Violence against police officers on operational and patrol duty in Lower Saxony

Project period:

01.11.2012 – 31.12.2015

Project staff:

Dr. Dirk Baier (Project manager)

Karoline Ellrich

Funding:

Own funds

Cooperation partner:

Ministry of Interior of Lower Saxony

State Office of Criminal Investigation of Lower Saxony

Project description:

In the course of duty, police officers are confronted time and again with situations that can easily escalate and lead to attacks on them. The analysis focuses on police officers on operational and patrol duty because this group has heightened exposure to violence. The aim of the project is to identify factors that increase the probability of an operation leading to an attack on police officers (risk factors). The primary question is to what extent work-related and personal factors (such as stress and social skills) have an impact on victimisation risk for police officers. As the outcome of a situation can be generally assumed to depend on the interplay between a range of factors, the study also takes into account factors relating to the situation (such as information available to the police and visibility) and to the other party (such as gender, inebriation and conduct).

A written survey on experience of violence in the police service was conducted between November 2012 and March 2013. The survey targeted all police officers on operational and patrol duty in Lower Saxony. A total of 1,931 officers took part, making for a 40.1 percent response rate. The survey findings were published in a KFN research report in 2014.

Project related publications
  • Baier, D. & Ellrich, K. (2015). Frauen in der Polizei: Wer ist dafür, wer dagegen? Die Polizei, 106 (7), 207-212.
  • Ellrich, K. & Baier, D. (2015). Die Polizei – Ein Spiegel der Gesellschaft? Polizei & Wissenschaft, 2, 48-62.
  • Ellrich, K. & Baier, D. (2015). Einstellungen zur Bürgerorientierten Polizeiarbeit. Ergebnisse einer Befragung von Einsatz- und Streifendienstbeamten. SIAK (in Vorb.).
  • Ellrich, K. & Baier, D. (2015). Gewaltausübung durch Polizeibeamte – Ausmaß und Einflussfaktoren. Rechtspsychologie, 1 (1), 22-45.
  • Ellrich, K. & Baier, D. (2015). Halten flexible Schichtmodelle in der Polizei, was sie versprechen? Polizei & Wissenschaft, 3, 18-29.
  • Ellrich, K. & Baier, D. (2014). Gewalt gegen niedersächsische Beamtinnen und Beamte aus dem Einsatz- und Streifendienst. Zum Einfluss personen-, arbeits- und situationsbezogenen Merkmalen auf das Gewaltopferrisiko (KFN Forschungsbericht, Nr. 123). Hannover: KFN.