Researchers analyzed emergency calls in seven U.S. cities during COVID-19 and found that domestic violence calls to both police (about 1,030 more calls) and emergency hotlines (about 1,671 more calls) increased significantly as people stayed home during the pandemic. This finding matters for police departments because it shows how external crises can create predictable spikes in certain types of emergency calls, helping them better prepare and allocate resources during future emergencies. The study also demonstrates that tracking data from multiple sources in real-time can help police and community organizations work together more effectively to respond to domestic violence.
Researchers studied COVID-19 infection rates among nearly 700 police officers over almost a year and found that vaccination essentially eliminated new infections within weeks of the agency's immunization program, which achieved over 70% employee participation. This finding is significant because COVID-19 had severely disrupted police operations by forcing large numbers of officers into quarantine due to infections and exposures. The results demonstrate that vaccination programs can effectively restore police departments to full operational capacity by protecting their workforce from the virus.
Police officers quit their jobs at nearly three times the normal rate following the widespread protests after George Floyd's death in 2020, according to a study that tracked employment data from a large police department over five years. While retirements and firings remained steady, voluntary resignations spiked by 279% and are predicted to stay high, creating a staffing crisis that could affect departments' ability to respond to crime and serve communities. This finding suggests that periods of intense public scrutiny and criticism can trigger significant workforce losses in policing, forcing police leaders to find new ways to retain officers and maintain public safety operations.
Police in a major U.S. city found that rape victims were frequently dropping out of investigations, partly because officers' initial responses and report writing reflected harmful stereotypes about sexual assault victims. After implementing a four-hour trauma-informed training program for all 600 officers, victim participation in investigations increased by 32% and officers began using more supportive language in their reports. This research demonstrates that relatively brief, specialized training can significantly improve how police respond to sexual assault cases, potentially leading to better outcomes for victims and more effective investigations.
Researchers examined whether requiring police to test all sexual assault evidence kits would lead to more arrests for rape, but found that arrest rates actually declined or stayed the same after the policy was implemented in one large city. This challenges the common assumption that mandatory testing of rape kits automatically translates into more offenders being caught and arrested. The findings suggest that police departments need additional reforms beyond just testing requirements to effectively investigate sexual assault cases and hold perpetrators accountable.
Police officers decide when to turn on their body-worn cameras, and this study found that what officers do on the job (like patrol versus desk work) is the strongest predictor of how often they activate their cameras, while officer demographics and most attitudes don't matter much. However, officers who believe cameras limit their decision-making freedom or expose them to public criticism are less likely to turn them on. This matters because body cameras are meant to increase police accountability, but their effectiveness depends on officers actually using them during important encounters with the public.
This study examined how managing emotions on the job contributes to burnout among both sworn police officers and civilian employees across police departments, sheriff's offices, and corrections agencies. The research found that while officers and civilian staff experience different levels of emotional exhaustion and feeling disconnected from their work, the emotional demands of the job significantly increase burnout risk for both groups. These findings matter because law enforcement agencies increasingly rely on civilian employees to support their operations, yet little research has explored how the emotional stress of police work affects non-sworn personnel who interact with the public and support critical functions.
This study examined how the emotional demands of police work affect both sworn officers and civilian employees (who make up nearly half of law enforcement agency staff) in a large corrections department. Survey data from 934 employees revealed that while both groups experience emotional stress from their jobs, they burn out in different ways and for different reasons. Understanding these differences is crucial for police administrators because current management approaches may not effectively address the distinct needs of civilian staff, who are essential to department operations but often overlooked in research and policy.
A large-scale study of public opinion found that many Americans disapprove of police force even when it's legally justified, and this disapproval has grown over nearly three decades from 1990 to 2018. This research reveals a significant gap between what the law considers reasonable police conduct and what the public finds acceptable. Understanding this disconnect is crucial for police departments and policymakers because it helps explain why police-community tensions persist even in cases where officers follow proper legal procedures.
Police researchers studied what motivates officers to turn on their body-worn cameras by surveying 147 officers and analyzing their camera usage data. They found that an officer's specific job duties and department policies were the strongest predictors of camera use, while personal attitudes and demographics like age or race had little impact. This suggests that clear departmental rules and job expectations—rather than individual officer preferences—are key to ensuring consistent body camera activation, which could help explain why some police body camera programs succeed while others fail.
This study examined how workers at non-governmental organizations manage their emotions as part of their job duties, finding that staff must carefully control their feelings when mentoring colleagues, setting boundaries with clients, and staying calm during crises. While this research focuses on NGOs rather than police, it reveals important insights about emotional demands in public service work that likely apply to law enforcement officers who face similar challenges in managing their emotions while helping people and responding to emergencies. Understanding how emotional labor affects workers in helping professions could inform better training and support systems for police officers dealing with traumatic or stressful situations.