Abstract
Systems change efforts seek to alter the status quo by shifting the form and function of a targeted system. Evaluation is a critical component, yet little research has examined a collaborative forum as a vehicle for change in the criminal justice system. Over 150 citizens and police were brought together to work collaboratively at improving a Canadian police complaints system. Using survey, participant observation, and focus group data, this study investigates the perceptions of this Forum as a vehicle for systems change in police oversight mechanisms. We find the Forum provided both opportunities for, and barriers to, collaborative systems change work. However, these findings need to be understood within the context of police-community relations as fear and mistrust of police influence problem definitions and potential solutions. Therefore, the collaboratives model is not a one-size-fits-all approach to systems change work in the criminal justice system.
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Notes
Forum Partners include Dixon Hall, Kensington-Bellwoods Community Legal Service, Ryerson University, Scadding Court Community Centre, Toronto Police Service, University of Toronto, and the University of Waterloo. Forum Associates include Alexandra Park Neighbourhood Learning Centre, Covenant House, Justice for Children and Youth, Midaynta Community Services, Schizophrenia Society of Ontario, and the Youth and Police Advocacy Group. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Law Foundation of Ontario, and the City of Toronto provided funding for the Forum.
Representatives from the following agencies participated as panel speakers: OIPRD, Ontario Provincial Police, Toronto Police Accountability Coalition, Toronto Police Service, Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas, St. Stephen’s Community House, Anishinabek Police Service, Schizophrenia Society of Ontario, and the Office of Student Conflict Resolution at York University.
Breakout group sessions themes covered four aspects of the system: (1) Complaint decision-making process; (2) investigative complaint process; (3) accountability, accessibility, and transparency; and (4) public outreach and support.
All research assistants conducting participant observation received a three-hour training session and supporting materials. The principal investigator attended both panel presentations, took field notes, and reviewed segments of the field notes from each observer to ensure the content for various remarks and events were captured. All panel field notes were also reviewed at the end of the first day and feedback provided before commencing further observations. The level of agreement was very high as the research assistants adhered to the research protocol covered in the training session and resources provided.
The first version of the transcript was created using ExpressScribe. To ensure validity of the transcripts a second researcher verified the transcription by reading through the text. Finally, a third researcher conducted an audio verification.
In contrast to the Likert style questions, these were all scale level variables measured on a 10-point scale. Participants were asked to, ‘rate on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 = absolutely disagree and 10 = absolutely agree), how you feel about the following aspects of the Forum […]’
The registration survey was not analyzed in this study as it only includes requests for information, food restrictions, and demographic questions. It was used to determine the number of delegates registered and present on Day 1 and if there were any significant differences between those registered and delegates present at the end of Day 2 to complete the survey.
The two items that did not load on this factor are: (1) views shared in the breakout group sessions positively affected recommendations put forward to improve the police complaints system (0.447); and (2) the Forum met my expectations (0.413).
Likert responses were dichotomized, whereby ‘strongly agree’ and ‘agree’ were coded as 1 and ‘strongly disagree’, ‘disagree’, and ‘neutral’ were coded as 0. The focus of the analysis rested on those that agreed.
Several delegates (11 %) self-identified as mentally ill or (dis)abled. Further, a representative from the Schizophrenia Society told his story as a keynote speaker in a panel presentation.
Affected communities are those that collectively feel they receive unnecessary and unfair police attention. For example, some individuals from lower-income areas expressed that they were often targeted by police for stop and search practices without just cause. A number of researchers have examined the issue of racial profiling practices of police particularly in low SES neighborhoods (see MacAlister, 2011, Satzewich & Shaffir, 2009).
Some participants felt this way despite efforts by Forum organizers to help prepare participants by holding five pre-Forum educational sessions, providing documentation/legislative summaries available online, and including pertinent summaries in the delegate folder distributed on-site at registration.
All four facilitators were interviewed, trained, and possessed extensive prior experience facilitating small and large groups. This suggests it is the subject matter that played a role in the group dynamics.
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This research was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada grant.
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Buffone, S., Chenier, A., Schulenberg, J.L. et al. Improving the Police Complaints System: Stakeholder Collaboration as a Vehicle for Systems Change. Am J Crim Just 42, 293–313 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-016-9360-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-016-9360-8