NCJ Number
28815
Date Published
1975
Length
140 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT PRESENTS A SUMMARY OF THE OBJECTIVES, DESIGN, CONDUCT, AND EVALUATION OF TESTS OF ALTERNATIVE FIELD INTERROGATION (FI) POLICIES CONDUCTED BY THE SAN DIEGO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
Abstract
THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE MAJOR EFFECTS OF THREE ALTERNATIVE DEPARTMENTAL POLICIES FOR CONDUCTING FIELD INTERROGATIONS. IN THE CONTROL AREA, FIELD INTERROGATIONS WERE CONDUCTED WITH NO CHANGE FROM NORMALLY PRACTICED ACTIVITIES. IN THE SPECIAL FI AREA, FIELD INTERROGATIONS WERE CONDUCTED ONLY BY OFFICERS WHO WERE GIVEN SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTARY TRAINING FOCUSING ON METHODS FOR REDUCING FRICTION BETWEEN INTERROGATOR AND SUBJECT. IN THE NO-FI AREA, FIELD INTERROGATIONS WERE SUSPENDED FOR THE 9-MONTH EXPERIMENTAL PERIOD. COMMUNITY ATTITUDE SURVEYS WERE CONDUCTED IN EACH OF THE AREAS BOTH PRIOR TO AND FOLLOWING THE EXPERIMENTAL PERIOD AND A VARIETY OF DATA WAS COLLECTED FOR ANALYSIS. ANALYSIS CONSISTED OF EXAMINING DATA TO DETERMINE CHANGES OCCURRING WITHIN EACH AREA DURING PRE-EXPERIMENTAL, EXPERIMENTAL, AND POST-EXPERIMENTAL PERIODS AND COMPARING CHANGES TO IDENTIFY DIFFERENCES THAT COULD BE ASSOCIATED EITHER WITH SUSPENSION OF FI OR SPECIAL TRAINING. THE ANALYSIS SUPPORTED THE HYPOTHESIS THAT SOME LEVEL OF FI ACTIVITY, AS OPPOSED TO NONE, PROVIDES A DETERRENT EFFECT ON SUPPRESSIBLE CRIME IN LOCALIZED AREAS AND THAT NEITHER FREQUENCY OF FI OR AMOUNT OF TRAINING HAD A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON CITIZEN OPINIONS AND ATTITUDES. RESULTS ARE HELD TO BE GENERALLY APPLICABLE TO SAN DIEGO, DUE TO TRADITIONAL FI ACTIVITY AND TRAINING THERE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)