This study examined a Smart Policing Initiative (SPI) addressing robberies in a Guatemalan community in a Florida community. The centerpiece of the SPI involved the hiring of a community liaison and the re-assignment of a dedicated robbery detective to the target area. The community liaison served as a community advocate and as an intermediary between law enforcement and the immigrant community. Surveys of residents in the target area indicate that immigrants attitudes toward the police improved notably during the SPI, including higher levels of satisfaction, and greater levels of comfort speaking to police and reporting crimes (i.e., greater trust). Crime data indicate a short-term spike in robberies during the initial phase of the project, possibly resulting from increased reporting due to successful engagement of the residents, followed by a longer-term decline in robberies. At the same time, arrests for robberies have increased.
Bystanders of ethnic victimization: Do classroom context and teachers’ approach matter for how adolescents intend to act?
The study examined how adolescents’ individual characteristics and class context are related to bystander behaviors in cases of ethnic victimization. The sample included 1065 adolescents