Mind the Cybergap: UK Constables' Perceptions of Their Ability to Respond to Cybercrime

• In Event: Examining Cybercrime Offending and Policy Responses

Abstract

As the impact of cybercrime increasingly affects everyone in most aspects of their lives, the police are often called as first responders. In fact, the number of police departments that have a cybercrime unit has been growing in recent years. However, we understand little about how line officer respond to crime: their department’s capacity and resources, their efficacy in resolving crime, their attitudes toward victims, and their level or training and readiness. Only a few studies have looked at this in the United States. The current study examines the perceived response capacities of U.K. constables and sergeants to handle cybercrime calls for service. This study adds to our limited research on the police response to cybercrime.

Authors

• George Burruss, University of South Florida

• Adam M Bossler, Georgia Southern University

• Tom Holt, Michigan State University