US law enforcement crowd control tactics at anti-racism protests: a public health threat.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Gaffney AW
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7304962 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
US law enforcement crowd control tactics at anti-racism protests: a public health threat.
Gaffney Adam W AW McCormick Danny D Woolhandler Steffie S Himmelstein David U DU
Lancet (London, England) 20200619 10243
Similar Datasets
Project description:SignificanceThis study uses large-scale news media and social media data to show that nationwide Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests occur concurrently with sharp increases in public attention to components of the BLM agenda. We also show that attention to BLM and related concepts is not limited to these brief periods of protest but is sustained after protest has ceased. This suggests that protest events incited a change in public awareness of BLM's vision of social change and the dissemination of antiracist ideas into popular discourse.
| S-EPMC8915973 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundHealthcare providers and law enforcement (LE) officers are among the most common first responders to injuring events. Despite frequent interface between the health system (HS) and LE sectors, the published evidence that supports their collaboration in injury surveillance, control and prevention has not been comprehensively reviewed.MethodsWe conducted a scoping review of literature published from 1990 to 2016 that focused on local and regional HS and LE collaborations in injury surveillance, control and prevention. Our aim was to describe what is known and what remains unexplored about these cross-sector efforts.Results128 articles were included in the final review. These were categorised by their focus on either surveillance activities or partnerships in injury control and prevention programmes. The majority of surveillance articles focused on road traffic injuries. Conversely, articles describing partnerships and programme evaluations primarily targeted the prevention of interpersonal violence.DiscussionThis review yielded two major findings: overall, the combination of HS and LE injury data added value to surveillance systems, especially as HS data augmented LE data; and HS and LE partnerships have been developed to improve injury control and prevention. However, there are few studies that have evaluated the impact and sustainability of these partnerships.ConclusionsThe current evidence to support HS and LE collaboration in injury surveillance and control and prevention programmes is heterogeneous. Notable gaps suggest ample opportunity for further research and programme evaluation across all types of injury.
| S-EPMC5876147 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Compare arterial stiffness among law enforcement officers (LEOs) versus general population normative values and identify predictors of arterial stiffness in LEOs. Seventy male LEOs (age: 24-54 years) completed body composition, blood pressures, physical activity level, and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) measurements. T-tests and regression analyses were utilized to compare LEO data to normative data and predict cfPWV, respectively. Compared to similar age strata within the general population, cfPWV was lower among LEO's under 30-years (mean difference = -0.6 m·s-1), but higher among LEOs 50-55-years (mean difference = 1.1 m·s-1). Utilizing regression, age, relative body fat, and diastolic blood pressure explained the greatest variance in LEO's cfPWV (adj. R2 = 0.56, p < 0.001). This investigation demonstrated that arterial stiffness may progress more rapidly in LEOs and LEOs' relative body fat and blood pressure may primarily affect arterial stiffness and risk of CVD.
| S-EPMC8508055 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ImportanceOpioid-involved overdose mortality has been on the rise for 2 decades in the US, exacerbated by an unregulated drug supply that is unpredictable and has increasingly contained highly potent fentanyl analogs starting a decade ago.ObjectiveTo determine whether there is a geospatial association between law enforcement drug seizures and opioid-involved overdose mortality in San Francisco.Design, setting, and participantsThis cross-sectional study used location- and time-stamped overdose mortality data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and publicly available crime data from the San Francisco Police Department between 2020 and 2023 to assess whether location and time of law enforcement drug seizures were associated with subsequent opioid-involved overdose mortality. Data were analyzed from January 2020 to September 2023.ExposuresTime-stamped locations of law enforcement drug seizures involving a drug distribution charge.Main outcomes and measuresThe primary outcomes were the time and location of (1) overdose mortality involving any opioid and (2) overdose mortality involving fentanyl or any fentanyl analog. The relative risk (RR) and 95% CIs for endemic and epidemic factors were calculated.ResultsThere were 2653 drug seizure crime events that involved any drug distribution charge and 1833 overdose deaths that tested positive for any opioid or synthetic opioid, including heroin and fentanyl analogs. Within the surrounding 100 meters, law enforcement drug seizures were associated with increase risk of fatal opioid-involved overdoses the day following the drug seizure event (RR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.06-2.83; P = .03) and elevated risk persisted for 7 days (2 days: RR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.09-2.21; P = .02; 3 days: RR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.08-1.93; P = .01; 7 days: RR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.11-1.46; P = .001). Similar statistically significant spatiotemporal patterns were observed in the 250- and 500-meter spatial bandwidths. Within each space-time kernel, the strength of the association, all of which were statistically significant, dissipated the further away in time and distance from the law enforcement drug seizure event.Conclusions and relevanceThe findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that the enforcement of drug distribution laws to increase public safety for residents in San Francisco may be having an unintended negative consequence of increasing opioid overdose mortality. To reduce overdose mortality, it may be better to focus on evidence-based health policies and interventions.
| S-EPMC11923703 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Law enforcement officers frequently encounter people with health conditions. We sought to estimate the rates, diagnoses, and characteristics of emergency department (ED) visits among patients transported directly by law enforcement. We analyzed statewide North Carolina Emergency Department data for adults, aged 18+ years, from 2009 to 2016. We estimated transport rates using census data; categorized primary ED diagnoses into 13 major and 8 substituent categories; compared county transport rates by rurality; and examined patient characteristics. There were 136,240 patients transported by law enforcement; annual rates increased from 186.9 (per 100,000 adult residents) in 2009 to 279.2 in 2016. Among visits, 67.7% were among men, the median age was 37 years, and 20.4% resulted in a hospital admission. Most common primary diagnoses were Mental Health Diagnoses (43.1%)-including Schizophrenia and other Psychotic Disorders (7.6%), Mood Disorders (9.7%), and Alcohol and Substance Use (10.7%)-followed by Injury and Poisoning (12.4%) and Circulatory conditions (4.1%). Involuntary commitments constituted 22% of all visits. The median transport rate in rural counties, 291.1, was 2 times that of large metro counties, 145.1. The visit rate increased by nearly 50% during the study period, with the highest rates in rural counties. Many transports were for Mental Illness and involuntary commitments. The relatively common occurrence of law enforcement transports suggests the need for greater research to understand factors influencing law enforcement transport decisions, the impact of these transports on patient health and safety, and the repercussions on patient care of a growing officer presence in EDs.
| S-EPMC7806121 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundTraining law enforcement officers (LEOs) to administer naloxone is a recommended strategy to reduce overdose deaths in the United States. To achieve this, an evidence-based and scalable naloxone training curriculum that is easy to use and readily scalable is needed. Convenient web-based training is a flexible method for delivering educational interventions particularly for LEOs who have irregular or shifting schedules. This study examined the effectiveness of a comprehensive web-based naloxone training that was created in partnership with LEOs on their knowledge, confidence, and attitudes regarding naloxone.MethodsFrom May 2019 to September 2020, five law enforcement departments from Michigan participated in web-based naloxone training. A total of 182 LEOs (77% male) were in the final sample based on matching pre-and post-test surveys. LEOs were assessed on knowledge, confidence, and attitudes towards naloxone. Negative binomial and Poisson regression was conducted to assess associations between knowledge, confidence, and attitudes towards naloxone before and after training.ResultsSignificant improvements in overdose knowledge and confidence were revealed across all departments with median (IQR) total composite scores for knowledge increasing from 35 (32, 37) to 40 (39, 42) (p < 0.01) and confidence increasing from 18.5 (15, 20) to 20 (20, 25) (p < 0.01). Median (IQR) attitude scores did not change.ConclusionOur web-based naloxone training was effective in improving knowledge and confidence for LEOs but did not significantly improve LEOs attitudes towards naloxone across most departments. The web-based format is readily scalable and quickly disseminated and meets the immediate need for LEO overdose training. Additional intervention is needed to address the negative attitudes of LEOs regarding naloxone.
| S-EPMC10656891 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In view of the current severe situation of illegal land use in China, it is of great significance to explore the impact of the evolution and promotion of land law enforcement effectiveness, which will improve China's land law enforcement system and effectively curb illegal land use. This paper explains the changes and enhancements of the effectiveness of land law enforcement since the implementation of China's National Land Supervision System in terms of the deterrence, difficulty, and strength of land law enforcement, and explores the role of land law enforcement effectiveness in changing illegal land use behaviors from a theoretical level. Then, a corresponding empirical test was carried out using the provincial panel data of Mainland China from 2007 to 2016. The results show that the increase in land law enforcement deterrence and strength will help reduce the number of illegal land use cases, but it will drive the lawbreakers to "commit major cases in desperation", leading to the increase of the degree of illegal land use; and with the decrease of land law enforcement difficulty, the degree of illegal land use will be significantly reduced. At the end of this paper, several policy suggestions are put forward to effectively curb the illegal land use from the perspective of improving the land law enforcement system and enhancing the effectiveness of law enforcement.
| S-EPMC7877668 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Conservation enforcement is a direct strategy to combat illegal wildlife trade in open markets. Yet, its large-scale effectiveness has not been widely assessed due to the lack of extensive market data. Between August 2016 and June 2017, a national coordinated enforcement campaign led by the leading Chinese authority to combat illegal migratory bird trade coincided with the largest-ever pet bird market survey across China by voluntary birdwatchers before and after the enforcement, which served as a unique natural experiment. Across 73 markets from 22 Chinese provinces, the dataset contains 140,723 birds of 346 species from 48 families and recorded a drastic decline in bird abundance traded after enforcement. Notably, species protected under China's Wildlife Protection Law declined significantly, while commercially bred species increased, although responses to enforcement were spatially heterogeneous. Our model showed that the national protection level was the best predictor for the trend of traded species, even after accounting for confounding factors such as regional baseline enforcement pressure and wild native bird populations. However, the widely traded native songbirds were not offered adequate national protection. Future policies should consider the pet bird trade patterns, target key areas of trade, and develop a more systematic market survey design to monitor trade.
| S-EPMC11194575 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Law enforcement academies, designed to prepare recruits for their prospective career, represent periods of high physical and mental stress, potentially contributing to recruits' injuries. Managing stress via monitoring training loads may mitigate injuries while ensuring adequate preparation. However, it is vital to first understand an academy's typical training load. The aim of this study was to profile the typical training load of law enforcement recruits over the course of 22 weeks. Data were prospectively collected using global positioning system (GPS) units placed on recruits during a portion of the academy training, while a desktop analysis was retrospectively applied to six other classes. A Bland-Altman plot was conducted to assess the agreement between the two methods. A linear mixed model was conducted to analyse the difference in distances covered per week, while other variables were presented graphically. Adequate agreement between the desktop analysis and GPS units was observed. Significant differences (p-value < 0.01) in distance covered (9.64 to 11.65 km) exist between weeks during early academy stages, which coincide with increases (~6 h) in physical training. Significant decreases in distances were experienced during the last five weeks of academy training. Most acute:chronic workload ratios stayed between the proposed 0.8 to 1.3 optimal range. Results from this study indicate that large increases in training occur early in the academy, potentially influencing injuries. Utilizing a desktop analysis is a pragmatic and reliable approach for instructors to measure load.
| S-EPMC9603164 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC11074927 | biostudies-literature