Critical thinking why guns wont make us safer Essay

Critical thinking why guns wont make us safer - Essay Example there are suggestions from the public that guns enable citizens to protect themselves, this is not the case because, guns continue to be used in domestic violence across the American society. To further prove the need for gun control, studies shows that countries implementing laws related to gun control have realized success in terms of reducing homicides, suicides, domestic violence and other gun related violence or crimes (Trotter 26). Sean Faircloth is correct in his argument that guns will not make the society safer. The infiltration of guns into the hands of the citizens in America, has done more harm than good. Statistics shows that gun ownership has resulted to an increase in homicide which often occur because of domestic violence. In addition guns are used to commit suicide and mentally or psychologically disturbed teenagers are using guns to kill fellow students. In essence, this statistics is an evident that there is need for gun control in the American society to protect c itizens from harm. As argued by Faircloth, it is true that most homicide committed in American homes is mainly contributed by ownership of guns by citizens. Citizens normally acquire guns for safety purposes; however, these guns pose a danger particularly in a spate of anger, either spouse can use a gun in case of an incidence of domestic violence. On the same note, it is true that domestic violence go hand in hand with gun violence and in most cases, it is women who are the victims of gun violence especially in American homes. Most people who own gun in the American society are not insane, the citizens who own guns are stable and their prior intention is to improve the safety of their homes (Faircloth). As reiterated by Faircloth: â€Å"Most citizens who own guns normally do not have an intention to turn against their wives or girlfriends, but in a spate of anger guns can become a tool of lashing out. Shooting another person only takes seconds and one only realizes after the damage

IT in Finance Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IT in Finance Industry - Essay Example If I have to do this project again, I will plan a version management system and instruct the team members to strictly follow it and verify the version of the files before uploading them to the live server. First and foremost, always have up to date reliable anti-virus software with an Internet Firewall installed in the system. It is not possible to eliminate all threats as hackers and malware programmers cannot be eliminated. So the best policy is to prevent such attempts. In case a threat is encountered, the user has to report the issue to the anti-virus software provider, so that the provider can issue a fix for that threat as well. The system administrators can have security certificates and encryptions included in their web applications so that it is impossible for anybody to include viral software in the web application and spread it across the web. As far as a backup system is considered, reliability is far more important than the features included. The main reason for using a backup system is to restore the original system if it encounters a sudden threat or gets corrupted. The backup system has to be reliable and error free so that it can actually serve its purpose. Limited features are sufficient for a backup system, as they do not play major role. In order to provide uninterrupted service to the end users, it is always essential that the backup system is reliable and is always ready to be used as a substitute. In this case, resolving the problem depends on the nature of the issue and at times, even on the level of technical knowledge of the user. In any case, the basic things to check in the event of a complaint are: The first thing to do is to stop continuing the changes try and reverse the changes done recently. It is best practice to take a screen shot or record the steps that are being taken. The database has to be checked to verify if the

Sexual Assault of a Child Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sexual Assault of a Child - Essay Example Also, of the estimated 766,686 missing juveniles in the United States last year, including abductees, runaways and abandoned "throwaways," 16 percent likely were victims of sexual exploitation (Spun, 2002). Â  The clinical explanations of sexual abuse are linked to decrees, the directing the belief is whether the encounter has a shocking impact on the child. Not all sexual encounters suffered by children do. The distressing impact is usually influenced by the significance of the act to the child, which may alter as the child progresses through developmental phases. Â  Sexual abuse comprises of but is not restricted to, viewing a child pornographic resources, placing the child's hand on another person's genitals, touching a child's genitals, or penetration of any orifice of a child's body with a penis, finger, or an article of any kind. Penetration does not have to take place for it to be sexual abuse. Â  Sexual abuse can take place anywhere, at any occasion, including in front of other people who do not, or prefer to not see. Sexual abuse has horrifying consequences on children. Children who have been sexually abused undergo overwhelming mental breakdown and at times death. The children build up distrust and will have troubles in their future relationships. In addition, sexual abuse makes sexual abusers. Â  The impact of sexual abuse accomplishes all levels of a child's sentiments. Confusion is frequently the early response of the child. Once the abuse starts the victim undergoes an incredible disagreement with their emotions. They feel pleasing due to the awareness they are getting from the parent, as well as the bodily satisfaction. Conversely, they undergo pain, guiltiness, and annoyance for what is being done. Â  Child victims of sexual abuse suffer far worse trauma if they think images of their ordeals are distributed on the internet, a Welsh conference will hear today. The shame of being seen in pictures of abuse passed among pedophiles leaves children with a heavier psychological burden (Internet Images Make Child Abuse Trauma Burden Worse, 2004). Â  The abused will feel remarkable guiltiness for various reasons. They think they did nothing to prevent the abuse, as a result, they are accountable and it should carry on. They felt painful but the abuse was sometimes pleasing. They one way or another deserved or caused the abuse. Â  A victim will generally feel this manner when their confidence has reduced and they have no more responses to what is happening. Â  Another most important foundation of guiltiness comes from the mother. Frequently when the mother is told regarding the mistreatment she will not want to think the charges and will hold responsible the child. Â  

Technology as Fast and Slow Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technology as Fast and Slow Knowledge - Essay Example On the one hand, he is right to say that technology ruined the environment because of overproduction and industrialization. On the other hand, he does not consider how technology can also help promote ecological interests by developing slow knowledge. This paper argues that although technology has produced harmful effects on ecology, it can also be used in studying and resolving environmental problems through providing fast and slow knowledge. As stated above, Spayde contends that a gap exists between what people have (technology) and their capabilities in properly using it (ethics or moral development). Spayde argues that slow knowledge that is based on â€Å"ecological and cultural context† is better than â€Å"fast knowledge† that â€Å"zips through the terminals of information society† (68). He proves this by saying that fast knowledge provides technology, but this technology has no sense of morality and collectiveness. He also differentiates hard facts from having the slow knowledge or ethics in properly using facts. ... This essay will prove that these contentions on the balanced outlook on fast and slow knowledge and the importance of technology in ecology are correct through evidence and logic. Technology, especially through computing, has significantly helped the development of the study of ecology. In Chapter 24: Roles of Technology in Ecology, Klomp, Green, and Fry explore the role of technology in advancing environmental interests. They stress that computing technology has expanded the spatial reach of ecological studies through the use of remote sensing and related methods. They underscore that computers have eased the use of large data sets and sophisticated statistical packages and also enabled access to and accumulation of national and global data sets. Klomp, Green, and Fry add that using computer-generated models help simulate environmental events, can offer a greater understanding of ecosystems, and enhance predictive powers to conservation and land managers. Hence, technology can also be used as a tool in addressing environmental problems. Technology does not only produce fast knowledge, like what Spayde contents, because its fast knowledge can also be used to produce slow knowledge. Computer modeling, for instance, has affected ecological theory. Klomp, Green, and Fry explain that ecosystem connectivity is an illustration of a complex ecological problem that computer modeling has handled with substantial success. They underscore that computers have enabled simulations of experiments that real time or space would not otherwise permit. This fast knowledge produced slow knowledge that allowed the development of landscape ecology. Klomp, Green, and Fry argue that computer simulation of this complexity has helped ecologists to better

Problems of Population Census in Africa Essay Example for Free

Problems of Population Census in Africa Essay More explicitly it can be defined as a complete process of collection, reception, assessments, analysis publication and distribution of demographic, economic and social data, which relates at a given moment in time to all the residents of a country or of a well-defined partial geographic area, as reflected in the population and housing censuses handbook of the U. N in 1992. While conducting population census, there are various problems that could be altering the successful completion of the exercise using Africa and some African countries as case study, they include: i. Insufficient funding ii. Manpower ( inadequate skills/ knowledge , availability ) iii. Political influences iv. Inaccuracy in the base maps being used v. Inaccessibility to enumeration areas. Funding has been a major issue in the conduct of population censuses in developing countries especially in Africa. Most countries find the exercise too cumbersome to carry out in respect of monetary times and as such the periodical conduct of censuses under a 10 years plan as practiced by some developed countries in Europe and north America could not be achieved in Africa but some countries like Botswana have been able to achieve a considerable number of censuses up to tune of 15 censuses in their history. Sighting Nigeria as an example, the concluded 2006 national population and housing census was conducted after 15 years of the unsuccessful previous one. Even with respect to that wide gap. The country still had to receive monetary aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The issue of manpower is ravaging cases in conducting population census in Africa, the manpower usually are unskilled or semi-skilled in most cases. By virtue of that, the data they collect might not be correct which gives an in- accurate statistical data when the results of the census is concluded. The 2006 census in Nigeria recorded a huge number of inexperienced work persons who ad no previous knowledge of collecting data before that time. Influences cannot be ruled out mostly in developing countries where the due process agenda is just being proper gated. The stages that have to be passed through are in most cases being skipped or area that area to be paid much emphasises are being streamlined if it will not be of political interest to the people in power. Also there is cases of incompetent official being employed due to their political influences and no experience forehand which would later jeopardise the exercise. Due to a considerable level of backwardness still being experienced in Africa as a continent there are still some loop areas that affect the hitch free process of population census and that the availability of an up to date base maps. Some African countries still fi d it hard to produce an update map of the various regions and areas in their state which gives the workers a [problem when they get to their enumeration area and it still cannot tally with the area indicated on the base map given to them . Only few countries in Africa has been able to overcome this problems, Egypt has passed that level has it has been able to perform successively a 10years interval censuses since 1909 and problems as such has been eradicated over time. But that is not the case with other countries that has just being enlightened to the benefit of population censuses. The problem of harsh terrain has also been a ravaging factors that infers a complete population census to be carried out in some areas. For instance Ethiopia has had just three censuses in history (1984, 1994 and 2007) but in all cases the Somali region and the Afar region were not covered due to the fact that these regions are remote regions that are very hot and arid. While the Somali region hosts a large population and is a conflict area where Ethiopian regular forces are fighting against the Ogaden national liberation areas. These areas are areas of tremendous dangers in which enumerators are scared of going which would eventually have a deficit on the population statistics when it is finally computed. However with all these been said Kenya has been the first African country to be the first to produce a completely processed census within one year after census.

Importance of Nutrition in Patient Care

Importance of Nutrition in Patient Care Nutrition and hydration are essential human needs that should be the main focus of the nurse in the care of the patient/client. If the nutritional state of the patient is inadequate or unbalanced the effect of therapeutic medical interventions can be ineffective therefore nutrition is as important as medication in the recovery from chronic diseases, wounds, infections and surgical operation. The lack of a balanced diet can lead to malnutrition which is considered to be a major risk for morbidity and mortality among the elderly (Webb and Copeman, 1996). Research done by the European Nutrition for Health Alliance (2005) found that four out of 10 older people admitted to hospital are malnourished on arrival and six out of 10 are at risk of becoming malnourished or their condition worsening. Florence Nightingale stated that, thousands of patients are starved in the midst of plenty, from the want of attention to the ways which alone make it possible for them to eat (Webb and Copeman 1996) . It is vital for nurses to implement a patient centred care to develop trust as meeting the needs of the elderly can be challenging. Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2008) acknowledges that nurses should make the care of people their first concern treating them as individuals and respecting their dignity therefore providing food and help with eating are important elements in maintaining dignity. This essay is going to focus on the importance of nutrition in the care of adults mainly the elderly as care for the elderly is different in that a childs main focus is growth and maturation while that of the elderly is maintaining a healthy physical status, building strength and avoiding excess weight. It is going to look at the definition of nutrition, some of the essential nutrients, ways of nutritional support, malnutrition, role of nurse in preventing malnutrition and barriers faced. This report is going to have different materials that back up evidence based practise and support the importance of nutrition in patient/client care. Essential nutrients Williams, (1999) describes nutrition as the sum of the processes involved in food nutrients, assimilating and using them to maintain body tissue and provide energy which is the foundation for life and health. There are different types of nutrients which are responsible for regulating different functions, providing energy, enable growth and maintain cell tissue. There are two categories of nutrients which are classified as macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients Protein is an essential nutrient needed by every human being as it is vital for the growth and repair of tissues (Quinn et al 1987). It is responsible for making hormones, enzymes and antibodies which help fight infections as well as deliver oxygen and transportation of other nutrients to the body. Nurses should encourage strict vegetarian patients to take a complementary protein to ensure they have a sufficient supply of amino acids as the lack of these can lead to protein- energy malnutrition (PEM) (Beck 1985). Evidence from a systematic review (Potter et al 1998) suggests that protein and energy supplementation improves outcomes in the elderly patients with multiple medical and surgical conditions. Enough energy intakes is required to help in restoring and preventing loss of fat stores which provide cushioning against pressure in patients with wounds and pressure ulcers (Thomas 2001). As people age their energy and calorie intake declines because of the decline in metabolic rate, lean body mass and physical activity. The Food Standard agency (FSA) (2001) emphasises that patients with wounds and pressure ulcers should be encouraged to have a carbohydrate source with each meal. Fibre is a form of indigestible carbohydrate which increases the muscle tone in the digestive tract and lowers the risk of developing bowel cancer, constipation, piles and osteoporosis which are common in the elderly (BDA, 2003). Fat provides a store of concentrated energy, heat, insulation and protection from injuries. Fats, especially mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids are responsible for reducing the incidences of heart diseases, brain function, regulating mood and lower depression. They are helpful in preventing cardiovascular diseases such as coronary thrombosis (COMA, 1992). High levels of saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet may increase the risk of obesity and cardiovascular diseases while reducing fat in the diet may deplete levels of serotonin in the brain causing mood changes and depression (Beck et al, 2005). Micronutrients As people age they need more vitamins and minerals to support their general wellbeing. Vitamins are found in fruits and vegetables as well as dairy products, meat and fish. Vitamin B12, B6 and folate are examples of water soluble vitamins which are good at fighting heart diseases, cancers and prevent declining neurological deficiencies such as memory loss and anaemia. It is important for nurses to recommend five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and supplements for patients who cannot receive enough from their normal diet. Minerals are responsible for hormonal, enzymatic, transportation of molecules and electrolyte balance. Calcium is an example of a mineral found in the bones and teeth responsible for the function of muscles, nerves and blood clotting. Fluid intake is a vital nutrient needed for the maintenance of healthy tissues, regulating temperature and transportation. Patients who have an imbalance in fluid are unable to efficiently oxygenate vital organs or carry waste products to be excreted. As the kidneys function deteriorate with age this can impair the renal function in regulating salt and electrolyte balance and this can lead to dehydration (Nursing standard 2009). This can cause renal and cardiac problems especially in patients who have suffered from stroke and Alzheimers disease who can be insensitive to thirst (Water UK 2006). It is important for nurses to encourage frequent sips of water to vulnerable patients as some may have lost a sense of thirst from medication. Types of nutritional supply Food can be administered through oral feeding using modified foods; food fortification moulded foods, finger foods, snacks as well as using enteral (tube feeding inserted in the nose directly to the stomach) and parenteral feeding (intravenously using a sterile liquid) (National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) 2006). Malnutrition NICE (2006) defines malnutrition as, a state in which a deficiency of nutrients such as protein, energy, vitamins and minerals causes measurable adverse effects on body composition, function and clinical outcome. Elderly patients are at risk of malnutrition caused by hospital diet, processes and shortcomings known as iatrogenic malnutrition (Coates 1985). Some of the factors that increase the risks are poor dentures, hearing difficulties, chronic diseases, surgical treatments and other degenerative diseases. Social factors such as isolation, poverty, culture and bereavement can also contribute to the risk. This could lead to a number of deficiencies which may include reduced immunity, impaired function of the heart and lungs. This can increased the risk of admission to hospital and length of stay. NICE (2006) stated that if poor dietary intake or complete inability to eat persists for weeks the resulting malnutrition can be life threatening. Patients are usually screened on admission using their dietary history or screening tools such as the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) to check if they are malnourished, at risk of malnutrition or obese (British Association of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN) 2003). This screening tool consist of a five step guide based on the patients body mass index, weight loss, illness score, overall score and management guidelines. It is important in guiding the carers on which steps to follow which can help to develop and manage an individual care plan. There are a lot of campaigns that are on going to help reduce the number of malnutrition in hospitals such as Hungry to be heard (Age concern 2006) and Nutrition Now (Royal College of Nursing (RCN) 2007). Nutritional screening done in 2007 found that 28% of hospital patients were at risk of malnutrition, of which 22% were considered to be at high risk and 6% at medium risk (BAPEN 2008). Role of nurses and barriers they face The Roper, Logan and Tierney model for nursing states that the nurse has a primary role , within the multidisciplinary team, in ensuring that patients receive food, fluids and adequate nutrition whilst they are in their care and health education regarding a healthy diet (Holland et al 2008). It is important for the nurse to have relevant physiological knowledge and understanding of what makes a balanced diet and different constituent food groups (Docherty and McCallum 2009). Assisting patients to eat is regarded as a fundamental nursing skill that nurses need to develop for the health and wellbeing of patients as well as prevention of diseases. The nurse plays a big role in meeting the nutritional needs of patients by assessing them on admission, monitoring, providing help, advice and referrals. It is the role of the nurse to ensure that collaborative care with other multidisciplinary team such as dieticians, rehabilitation nurses, social workers and occupational therapists is implem ented as soon as possible in cases of malnutrition, anorexia or obesity disease (Docherty and McCallum 2009). The Caroline Walker Trust (2004) recommends that staff should be present and involved at mealtimes, respecting individual preferences, making sure that patients are sitting in an upright position to encourage normal digestion and making the environment pleasant by removing bed pans and commodes to enhance a good appetite. Nurses, in collaboration with the catering staff should respect individual cultural preferences such as providing Kosher for Jews, meat free dishes for vegans/vegetarians and recognising any food allergies and intolerances such as gluten (NMC 2008). Nurses should identify patients who need assistance using the red tray initiative as directed in the Nutrition Now campaign (Royal College of Nursing (RCN) 2007). It is important for the nurse to imply good interpersonal communication skills with the patient as this will encourage the patient to eat. The nurse should also check that all records are well documented such as care plans; food and fluid balance charts as it is a good way of communicating with the other staff and gives a clear nutritional outcome. From the experience I had at my placement the red tray initiative was a good form of identifying patients who needed assistance. It gave me the chance to be aware that meeting nutritional requirements of older patients can be more challenging as the patient declined to be assisted in feeding (Docherty and McCallum 2009). Barriers faced by nurses lack of nursing time, lack of nutritional training, lack of communication, trust and respect within the multidisciplinary team. Conclusion In conclusion providing good nutrition is important in the prevention of malnutrition, degenerative diseases and overall well being of patients. It is vital for nurses to develop good nutritional knowledge and interpersonal skills to be able to provide holistic quality care towards the recovery of patients.

Examining Factors Influencing Police Decision Making Criminology Essay

Examining Factors Influencing Police Decision Making Criminology Essay Police decision-making relies on a myriad of factors to include the individual officers characteristics, the environment the officer works in, the characteristics of the offender, the situation the officer finds themselves in, and the organization that influences them. In an attempt to control officer behavior and discretion, some police agencies have encouraged and/or mandated the increased hiring of minorities, women, and college educated officers. The belief is that officer characteristics such as race, sex, and education have an effect on police decision making and these characteristics will have a moderating influence on egregious behaviors such as excessive force, police shootings, and violations of civil rights. However, there is no compelling evidence to suggest that officer characteristics have such a strong influence to counter the other factors of situation, organization, and environment in decision-making. Since officer characteristics are a minor part of the complex fact ors influencing police behavior, there is no harm in promoting increased hiring of minorities, women, and college educated officers. These hiring policies do need to be seen as an attempt by the police agency to hire officers that share characteristics of the constituency that they serve. More study is needed to verify the influences of officer characteristics on police behavior and then, if the studies verify a connection, this research can substantiate the increased hiring practices of minorities, women, and college educated officers. INTRODUCTION There is a dearth of quasi-experimental and experimental designs into the factors that influence a police officers decision-making. Questions remain on how influential certain characteristics such as officer sex, race, age, education, and attitude can be on officer behavior. Of the existing studies that investigate the influences of officer characteristics, the results are mixed on how influential these characteristics are. However, there are numerous studies, while not experimental, that can help explain police behaviors through factors other than officer characteristics (National Research Council, 2004, pp. 34-35). By using these studies of other than officer characteristics, we can validate how strong or weak these factors are on officer behavior. More studies of officer characteristics on police behavior are needed in order to justify the sanctioned hiring of more females, minorities, and college educated officers in an attempt to control officer behavior. Some police administrat ors and policy makers think that officers with more education and a diverse background will make better decisions when interacting with the public and reduce the incidents of excessive force and violations of civil rights (Walker, 1998, p. 232) and this is the reason for implementing affirmative action hiring programs at some police agencies. Some factors put forth as possible behavioral influences on police officers have included citizen behaviors and attitudes, ecological influences, environmental factors, legal restraints, organizational factors, politics, and situational factors. While all are capable of influencing behavior, none answers the entire question of determining and predicting police behavior (National Research Council, 2004, pp. 214-216). One of the biggest obstacles in determining police behavior is overcoming ingrained conventional wisdom on police matters. There is too much attention placed on certain behaviors such as racial profiling, police shootings, use of force, and corruption without trying to understand the causes and definitions of such behaviors. These high-profile incidents receive quick fixes from politicians and police administrators without addressing the underlying causes. Theory based studies would be better used to explain and correct egregious displays of police behavior (Engel, 2002, pp. 269-270). There is a need for empirical based studies of police behavior in order to determine which factors, if any, influence the behavior of police officers, the use of discretion, and whether if police departments can control for these behaviors by emphasizing the hiring of women, minorities, and college educated officers (National Research Council, 2004, pp. 152-154). Based on the evidence so far, the influences on police behavior are too complex and varied to make a strong conclusion that certain policies such as hiring more minorities, women, and college educated officers can correct and/control individual police behavior. Although strong correlations exist between police behavior and situational, legal, organizational, and community factors, none represents a bellwether solution for influencing police behavior. With no conclusive evidence linking certain officer characteristics such as officer race, gender, and education to particular behaviors, policies emphasizing departmental solutions to behavioral issues should be maintained within certain contexts. Rather than being seen as a tool to influence officer behaviors and outcomes, these hiring practices should be seen as an attempt to correct previous discriminatory hiring practices, promote employee diversity, and as an endeavor to have a police agency reflect their constituency in order to bu ild trust and cooperation. Other factors such as police culture, situations, and police bureaucracy that have been shown to have more of an influence police behavior than officer characteristics should be given more focus in attempts to change officer behavior. DISCRETION AND POLICE BEHAVIOR The Importance of Discretion Tackling the issue of determining the basis of police behavior is not new but the complexity of the issue was realized from the beginning of such research as the American Bar Foundation Survey in the 1950s and its follow-on research by the Presidents Commission on Law Enforcement in 1967. Though these early studies spent considerable time in attempting to understand police discretion, they laid the groundwork for later studies on police behavior and raised several questions in the process (Walker, 1992, pp. 48-54). Questions such as the influence of officer characteristics and attitude on officer behavior are still not fully understood. These studies began with the emphasis on examining police behavior and public interaction with the belief that most officers performed their jobs according to the letter of the law. However, it was soon discovered in the course of these studies that the police exercised an enormous amount of discretion in applying the law (National Research Council, 2 004, pp. 22-23). The importance discretion has on police behavior cannot be overstated. A police officer, once out of training, operates with very little direct supervision and can be highly selective in demonstrating the power of the police. Even when answering service calls with ample evidence of a crime, there is no guarantee that the officer will take a formal action against a citizen. Almost every interaction an officer has with the public has a measure of discretion. Because of a lack of direct supervision, the actions of the officer cannot be constantly monitored to ensure adherence to the law and obedience of civil rights. On one hand, an officer decides to enforce the law and make the arrest. This action then comes under the review of the police department, courts, the media, and the public since arrest in the United States are a matter of the public record. On the other hand, an officer decides not to make an arrest by using discretion. The reasons for no arrest can vary from lack of eviden ce to the officers concern that her/his shift is almost over and does not want to stay late to book an arrest. Only the officer, the suspect, and perhaps some bystanders have knowledge of the non-arrest. Since none of these people occupy the officers chain of command or justice sub-system, this decision of non-arrest is not up for review except in rare circumstances (Goldstein, 1960, pp. 90-92). Goldstein (1960) noted that the use of police discretion in not making arrests are not reviewed except in cases where the police detained suspects in a crime and the suspect went on to commit further crimes and/or the non-arrest is seen as part of corruption. However, arrests and therefore the decisions to make that arrest are under review at every juncture of the criminal justice process, from booking through adjudication. Therefore, the burden of a good arrest and the discretion used to make the arrest is no longer on the officer put placed with the courts for review. Police officers use their discretion for a multitude of purposes, from being a crime fighter to doing their best to avoid as much work as possible. Allowing for the effects of being the subject of a study, officers still exhibit a wide range of behaviors depending on when, where, and with whom they choose to exercise their powers of detention, questioning, arrest, and force (Van Maanen, 1974, p. 122). Added to the everyday factors such as the situation in which the officer find himself or herself interacting with citizens, expectations of their agency and co-workers, and differences in location, the officer is also part of a public service organization. The police have competing mandates and responsibilities placed upon them by a fickle public and an even more fickle political system. These mandates and responsibilities are usually not clearly communicated or only communicated after an incident has taken place and the police response was not what the public expected of their agency. Discretion is used by police management to guide these expectations down to the beat officer and to adjust to a changing and mercurial political climate (National Research Council, 2004, p. 57). Studying Police Behavior and Discretion Discretion has been the focus of study since the 1950s and 1960s in an attempt to understand how officer decision making influences police behavior. More importantly, researchers were looking into how discretion factored into situations in which officers violated civil rights, arrest decisions, and racial discrimination (National Research Council, 2004, p. 64). While previous research focused on the police applying the law, it was thought that officers clearly applied the law fairly and non-discriminately when the law had been broken. However, follow-up studies revealed that discretion in how the officer applied the law was more important to decision making than once believed. Officers were shown to not make arrests even when the law was clearly broken and were making arrests for reasons other than law breaking i.e., citizen safety, disrespect, and case management (National Research Council, 2004, p. 70). Attempts to control discretion have been tried in different police agencies, often because of police shootings and other misapplications of deadly force. While most attempts to control or formalize discretion have met with mixed results, other such as in the aftermath of the Memphis police shootings have been successful in reducing police shootings and implementing other administrative controls (Fyfe, 1982, p. 72). The use of discretion carries with it a double-sided curse of being unavoidable in police work in a democratic political system. With no discretion, police officers would be heavy handed and legalistic but still exercising some type of preference, just with more subtlety and with obvious crimes being ignored and minor infractions being investigated. Attempts by police administrators to control discretion have failed (Aaronson et al., 1984, pp. 408-436) and even though it can encourage abuses, discretion carries with it the will of the people who are being policed. The Exercise of Police Arrest Power The actions of the police are based on the lawfulness and legitimacy of their actions in controlling the public. The public also has to recognize the legitimacy of the police and submit to these tenets in order to be policed. When there is conflict between the public and the police it is usually a result of the police not following the strictures set up under the law e.g., unlawful search and seizure, interrogations without Miranda warnings, and excessive force (National Research Council, 2004, pp. 5-6, 252). Various police agencies exercise discretion and arrest power in different ways based on the style of policing the agency utilizes. There are three styles of policing identified by Wilson (1968): the watchman, service, and legalistic. Discretion is used the most often under the watchman style since these types of agencies are primarily concerned with order maintenance. Officers using this style are most concerned with maintaining social control by suppressing illegal activities and disruptive behavior. Discretion is used along with arrest powers to persuade, threaten, and discourage potential lawbreakers (National Research Council, 2004, pp. 70-71). The legalistic police agency is the opposite of the watchman style with an emphasis on enforcing the law no matter how small the infraction may be. Legalistic agencies tend to have high arrest rates, issue more citations, and utilize the law to target and/or harass persons suspected of violating the law. The use of discretion is low for th ese types of departments since they tend to view infractions in more concrete terms and use arrest as a tool even for minor infractions. This type of full enforcement also constrains officer behavior and allows some amount of control over the officer by the agency. Police agencies that use a service style of policing are using both order maintenance and law enforcement while staying attuned to the desires of the community they serve. While less emphasis is placed on using arrest for even minor infractions, the service type of agency still uses arrest and discretion to enforce the laws that are important to the local community. Officer behavior is still controlled but not as much as under the legalistic style but also not given as much freedom as under the watchman style. However, discretion is still present in all three styles with varying degrees of arrest power implemented and/or encouraged by the agency in order to more closely adhere to the desired outcomes of the police agency. OFFICER CHARACTERISTICS Effects on Police Behavior It has been suggested that an officers psychological and attitudinal orientation influence the officers behavior when they interact with the public. This assumption deals with an officers traits, experiences, and attitudes (Terrill and Mastrofski, 2002, p. 218). One area that has drawn an increasing amount of attention from researchers is officer characteristics and the use of force. Research into the influences of officer education and experience has suggested that officer education and experience have a positive effect on the use of force in that officers with more experience and formal education are more likely to use alternate forms of citizen control. Officer education refers to formal education outside of police training and usually means some type of college or trade school education. Officer experience refers to the amount of years employed as a police officer. The research found that a more educated and experienced officer shows more restraint when applying force (Terrill an d Mastrofski, 2002, p. 244). Officer behavior can be explained by the situational factors officers find themselves in and by the attitude exhibited by the officer. However, the link between situational factors and officer behavior is stronger than the attitude link. While going against conventional wisdom, officer attitude has not been found to be a strong indicator of officer behavior and this holds true for the general population as well (Worden, 1989, p. 670). Situational and organizational factors have been found to be a more important source of officer decision making than attitudinal based factors (Worden, 1989, pp. 673-674). An officer is also heavily influenced by the legal factors involved when an officer encounters a citizen such as the citizens resistance to orders, officer and citizen safety, and evidence of a crime. Usually when an officer finds her or himself dealing with a situation that requires arrest or the use of force within a legal framework, they will behave accordingly rather than rely on officer attitude or other officer characteristics (Terrill and Mastrofski, 2002, pp. 233-235). The officers race has also been studied as a possible explanation for police behavior with the thinking that an officer of a minority background would interact with citizens of the same race differently and with greater understanding. Agencies have encouraged the hiring of more black officers with the expectation that black officers would improve relations between police and the black community and reduce the amount of bias held by officers against black citizens. However, before race or ethnicity can be examined as a possible source of behavior and a predictor of future behavior, other influential factors must be controlled for. These include length of the officers experience on the job, their level of education, characteristics of the suspect, and type of encounter in question. Studies such as Brown and Franks (2006) hold that officer race has an influence on arrest decisions and behavior but their study had to control for the above-mentioned factors. They found white officers were more likely to make arrests than black officers were but that black officers were more likely to arrest black suspects. Other research found that while there were differences in the attitudes of minority and white officers, African American officers arrested African American suspects more often and were more likely to use force against minority suspects than white officers (XXX) An officers gender has also been identified as a possible source of officer behavior. However, there has been no significant evidence to suggest that male and female officers behave differently in the course of their jobs even though it has been suggested that female officers would be less aggressive and rely more on persuasion and verbal tactics during suspect confrontations (National Research Council, 2004, p. 151). The few studies that showed a difference in officer behaviors based on gender were directed toward community policing and order maintenance situations. Engel et al. (2000) founds that female officers focus more on problem solving when confronted with issues during their shifts (National Research Council, 2004, p. 151). Female officers, when operating under the auspices of community policing, have been found to have a more positive attitude towards citizens and the goals of the community policing programs than do male officers (Skogan and Hartnett, 1997, pp. 239-242). Ma strofski et al. (2000) concluded that female officers also were more likely to honor a citizens request to control other citizens within the context of community policing (p. 335). Other than attitudes, differences between female and male officer bahvior during the course of their duties has not been shown. Female officers seem to exhibit the same bahviors as male officers when confronted with different situations and different behaviors exhibited by citizens. Whether these citizen inteactions required restraint, issuance of citations, force, or arrest, the actions of the female officers was very similar to those of male officers (Walker, Despite some differences in attitudes, research findings confirm that there are only very slight differences in on-the-job behavior between the sexes. Studies of police officers in several agencies have revealed that female and male officers responded to similar calls for service and encountered similar proportions of problem citizens (e.g., citizens who are intoxicated, angry, violent, etc.). Only slight-and nonstatistically significant-differences existed in the proportion of arrest and citations issued by male and female officers (for review, see Walker). Findings regarding officers use of deadly force, however, have been somewhat mixed. Studies have shown that male officers are involved in deadly force incidents more often than female officers, but female officers who are partnered with a male officer reacted similarly to their male partners when responding to violent confrontations (Walker). In addition, a study of police officers in Indianapolis Police Department and St. Petersburg Police Department during 1996-1997 found that male officers are more likely than female officers to respond positively to citizens requests to control another citizen (Mastrofski et al., 2000). Going Against Type, Styles of Officer Behavior Being part of a heavily bureaucratized and politicized organization, the police officer has the opportunity to depend upon a certain type of behavior in order to make their work enjoyable. A police officer is supervised closely and operates independently at the same time, utilizing discretion and experience to either patrol aggressively or only answer service calls. The intricate factors that influence decision-making include organizational pressures, territory coverage, survival, street code, group dynamics, and coping skills. Since the nature of patrol work can change from moment to moment and can only be generally predicted over the course of a shift, the behavior an officer exhibits can quickly change from an aggressive legalistic style to a laid back, emergency response style over the course of a shift (Van Maanen, 1974, pp. 120-121). Outside factors have an influence on officer behavior as strongly as internalized attitudes and beliefs. Because the police agency is heavily influenced by outside forces such as the law, bureaucratic control, politics, and public complaints, sometimes the officers behavior is pre-determined by such constraints (Herbert, 1998, pp. 361-364). An officer also has to hold themselves to an organizational ideal of being competent, moral, and safe (for self and fellow officers). Even if an officer exhibits the attributes of a hard-charger or a desk jockey, they are still expected to meet the minimum expectations of the group i.e., assist when called upon, show solidarity with fellow officers, and be safe (Herbert, 1998, pp. 355-361). SITUATIONAL FACTORS OF POLICE BEHAVIOR The Probability of Arrest Factors other than officer characteristics have been shown to be a better predictor of officer behavior in terms of arrest. Citizen initiated arrests and preferences have a stronger influence on arrest decisions than the preferences of the officer, who sometimes would prefer to be more lenient and possess more evidence when making an arrest decision. Seriousness of the crime, whether the suspect is known and/or related to the officer, and the amount of disrespect given to the officer are also factors that take the arrest decision beyond officer characteristics (Black, 1971, pp. 1104-1110). Suspect demeanor also has been shown to be a strong indicator of the chances of being arrested. An officer, no matter their attitude or other characteristics, will not usually subject themselves to disrespect and abuse at the hands of a citizen. Although situation specific, interaction between police and citizens is influenced by the behavior displayed by both parties, and an escalation of perceived disrespect by one party against the other is met with resistance by the other. There is also disagreement among officers on what construes disrespect, which adds to the difficulty in using suspect demeanor as an officer behavior predictor (Klinger, 1994, pp. 489-491). However, the correlation in suspect demeanor and chance of arrest is still a strong indicator of officer behavior and prediction (Worden Shepard, 1996, pp. 99-103). Other situational factors such as the mental health of a suspect and citizen requests have a much stronger effect on officer behavior than officer characteristics. Even though there may be a correlation on an officers education level in respect to the officers predilection to arrest a mentally disordered suspect (Engel and Silver, 2001, p. 247), officers have not been shown to disproportionately arrest mentally disordered persons based on mental health (Engel and Silver, 2001, pp. 245-248). An officer is usually not inclined to grant a citizens request to arrest another unless there is evidence of a crime committed. This holds true regardless of the citizens race, wealth, or social affiliation. However, Mastrofski et al. (2000) found that male officers, officers of limited experience, and officers with a passion for community policing were more apt to honor a request for arrest. Suspect Characteristics It has long been pre-supposed by the advocates of conventional wisdom that certain characteristics of the suspects that are immediately discernable such as age, race, sex, and social class had an influence on the officers decision to make an arrest or some other formal action. (EXPAND) ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS ON OFFICER BEHAVIOR The Influences of the Organization The influence of organizational factors on officer behavior is dependent upon the type of organization the officer is working in. Smith (1984) identified bureaucratic and professional agencies with four sub-categories identified by the level of bureaucracy and professionalism within the agency. High professionalism and high bureaucracy is legalistic, high professionalism with low bureaucracy is service, low professionalism with high bureaucracy is militaristic, and low professionalism with low bureaucracy is fraternal. Therefore, the behavior of the officer can be reasonably predicted based on the type of agency and that agencys definition of legal control (Smith, 1984, pp. 33-35). Organizational influences on officer behavior can also be seen when using expectancy theory. The organization, in this case police agency or department, instills certain expectations from its officers in regards to arrests, traffic stops, citations issued, etc. In the example used by Mastrofski et al. (1994) in their study of Pennsylvania police officers, DUI enforcement was the studied expectancy. Mastrofski et al. (1994) found that when the officers operated under the expectations of their agencies, they usually complied whether the expectations were for high or minimal enforcement. The characteristics of the individual officers did not play a significant role except for a small number of rate busters who bucked the system and made significantly more arrests for DUI (Mastrofski et al., 1994, pp. 142-145). Organizational factors have been shown to have the ability to change officer behavior when there has been directed action against identified behavior, usually in response to police abuses or scandal. An example of this occurred when the Memphis police department made a concerted effort to reduce the amount of police shootings since the rate of deadly shootings in Memphis was disproportionate when compared to other, larger cities (Fyfe, 1982, pp. 712-717). The reasons for shooting given by the Memphis officers were not in agreement with reasons given by the comparison city of New York since Memphis officers showed a predilection to using deadly force for property crime offenses (Fyfe, 1982, pp. 715-716) while New York officers did not. The Memphis police addressed this issue by instituting a more stringent deadly force policy and officer survival training in an attempt to reduce the shootings incidents. An organizations influence on officer behavior can also be seen in the supervisory styles of police mid-level management. Engel (2001) identified different supervisory styles among police sergeants and lieutenants identified as traditional, innovative, supportive, and active (pp. 347-350). While each style has a direct influence on the officers they are supervising, it is also interesting to note the attitudes of the supervisors themselves when the distribution is included for sex, race, rank, age, experience, and education. Engel (2001) found that half of the traditional supervisors were female, this may be attributed to their use of rules, and regulations to keep officers in line and under control since female supervisors may have an issue with perceived power by subordinates (pp. 350-351). COMMUNITY FACTORS ON POLICE BEHAVIOR Patrolling the Neighborhood The area in which a police officer patrols has an effect on their behavior. This depends on the social, economic, and attitudinal makeup of the local residents of the neighborhood in question. There are also other environmental factors influencing police behavior. These include community interaction, past history of policing the neighborhood, the local politics, and the dominant area culture (National Research Council, 2004, pp. 155-156). The influence of the neighborhood is strong on potential police behavior dependent upon the type of neighborhood that is served by the police. Smith (1986) found that police behave differently in higher status neighborhoods than they do in lower status neighborhoods. For example, the police are more prone to stop and question a suspicious person in a higher status neighborhood than in lower status, less racially heterogeneous neighborhoods (pp. 338-339). Neighborhood conditions also affect police behavior. Klinger (1997) found that officers come to view deviant behaviors as normal if they are exposed to the behavior in neighborhoods that are economically disadvantaged. Rather than acting as service providers in these types of neighborhoods, officers quickly learn to prioritize the crimes in terms of urgency and the need to respond (pp. 298-300). Crank (1990) also found differences in officer behaviors in terms of motivation to arrest in rural and urban areas. Not only are there differences between police behaviors within a municipal area, there are also differences in behavior between rural and urban police with the rural police officer being more prone to make arrests for discretionary offenses (pp. 185-187). DISCUSSION Police agencies, the public, policy makers, and politicians have long had the desire to recruit and employ officers whose behavior is beyond reproach. An officer who made the correct decision in every instance without regard to a suspects race, sex, economic status, or mental health would be highly regarded and emulated. When the officer was confronted with situations that required the application of force and/or restraint, they would do so correctly and with the proper legal justifications. It is thought that the use of officer discretion would also be properly applied and controlled by the first line supervisors and directed by the agencies themselves based on community need. Agencies believe they could partially meet these goals if they emphasize the hiring of women, minorities, and college educated officers. However, due the complexity of police work and the multitude of influences such as situational, organizational, and environmental factors, shaping officer behaviors would be very difficult indeed. As was shown in numerous studies above, these other influences besides officer characteristics, often have a stronger influence over officer behavior than the officers own attitude, race, sex, and/or education. CONCLUSION The emphasis on hiring more minorities, women, and college-educated officers should continue because these programs are causing no harm and they are a reflection on the desires of the community that is being policed. No study has shown a negative effect of having more minorities, women, and college-educated officers on a particular police force. However, no study has shown a significant difference in police behaviors based on sex or race so more research is needed in an attempt to understand a connection between officer behavior and officer characteristics.