS DONE PRIMARILY UNDER THE OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL POLICE COMMISSIONER. TWO NOTABLE PIECES OF RESEARCH WERE (1) THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNIQUES AND TECHNICAL FACILITIES FOR IDENTIFYING TOOL MARKS, AND (2) THE INFLUENCE ON TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AND DRIVERS' BEHAVIOR OF INCREASED POLICE PATROL. POLICE RESEARCH AS A CRIMINOLOGICAL DISCIPLINE HAS FOCUSED BOTH ON PATTERNS OF CRIME DERIVED FROM FORMS OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR AND ON STATISTICAL EVIDENCE OF CRIME PATTERNS ROOTED IN POLICE LAW ENFORCEMENT SELECTION. THIS HAS INCLUDED INQUIRY INTO POLICE BEHAVIOR, ACTIVITIES, ATTITUDES, AND REACTIONS. CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS ARE BASED ON: (1) MATERIAL RECORDED BY THE POLICE, (2) MATERIAL OBSERVED AND RECORDED BY RESEARCHERS, AND (3) MATERIAL RECORDED BY CIVILIANS. ANOTHER RESEARCH PROJECT IS EXAMINING THE EFFECT OF MORE PATROL HOURS ON THE NUMBER OF RECORDED OFFENSES, WITH A PRINCIPAL HYPOTHESIS THAT MORE CASES, POSSIBLY EVEN SERIOUS ONES, CAN BE 'SETTLED ON THE SPOT' BY BEAT OFFICERS. THE RESEARCH WILL CONSIST PRIMARILY OF A RANDOM SELECTION OF POLICE WORK BASED ON DAILY REPORTS IN TWO POLICE DISTRICTS OVER A 5-YEAR PERIOD. A RESEARCH PROJECT DEALING WITH THE VALIDITY OF CRIME STATISTICS WILL CONSIST OF A NATIONWIDE INVESTIGATION, INCLUDING A DESCRIPTION OF METHODS, A DESCRIPTION OF VARIATIONS IN CRIMINAL OFFENSES SINCE 1970, AN ECOLOGICAL ANALYSIS WHICH RELATES CRIME VARIATIONS TO A NUMBER OF VARIABLES, AND DETAILED ANALYSES OF FOUR POLICE DISTRICTS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)