NCJ Number
174551
Journal
Legal and Criminological Psychology Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: February 1998 Pages: 59-72
Date Published
1998
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This Swedish study explored whether police personnel are more correct in their observations of a violent crime compared to civilians.
Abstract
The study hypothesized that if police officers have a talent for and interest in observation, recruits and experienced police officers should be more accurate than civilians (the selection for admittance hypothesis). Alternatively, if police officers, during their education and experience as officers, improve their ability for observation, then police personnel should perform better than recruits and civilians (the hypothesis of professionalization). Sixty-one university students, 31 teachers, 60 police recruits, and 59 police officers with at least 3 years of professional experience were presented with a series of slides that depicted a simulated crime (a woman walking in a park assaulted by a man with a knife). After the slide presentation, the four groups were tested on what they remembered of various aspects of the crime and their ability to recognize the perpetrator. The findings show that police officers were more accurate in remembering details of the crime than police recruits, civilian students, and teachers. This difference was not related to age, general working experience, or a better memory capacity per se among the police officers. The study concludes that police officers, based on their professional knowledge and experience of violent crimes, may have acquired an improved ability to sort out and analyze information from a crime-relevant incident. 20 references