Becoming an Undercover

For two years, beginning in 2004, Mitch Librett left his day job as a Shift Commander in his own police department at 4 o’clock, 3 afternoons per week, donning old clothing to assume the role of narcotics investigator with the Special Investigations Unit of another police jurisdiction. He conducted in-depth interviews with these undercover police officers, eventually gaining their trust and confidence. Dr. Librett is currently writing a book about his research. Qualitative research of this sort is often rooted in the personal experiences of the researcher. It also benefits from a careful and honest examination of this history by the researcher. This article reveals some of Dr. Librett’s self examination as an undercover police officer and researcher, and presents some excerpts from his field notes and insights. All of the locations, names, and settings from his research have been disguised, both here and in his manuscript

Wild pigs and outlaws: The kindred worlds of policing and outlaw bikers

What are the similarities and differences between police officers and gang members? From a largely cultural and thoroughly critical perspective it is logical to develop a comparative analytical design that focuses on outlaw motorcycle clubs and police motorcycle fraternal organizations. Outlaw motorcycle clubs arose following the Second World War, and across the past 50 years have been targeted by law enforcement for their increasingly sophisticated involvement in violent criminal activity. They are characterized by hierarchical command structures, initiation rites and socialization processes, oaths of loyalty, codes of silence, a uniform mode of dress, and outwardly symbolic accoutrements of rank and achievement. Police organizations and cultures are not much different in these aspects of signification; comparative analysis based on naturalistic inquiry may hold the key to greater understanding of both subcultures

Apples and oranges: Ethnography and the IRB

This article outlines the trials and tribulations encountered in negotiating institutional review board approval of ethnographic research among undercover police officers and recreational drug users in dance club settings. While Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) and ethnographic research seek to protect the participants of research, they operate on two diametrically opposed paths. Ethnographers enter the research field with the goal of observing natural behavior, and taking steps to ensure they do not influence activity; anonymity is impossible, while confidentiality essential. IRBs, on the contrary, mandate an informed consent and oversight process that can compromise confidentiality. This has greatly affected contemporary ethnographic research and has had serious consequences for both the research participants and the production of knowledge

An Empirical Evaluation: Gunshot Detection System and Its Effectiveness on Police Practices

The rapid development of technologies has led police departments to adopt new physical security systems to manage violent crimes. This study evaluates the implementation of a gunshot detection system in an urban neighborhood plagued by high rates of violent crime in southeast Massachusetts. Data were collected from the police dispatch log of a southeastern Massachusetts city employing the technology; the research design then evaluated the impact of the Shotspotter™ system on the ability of the police to more effectively identify, investigate, and prosecute gun-involved crimes. This study utilized a quasi-experimental design confirming positive outcomes in police response and dispatch times, but not except case resolutions. Future research may need to establish a refined measurement on case resolution variable to clearly reflect its constructs considering the police investigation process