Excellence In Policing, Terrorism and Targeted Violence
Race, Place, and Policing
At the American Society of Crminology annual conference scheduled for November of 2021, Drs. Sadaf Hashimi, Jessica Huff, Erin Kerns and Justin Nix wiil present findings from four studies broadly concerned with race, place, and policing.
What Does the Public Want Police to do During Pandemics?
This study by Justin Nix, Ph.D. and others administered a survey experiment to a national sample of 1,068 US adults in April 2020 to determine the factors that shape support for various policing tactics in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Domestic Violence Help Seeking Before and During COVID-19
This project examines longitudinal data on domestic violence (DV) calls to police and emergency hotlines before and during the COVID-19 pandemic to assess whether one, the other, both, or neither changed as a result of social distancing. UNO Investigators Justin Nix, Ph.D. and Tara Richards, Ph.D. use both official and unofficial data to evaluate the short- and long-terms trends in DV help seeking during the pandemic. For more information check out their presentation to the United Nations 65th Annual Commission on the Status of Women and their rapid report in the journal Police Practice and Research.
Use of Force Behaviors
Sadaf Hashimi, Ph.D., who will be joining the SCCJ faculty in fall of 2021, is currently examining the dynamics of police use of force in New Jersey. Her research looks at the salience of officers' working relationships on facilitating use-of-force behaviors. By identifying structural and systematic patterns of relationships likely to lead to greater instances of police use of force, her research seeks important avenues for intervention policies that may enhance officer safety and accountability while improving police-civilian relations.
Evaluation of Omaha Police Athletics for Community Engagement - Investigators: Samantha Clinkinbeard, Ph.D., Gaylene Armstrong, Ph.D., Ph.D., and Justin Nix, Ph.D.
Gender, Personality and Career Motivation in Policing - Investigator: Samantha Clinkinbeard, Ph.D. Co-Investigators: Starr Solomon, Ph.D (program alum) and Rachael Rief, M.A. (SCCJ doctoral student). The project examines various motivations and personality characteristics associated with entry into, and persistence in, the field of policing and whether they differ for males and females. Analysis for this project comes from surveys of current police officer and college students.
Women in Law Enforcement in Nebraska: Pathways to the Field and Experiences in It - Investigator: Samantha Clinkinbeard, Ph.D. Co-Investigator: Rachael Rief, M.A. (SCCJ doctoral student). We are using in-depth, qualitative interviews to explore women’s pathways into law enforcement; successes and challenges on the job, including current realities of the policing profession; and their thoughts on the recruitment, promotion, and retention of women. The hope is to provide insight into what motivates and keeps women in the field, as well as what challenges they face and how these are managed. Interviews are currently ongoing.
Nationally acclaimed policing scholar Justin Nix, Ph.D. (right) goes over results of a policing study he conducted with doctoral student Brandon Tregle (left).