NCJ Number
215061
Journal
International Journal of Police Science & Management Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Dated: Summer 2006 Pages: 133-142
Date Published
2006
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Whereas previous research on the prevention of assaults on police has tended to focus on the effectiveness of one particular weapon ("Velcro Effect"), this study considers the broad range of factors that deter assaults on police (the uniform, baton, CS spray, and the officer's preparedness to fight).
Abstract
The study concludes that an officer's aggressive, controlling demeanor is the primary deterrent against assaults on officers Although this study supports Kaminski et al.'s "Velcro Effect" to the extent that drawing incapacitating sprays often deters assaults on police, the findings refute the argument that this deterrent effect is solely related to the effects of the CS spray. They show that the same deterrent effect is also present when officers prepare to use their batons. The common factor that is present across both weapons is the officer's willingness to use some means of inflicting pain or incapacitation on the resisting suspect. This leads to the conclusion that deterrence against assaults on officers stems from officers' ability to persuade those they are arresting that resistance would have adverse consequences for the suspect. Police officers achieve this through communicating the impression that they are confident and competent users of force. The study involved semistructured interviews of 21 police officers (18 males and 3 females) serving in a small-town British police station that also served villages in the surrounding area. In addition, an interview was conducted with a citizen who had been sprayed with CS. The study was conducted during 1999. The information obtained from the officers included how often batons and CS spray were drawn but not used. Officers were also interviewed about how suspects reacted to them when they were in or out of uniform. 1 table and 35 references