The Reliability of Self-Reported Drug Use Measured Through The Drug Use Forecasting Program: A Multi-Trait Assessment

The majority of drug use data obtained by researchers thus far has been generated through the use of self-reports and urinalyses. In fact, such methods are often the only way to accurately identify individuals who use drugs. There has only been a minimal amount of research concerning the reliability of the self-reported drug use among arrestees in the Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) program. The purpose of this paper is to present initial evidence on the reliability of self-reported interview data when compared to urinalysis, and to give a detailed description of the variables associated with the accuracy of self-reports. The data were obtained from 2,400 arrestees in the Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) program in Omaha, Nebraska from 1987 to 1991. Analyses revealed that those who are non-white, felons, or who perceive a need for drug treatment are more apt to misrepresent themselves in the self-reporting of cocaine

The reliability of self-reported drug use measured through The Drug Use Forecasting Program: A multi-trait assessment

The majority of drug use data obtained by researchers thus far has been generated through the use of self-reports and urinalyses. In fact, such methods are often the only way to accurately identify individuals who use drugs. There has only been a minimal amount of research concerning the reliability of the self-reported drug use among arrestees in the Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) program. The purpose of this paper is to present initial evidence on the reliability of self-reported interview data when compared to urinalysis, and to give a detailed description of the variables associated with the accuracy of self-reports. The data were obtained from 2,400 arrestees in the Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) program in Omaha, Nebraska from 1987 to 1991. Analyses revealed that those who are non-white, felons, or who perceive a need for drug treatment are more apt to misrepresent themselves in the self-reporting of cocaine

Understanding police officer resistance to body-worn cameras

Purpose Body-worn cameras (BWCs) have been adopted in police agencies across the USA in efforts to increase police transparency and accountability. This widespread implementation has occurred despite some notable resistance to BWCs from police officers in some jurisdictions. This resistance poses a threat to the appropriate implementation of this technology and adherence to BWC policies. The purpose of this paper is to examine factors that could explain variation in officer receptivity to BWCs. Design/methodology/approach The authors assess differences between officers who volunteered to wear a BWC and officers who resisted wearing a BWC as part of a larger randomized controlled trial of BWCs in the Phoenix Police Department. The authors specifically examine whether officer educational attainment, prior use of a BWC, attitudes toward BWCs, perceptions of organizational justice, support for procedural justice, noble cause beliefs, and official measures of officer activity predict receptivity to BWCs among 125 officers using binary logistic regression. Findings The findings indicate limited differences between BWC volunteers and resistors. Volunteers did have higher levels of educational attainment and were more likely to agree that BWCs improve citizen behaviors, relative to their resistant counterparts. Interestingly, there were no differences in perceptions of organizational justice, self-initiated activities, use of force, or citizen complaints between these groups. Originality/value Though a growing body of research has examined the impact of BWCs on officer use of force and citizen complaints, less research has examined officer attitudes toward the adoption of this technology. Extant research in this area largely focusses on general perceptions of BWCs, as opposed to officer characteristics that could predict receptivity to BWCs. This paper addresses this limitation in the research

A randomized controlled trial of the impact of body-worn camera activation on the outcomes of individual incidents

Objectives Evaluate the impact of body-worn cameras (BWCs) on officer-initiated activity, arrests, use of force, and complaints. Methods We use instrumental variable analysis to examine the impact of BWC assignment and BWC activation on the outcomes of individual incidents through a randomized controlled trial of 436 officers in the Phoenix Police Department. Results Incidents involving BWC activations were associated with a lower likelihood of officer-initiated contacts and complaints, but a greater likelihood of arrests and use of force. BWC assignment alone was unrelated to arrests or complaints; however, incidents involving officers who were assigned and activated their BWC were significantly more likely to result in an arrest and less likely to result in a complaint. Conclusions Future researchers should account for BWC activation to better estimate the effects of BWCs on officer behavior. To maximize the effects of BWCs, police agencies should ensure that officers are complying with activation policies

Testing the Influence of Community Characteristics on School Misconduct

This study examines the effect of dynamic and structural community characteristics on school misconduct. Data include over 45,000 students in the eighth, tenth, or twelfth grade in 237 schools. Hierarchical linear models tested the direct and interactive effects of community measures, while accounting for student and school characteristics. Community substance abuse norms as well as perceptions of community crime and disorder mediated the influence of concentrated disadvantage on school misconduct. Interaction effects demonstrated that community substance abuse norms were more influential for students enrolled in schools that had a less positive school climate although individual and school characteristics remained robust predictors of school misconduct. School misconduct is influenced by the characteristics of the surrounding community and school context, as well as the interaction between those contexts. Research relying on census data measures of community characteristics may underestimate community influence on school misconduct, and omit proximal community influences on school misconduct

Linkage disequilibrium in French natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster

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Variations in Arterial Blood Pressure after Kidney Transplantation

The course of hypertension within the first 2 months after kidney transplantation was correlated with renal function, plasma renin activity (PRA), and the daily maintenance dose of prednisone in 18 homograft recipients. During acute rejection blood pressure (BP) closely correlated with PRA. Patients with normal homograft function showed an increase in BP early after transplantation which in most returned to normal 3-8 weeks later. In the latter group no correlation could be found between the level of BP and PRA, however the BP correlated closely with the dose of prednisone. These observations suggest that during acute rejection the increase in BP may at least partly be mediated by a renal pressor mechanism, whereas with normal renal function the high dose of glucocorticoids may play an important role in the development of hypertension.</jats:p

Recovery from Hepatorenal Syndrome after Orthotopic Liver Transplantation

Three patients with progressive renal failure and advanced hepatic insufficiency due to cirrhosis of the liver underwent orthotopic liver transplantation. All three patients had immediate improvement in hepatic function and within two weeks after liver replacement regained nearly normal kidney function. However, the renal recovery was delayed in each case, and its course was not uniform. Plasma renin activity was high, and renin substrate was low before transplantation in one case in which these measurements were obtained; both returned to normal soon after liver replacement. (N Engl J Med 289:1155–1159, 1973). © 1973, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved

Attitudinal Changes Toward Body-Worn Cameras: Perceptions of Cameras, Organizational Justice, and Procedural Justice Among Volunteer and Mandated Officers

Little is known about officer perceptions of body-worn cameras (BWCs), and whether perceptions change following implementation within their agencies. BWC deployment varies, with some agencies mandating officers to wear BWCs and others using volunteers. Researchers have yet to assess attitudinal differences between volunteers and mandated officers. This study addresses these gaps using data from an evaluation of BWCs in the Phoenix Police Department to examine officer perceptions of the utility of BWCs, perceptions of organizational justice, and support for using procedural justice. We use inverse propensity weighted difference-in-difference models to examine changes in officer perceptions over time between randomly selected officers who were mandated to wear a BWC, BWC volunteers, officers who resisted BWCs, and control officers. We identified limited significant differences in perceptions of BWCs over time, though effect sizes suggest that BWC volunteers and mandated officers were more subdued in their expectations about BWCs at the posttest