Overview /0x4*
Crisis intervention in law enforcement can take many forms. Police are called to respond to potential suicide, individuals with mental illness, unruly children, armed citizens, fights, and many other potentially dangerous situations. In recent year, law enforcement officers have been criticized for their response to many of these crises. Whether or not this criticism is warranted, it is imperative that law enforcement agencies follow evidence-based practice when establishing policy. The only way to ensure this happens is to conduct empirical research that identifies crisis intervention problems and offers potential solutions to help inform the law enforcement response.
This assignment offers students the opportunity to identify a problem in area of crisis intervention and propose research that would study the issue. The criminal justice field typically operates under theoretical approaches from the social sciences as well as leadership and organizational management disciplines. Students will consider this as they develop the research proposal.
For example, if your chosen topic is police use of force, you may choose to look at the concept of group dynamics or a theoretical approach from the field of sociology or psychology that focuses on officer characteristics and their impact on use of force incidents. It is important to underscore your research proposal from within a theoretical perspective that can direct and inform your proposed study.
