NCJ Number
100919
Journal
Police Studies Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: (Winter 1985) Pages: 231-240
Date Published
1985
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article examines shootings of police officers in both the USA and Australia.
Abstract
A considerable body of data has been amassed which permits the formulation of several hypotheses concerning major dimensions of such shootings, namely: (1) shot police officers are most likely to be between the ages of 26 and 40 years inclusive, (2) shot police officers are most likely to possess one to five years service, (3) domestic disturbances do not rank highly relative to the shooting of police officers generally, (4) unaccompanied police officers are more likely to be shot than those who are in company, and (5) police officers are more likely to be shot by a handgun than other weapons. Data were collected in respect of all police officers shot in Australia for the period 1964 to 1983 and the five US based hypotheses were tested against those data. On this cross-national basis, the first hypothesis was accepted, but the remaining four were rejected. Australian officers were found generally to possess three to seven years service and to be at greatest risk from domestic disturbances. They were also more likely to be shot by a rifle, while in the company of another officer. These differences suggest the similarities sometimes assumed to exist in the police working environment of the two countries may not be as great as first thought. (Publisher abstract)