Assignment : Cultural, Ethical, and Other Considerations Impacting Research Efforts
Charles Draper, Centervale's Chief of Police, must introduce policies that positively impact the control and management of illegal immigration in his city. He is without the knowledge base needed to develop policy and has turned to you for assistance with research in one of the following areas:
Surveillance techniques: Chief Draper is aware of many surveillance techniques that can be utilized in tracking and controlling illegal immigrants in his city.
The Chief would like information regarding the most successful surveillance techniques as demonstrated in published research. Specifically, you are to research and address, but are not limited to, the following surveillance technique examples: vehicle tracking, cell phone, e-mail, background checks, and computer and surveillance techniques.
Crime mapping: Chief Draper knows that many law enforcement agencies use crime-data mapping generated from within their own communities to allocate resources, as indicated by the data. In particular, the Chief would like to know how the data are generated and then how the data are applied to police tactics. Your research should include but is not limited to the following crime mapping areas: geographic information systems, census demographics, geographical profiles, and community and other crime mapping techniques.
Staffing needs: Draper believes that the problems associated with illegal immigration require quick response times, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
He's not sure that his staff is properly allocated for optimal response times. What types of research data and studies can the Chief consult? Where can he find the best resources to support the various shift and staffing patterns if and when the Chief decides to reallocate his staff?
Specifically, you are to explore asset mapping which is a technique for determining what assets (human, organizational and fiscal) are available in the police department to address the key issue of illegal immigration used to provide the background information needed to conduct the staffing review and suggest appropriate changes to the existing policy.
Here's What You Need To Do . . .
You are to specifically cite and reference the various resources available to address these critical areas so that the Chief has the appropriate research to make policy recommendations based on what you have presented.
In reference to this assignment, please be as comprehensive as possible in analyzing, evaluating and presenting your objective findings that potentially will have current and future policy implications. Your interpretation should be based on the findings, as well as, evaluating the current situation and applying research findings to support and/or reject the Chief's request for information in these respective critical areas.
Based on the media-based research data matrix you created in Module 2, select one of the research areas identified above and prepare a 5-6 page memo to Chief Draper that addresses the Chief's concerns. In your memo you must:
Recommend research approaches or options that could fulfill the Chief's information needs.
Provide a comparison of the two types of research designs that seem most appropriate for the Chief's information needs supported by data from your media-based research data matrix.
Recommend good/reliable data sources.
Given the sensitive and possible controversial nature of the policy, provide advice on cultural, ethical, or other considerations that could impact research efforts and results. The following databases are available to support your research.
American Academy of Forensic Sciences
International Association for Identification
Law Enforcement National Data Exchange
National Criminal Justice Reference Service
National Institute of Justice