The birth of an organisational field: the institutionalisation of civilian crisis response services in the de-tasking era

Civilian-led, non-police crisis response services – which attend mental health crises that previously had received uniformed police response in many jurisdictions – have multiplied substantially alongside widespread calls for ‘de-tasking’ of police. Yet, these services inevitably engage in forms of ‘policing’ in both practical and sociological terms, if we understand policing to involve reducing harms and maintaining order under the shadow of police (state coercive) power. Seeing the rapid expansion of these services as the birth of a new organisational field, following organisational and institutional theories, this paper delineates possible futures of these services as they coalesce into increasingly isomorphic forms. The paper then considers the potential bases of legitimacy, organisational ethos and accountability that will develop around these services, and sets out challenges that the organisational field will face if it is to avoid becoming an extension of ‘the police’. Link.

“Send Freedom House!”: A Study in police abolition

Sparked by the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the 2020 uprisings accelerated a momentum of abolitionist organizing that demands the defunding and dismantling of policing infrastructures. Although a growing body of legal scholarship recognizes abolitionist frameworks when examining conventional proposals for reform, critics mistakenly continue to disregard police abolition as an unrealistic solution. This Essay helps dispel this myth of “impracticality” and illustrates the pragmatism of abolition by identifying a community-driven effort that achieved a meaningful reduction in policing we now take for granted. I detail the history of the Freedom House Ambulance Service, a Black civilian paramedic service in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that was created in the late 1960s to confront the racialized violence and neglect inflicted by police ambulance drivers. This Essay outlines the now abolished practice of ambulance policing, explores the city’s response to Freedom House’s revolutionary program, and analyzes current efforts of police reform through this historical lens. Link.

Cultural camouflage—a critical study of how artefacts are camouflaged and mental health policy subverted

This study identifies hidden artefacts in a public organisation. In contrast to earlier studies, it focuses on artefacts as concealing rather than conveying meaning. Negligent behaviour caused by an unpopular culture was recognised in five psychiatric wards at a Swedish university hospital. Data comprising observations (87 h) and interviews (n = 60) were collected over a period of 48 months (2008–2011). Four different items used in everyday work representing a deeper meaning of the organisation were identified during the observations. The items selected were work attire, nametags, keys and restraint beds. These were considered particularly promising when it came to the aim of the study, namely, to find out how artefacts are camouflaged. The observations and the interviews revealed that these were controversial and contested artefacts in the organisation. The study uses the term ‘cultural camouflage’ for behaviour that ignores and consciously conceals symbols that have negative values. This concept contrasts with previous research that shows how artefacts are emphasised and how they contribute to the character of the activity in a transparent way. Conservative and backward-looking behaviour among staff provided one explanation as to why artefacts were concealed. Another was the need to establish harmonious internal interactions. Link.

Working Toward Structural Change: Visions and Tension Points for a City-Wide Unarmed Response Program to Enhance Health Equity

Amid growing evidence and high-profile incidents highlighting the dangers of current police practices, many are questioning the role of armed police in their communities. Police violence is a public health issue and unarmed nonpolice response programs represent one potential solution for addressing this issue. In this article, we describe local visions and key tension points for an unarmed public safety program to reduce police violence and improve the health and well-being of its residents. We report on interviews (n = 15) conducted with local leaders, activists, and social service providers in a small-sized Midwestern city that had allocated funding to pilot an unarmed response program. To supplement the interviews, we also systematically followed local news stories and city council meetings and participated as members of a coalition working toward implementing an unarmed response program. Our analysis focused on participants’ visions and expectations for an unarmed safety program and identified several key concerns related to program logistics, including program reach, response time, funding, impact, and staffing. We found that key concerns raised by activists and leaders—including the scope of the program, the satisfaction the community has with the program, how it will be evaluated, and how community members will be involved—are similar to concerns raised in a typical health promotion program planning process. The visions and tensions detailed in this article can inform organizing efforts in other municipalities and suggest a role for public health practitioners in developing and implementing these programs. Link.

Re-examining mental health crisis intervention: A rapid review comparing outcomes across police, co-responder and non-police models

Police are the default first responders in most mental health crisis intervention models worldwide, resulting in a heavy burden on police, perceived criminalization of individuals with complex mental health needs, and escalation of aggression that resort to violence. Models, such as crisis intervention teams (CIT), and co-response pro-grammes aim to improve service user experiences and outcomes by providing mental health training to police, or pairing law enforcement officers with mental health clinicians, respectively. Despite these efforts, mental health-related calls continue to result in negative outcomes, and activists and policymakers are advocating for non-police models of crisis intervention. Evidence-based practice in mental health crisis intervention is urgently needed. The present review’s main objective was to examine, synthesise and compare outcomes across police, co-responder and non-police models of mental health crisis intervention internationally using a rapid review framework. Asystematic search of four electronic databases of studies published between 2010–2020 and a grey literature search was conducted, yielding (n = 1008) articles. A total of 62 articles were included in the present review. Studies were largely observational, lacking control groups and were of low- moderate quality with a high potential for bias. Overall, there is little evidence to suggest that the CIT model impacts crisis out-comes. Co-responder models evidenced improved outcomes compared to police only models, however, evidence was often mixed. Non-police models varied significantly, and studies tended to be too low quality to make comparisons or draw conclusions, however, research on youth models and crisis resolution home treatment suggested positive outcomes. Findings highlight the need for high-quality studies and policies to facilitate the implementation and evaluation of novel approaches not involving police. Cross-sectorial collaboration and service user input are urgently needed to inform, develop, test and disseminate effective models of crisis intervention acceptable to service users. Link.

Police Diversion at Arrest: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Police-initiated diversion programs are an increasingly common intervention to prevent excessive arrests of vulnerable populations. This systematic literature review carefully examined the current state of research to evaluate what is known about these programs and to determine the next steps for the field. Health, human services, legal, and criminal justice databases were searched for empirical research on police-initiated pre-arrest diversion of adults from 2000 to the present, resulting in 47 relevant studies for the review. The study designs, analyses, and findings are described. Overall, police diversion programs were associated with reducing recidivism and lowering costs, although there is little association between program participation and improved behavioral health. More in-depth qualitative and quasi-experimental research is needed. Police diversion programs can be seen as one major social justice strategy to reduce dependence on mass incarceration to resolve social problems. Link.

Police uniform color and citizen impression formation

Clothing color and style are significant factors in impression formation in first-time dealings with strangers. Four common police uniform color schemes are evaluated for their influence on seven scales of impression formation with a sample of 737 citizens in a Midwestern city. Consistent with the previous literature, the all black color scheme was viewed most negatively on six of the seven scales. The light blue shirt and navy blue pants color scheme created the most positive impression on all seven scales. The implications of these findings for police-community relations and department uniform selection are discussed. Link.

Law Enforcement Uniforms and Public Perception: An Overview + Pilot Study

In a delicate balancing act between improving public relations and enhancing functionality and safety, law enforcement agencies often revisit the standards for their uniforms. Many experiments have been conducted over the years in reference to uniform color, but comparatively little research has been conducted relating to the implementation of accessories. In this study, we demonstrate that the use of “formal accessories” (as worn on a Class A uniform) may impact the public’s perception of police, particularly in reference to their perceived professionalism, authority, competence, and approachability. Link.

The uniform: A sociological Perspective

The uniform is viewed as a device to resolve certain dilemmas of complex organizations-namely, to define their boundaries, to assure that members will conform to their goals, and to eliminate conflicts in the status sets of their members. The uniform serves several functions: it acts as a totem, reveals and conceals statuses, certifies legitimacy, and suppresses individuality. The interaction of these components and the acceptance or rejection of the uniform and its associated status by the wearer are described. Link.

Public Intoxication: Sobering Centers as an Alternative to Incarceration, Houston, 2010–2017

In 2010, the Houston police department admitted 20 508 publicly intoxicated individuals into its jail. To address jail overcrowding, the city created a jail diversion policy that allowed law enforcement to admit publicly intoxicated individuals into a new sobering center. By 2017, public intoxication jail admissions had decreased by 95%, freeing valuable resources. A promising public health intervention, sobering centers offer an alternative to incarceration and relieve overuse of emergency services while assisting individuals with substance use issues. Link.

Effectiveness of Police Crisis Intervention Training Programs

Approximately 1,000 people in the United States were fatally shot by police officers during 2018, and people with mental illness were involved in approximately 25 percent of those fatalities. Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training is a specialized police curriculum that aims to reduce the risk of serious injury or death during an emergency interaction between persons with mental illness and police officers. CIT has been implemented widely both nationally and internationally. Given the increasing resources devoted to CIT, efforts to analyze its effectiveness and outcomes relative to other approaches are important. Studies of CIT and similar interventions are found within both the mental health and the criminal justice arenas, which use very different terminologies, approaches, and outcome studies, rendering unified analyses challenging. This article describes the CIT model and reviews several recent systematic analyses of studies concerning the effects of CIT. Studies generally support that CIT has beneficial officer-level outcomes, such as officer satisfaction and self-perception of a reduction in use of force. CIT also likely leads to prebooking diversion from jails to psychiatric facilities. There is little evidence in the peer-reviewed literature, however, that shows CIT's benefits on objective measures of arrests, officer injury, citizen injury, or use of force. Link.

The Lasting Impact of Deinstitutionalization: Policing and the Mental Health Crisis

Society is combating the detrimental effects of the deinstitutionalization policy, which transferred the treatment of mentally ill patients from state-run psychiatric hospitals to community-run psychiatric facilities. These patients frequently fall into relapses and are more likely to experience risky encounters with law enforcement officials who have no formal training in dealing with them. The paper analyzes the criminalization of mentally ill people, many with substance abuse and alcohol addictions, receiving treatment in jails and state prisons. Incarcerating people with mental illness, though reducing the homeless population from the street and disturbances faced by the public, still does not address the underlying problem. The consequences and challenges of the deinstitutionalization policy have directly impacted law enforcement and the mentally ill and homeless population. Implementing a national database with law enforcement medical agencies can be life-changing for those impacted by this predicament and gathering gather consistent and thorough health reports on the released incarcerated population within the community while accessing other vital needs such as housing, food, and employment can help avoid remission and homelessness. Link.

The Rise of police militarization and impact on citizens

 Across the country, police are using aggressive, military-style policing tactics to enforce the law. These aggressive tactics disproportionately affect minorities and residents of lower-income communities. Recent protests by the Black Lives Matter movement have taken place in response to the deaths of individuals such as George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Aggressive police presence at these demonstrations has been prominent, despite protesters’ peaceful intent. The police are not only present at rallies and protests but also at celebratory events like major cities' sports celebrations. This paper examines militarization as a result of the War on Drugs, the 1033 program, racial politics, and police anxieties, as well as how it relates to present-day policing tactics and police legitimacy. The United States should do all that it can to prevent police from becoming too militarized. This can be achieved through policy adaptations such as repealing the 1033 program to limit access to new military-grade weapons, decriminalizing drugs, and increasing penalties on officers who abuse their power. Link.