Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology

Esteban, Renzo Felipe Carranza; Mamani-Benito, Oscar Javier; Chaparro, Josué Edison Turpo; De la Cruz, Avelino Vilafuerte; Pajares, Ana Elguera; Lingan, Susana K.

doi: 10.1007/s11896-024-09662-1pmid: N/A

Citizen insecurity has become a problem that threatens people’s mental health, due to its negative impact on the well-being and quality of life of the population. In Peru, one of the most frequent forms of crime is robbery, which occurs when the victim withdraws money from an ATM or bank. Therefore, it is necessary to have instruments to measure the magnitude of the impact of these events on mental health. To design and validate a scale of concern about being a robbery victim when withdrawing money from an ATM or bank in Peruvian citizens. 759 Peruvian citizens between 18 and 68 years of age (women = 56.65%, mean age = 27.64, SD = 8.25) participated. In addition to the EPre-RD scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-2 (GAD-2) was applied. Evidence of content-based validity was obtained from the criteria of expert judges; the internal structure was analyzed under a factor-analytic approach; and validity based on association with other variables was explored by calculating Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Finally, reliability was analyzed through the alpha coefficient. The EPre-RD items received a favorable evaluation in respect of representativeness, relevance, and clarity. In addition, evidence of a unidimensional structure was found, both from the exploratory factor analysis and the confirmatory factor analysis, and so was a positive association with anxiety. Finally, reliability obtained an adequate value. The EPre-RD is an instrument with adequate psychometric properties to be used as a measure of the emotional impact of worry about being a victim of a robbery when withdrawing money from an ATM or bank in Peruvian citizens.

McNeil, Shane

doi: 10.1007/s11896-024-09682-xpmid: N/A

This paper investigates the disparities in adopting cognitive interviewing techniques between local and federal law enforcement agencies in the USA. Despite the established benefits of these techniques for enhancing witness recall accuracy and reducing false confessions, adoption at the local level lags significantly behind federal practices. Through a qualitative synthesis of existing literature and public reports, this study identifies the main barriers to adoption, which include resource limitations, training deficiencies, and cultural resistance within local agencies. The analysis suggests that comprehensive training programs, legislative mandates, and cultural shifts within law enforcement are critical to overcoming these barriers. Recommendations for promoting broader adoption include enhancing resource allocation for training, implementing national standards for investigative practices, and leveraging successful models from federal agencies. The paper underscores the need for a unified approach to improve investigative outcomes and justice across all levels of law enforcement.

Islam, Fatema; Ahammed, Rakib

doi: 10.1007/s11896-024-09679-6pmid: N/A

In this paper, we examine the roles of Bangladesh Police in fighting terrorism in the country. In terms of theory, the starting point is the concept of counter-terrorism. The researchers investigate the efforts of police in combating terrorism against the changing dynamics of terrorism in Bangladesh also in the absence of a national counter-terrorism strategy. In addition to consulting relevant literature, the authors conducted 14 in-depth interviews—10 police officers, two journalists, and two experts—to understand the picture. The key findings are the following: i) competition among the anti-terrorism units of police in showcasing their success in counter-terrorism actions forces police officers not to share relevant information and coordinate among themselves; ii) the absence of a national counter-terrorism strategy compels police officers to follow ad hoc policies and temporary techniques in their counter-terrorism steps including in proactive and reactive ones; iii) weaknesses in capacity, from resources to jurisdictions to scope of work, hinder police’s battle against the contemporary dimensions in terrorism which include involvement of women, lone-wolf attempt, and cyber-terrorism.