A Multilevel Comparison of Factors Associated with Crime Among Male and Female Police Officers

• In Event: Factors Shaping Police Misconduct

Abstract

A small but substantive body of literature has begun to examine differences in crime types and factors associated with varying crime typologies among male and female police officers. This study uses data from the Henry A. Wallace Police Crime Database to examine the individual- and agency-level characteristics associated with crime among a nationally representative sample of male and female police officers. Specifically, this study uses multilevel techniques to model the association between age, years of service, duty status, rank, agency type, number of sworn personnel, and region on varying crime typologies (e.g., drug-related, violence-related). Analyses were compared across male and female offenders. Results from this study have important implications for the development of intervention systems for male and female officers. Results also highlight gender-specific differences in the factors associated with police crime.

Authors

• Eric Cooke, Bowling Green State University

• John Liederbach, Bowling Green State University

• Philip M. Stinson, Bowling Green State University