Date of Award

2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice (MACJ)

Department

Criminal Justice, Criminology, & Forensics

First Advisor

Matthew Hickman

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine organizational and structural correlates of police use of force using the 2013 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) data. Conducted periodically since 1987, LEMAS is a nationally representative survey in which the Bureau of Justice Statistics collects data from over 3,000 state and local law enforcement agencies regarding topics such as agency operations, responsibilities, demographic information of officers and added in 2013, police use of force. Using 2013 LEMAS data, this study attempts to determine what organizational and structural factors of police organizations and the municipalities in which they serve, lead to higher levels of police use of force. Potential policy implications of this study include enhanced understanding of the national issue of data collection on police use of excessive force. Results suggest corrective and restorative actions.

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