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Understanding Organizational and Ecological Impacts on Police Use of Formal Authority: Testing an Ecological Theory of Police Response to Deviance

Stoddard, Cody J.

Abstract Details

2011, PhD, University of Cincinnati, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Criminal Justice.

The use of police authority is a major area of focus for criminal justice researchers. While a variety of factors have been found to impact police use of formal authority, most of these factors relate to legal, situational, and individual characteristics of the police-citizen encounter. While the research on legal, situational, and individual factors has been plentiful, comparatively little attention has been dedicated to examining the influence of organizational and ecological factors on the use of formal authority in police-citizen contacts.

In 1997, David Klinger proposed a theory that explains how ecological and organizational variables impact the level of formal authority an officer will use during police-citizen contacts. However, this theory has been subjected to limited empirical verification. This dissertation conducted the most complete test of Klinger’s theory of ecological and organizational impacts on police use of formal authority to date. This dissertation adds to the increasing body of knowledge about factors that influence officer decisions to use their authority in police-citizen contacts.

James Frank, PhD (Committee Chair)
Andrew L. Giacomazzi, PhD (Committee Member)
Lawrence Travis, PhD (Committee Member)
John Wooldredge, PhD (Committee Member)
132 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Stoddard, C. J. (2011). Understanding Organizational and Ecological Impacts on Police Use of Formal Authority: Testing an Ecological Theory of Police Response to Deviance [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1311690959

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Stoddard, Cody. Understanding Organizational and Ecological Impacts on Police Use of Formal Authority: Testing an Ecological Theory of Police Response to Deviance. 2011. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1311690959.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Stoddard, Cody. "Understanding Organizational and Ecological Impacts on Police Use of Formal Authority: Testing an Ecological Theory of Police Response to Deviance." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1311690959

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)