Validity of dental findings for identification by postmortem computed tomography.

Postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) images help identify individuals and extract information from corpses. PMCT may substitute for a standard examination when bodies are severely damaged or when resources are limited in a mass fatality incident. In such situations, the dental information revealed by PMCT has the potential to narrow down candidates for identification further. However, the validity of the dental findings obtained from PMCT images remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the validity of dental findings on PMCT images compared to regular dental examinations as the reference standard. We routinely collected PMCT images of 148 unidentified corpses and compared the dental findings of each tooth obtained from PMCT with those of a regular dental examination. The validity of dental findings of PMCT was measured by sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV). We also evaluated the accuracy of dental findings per corpse using 32 teeth as the denominator. The dental findings with high sensitivity and high specificity were a present tooth (0.96 and 0.97), a missing tooth (0.97 and 0.97), pontic (0.92 and 1.00), a dental implant (1.00 and 1.00), and a root filling (0.94 and 0.99). The mean accuracy of the dental findings per corpse in PMCT was 95.6% (standard deviation: 6.9, minimum ≤ median ≤ maximum: 65.6 ≤ 100 ≤ 100). The number of corpses with 100% accuracy in the dental findings was 81 (54.7%). The information obtained in this study highlights the potential use of PMCT during human identification in several settings with limited resources, such as the number of specialists present and the condition of the corpses.

Workplace aggression, wellbeing, and job satisfaction: The specificity in border police organizations.

In male-dominated work contexts, the challenges faced by women and their impact on wellbeing and work attitudes have been documented, most extensively in other than police organizations. This study was conducted as a cross-sectional quantitative descriptive correlational predictive study to validate a model of relationships among workplace aggression, job satisfaction, and wellbeing at work with a sample of 1,066 female and male officers from the Romanian Border Police. The results obtained in the study showed that no differential gender effects were found, although women reported higher levels of workplace aggression than men (1.61 vs. 1.52; F = 4.20, p = 0.04). Also, workplace aggression significantly and negatively predicted job satisfaction (R 2 = 0.27) and wellbeing at work (R 2 = 0.31). In conclusion, although this research is an exploratory approach to the study of workplace aggression in the Romanian police organization, it can generate interventions that would lead to the reduction of undesirable behaviors such as verbal aggression, malicious jokes, discrimination, perception of inequalities, gossip, and defamatory words. In the future lines of research, different sources and conditions of victims and witnesses can be considered the. We also studied the limitations of the study and the future lines of research.

Policía Comunitaria y Sistema de Dirección por Objetivos en la Policía Municipal de Madrid / Community police and System of Management by Objectives in the Madrid Municipal Police / Polícia Comunitária e Sistema de Administração por Objetivos na Polícia Municipal de Madrid

Resumen En el ámbito de la organización policial, fundamentalmente durante las décadas comprendidas entre los 70, 80 y 90, numerosas investigaciones criminológicas, principalmente, en Estados Unidos empezaron a cuestionar el modelo tradicional de actuación policial. Las principales críticas se centraron en aspectos relacionados con la efectividad de las estrategias policiales tradicionales, pero también en el distanciamiento existente entre policía y comunidad. En este contexto y en consonancia con el auge de las políticas neoliberales apoyadas en la Nueva Gestión Pública, las organizaciones policiales van progresivamente incorporando sistemas de gestión del rendimiento, descentralización, rendición de cuentas, dirección por objetivos, entre otros. El presente artículo toma como estudio de caso la Policía Municipal de Madrid y pone de manifiesto las contradicciones existentes entre su sistema de Dirección por Objetivos y la pretendida implantación de un modelo de Policía Comunitaria. Las dificultades y deficiencias se hacen evidentes debido a la complejidad del sistema, a la naturaleza cuantitativa de los indicadores encargados de medir la calidad del trabajo, y también al componente económico ligado al cumplimiento de dichos indicadores. Todo lo cual hace que un sistema a priori encargado de mejorar la calidad del servicio pueda llegar a ser contraproducente para la propia función policial.

Abstract In the field of the police organization, mainly during the 70s, 80s and 90s decades, numerous criminological investigations, mostly in the United States, began to question the traditional model of police action. The main criticisms were centered in aspects related with the effectiveness of the traditional police strategies, but also in the existing aloofness between police and community. In this context and in line with the rise of the neoliberal policies supported in the New Public Management, the police organizations are progressively incorporating management systems of performance, decentralization, accountability, management by objectives, among others. This article takes as case study the Madrid Municipal Police and reveals the existing contradictions between its system of Management by Objectives and the so-called implementation of a model of Community Police. The difficulties and deficiencies become evident due to the complexity of the system, to the quantitative nature of the indicators in charge of measure the work quality, and also to the economical component linked to the fulfillment of those indicators. All of this makes that a system a priori in charge of improve the quality of the service may be grow into counterproductive for the police function itself.

Resumo No âmbito da organização policial, fundamentalmente durante as décadas compreendidas entre os 70, 80 e 90, numerosas investigações criminológicas, principalmente em Estados Unidos, começaram a questionar o modelo tradicional de atuação policial. As principais críticas centraram-se em aspectos relacionados com a efetividade das estratégias policiais tradicionais, mas também no afastamento existente entre polícia e comunidade. Neste contexto e em consonância com o auge das políticas neoliberais apoiadas na Nova Gestão Pública, as organizações policiais vão progressivamente incorporando sistemas de gestão do rendimento, descentralização, rendição de contas, administração por objetivos, entre outros. O presente artigo toma como estudo de caso a Polícia Municipal de Madrid e revela as contradições existentes entre o seu sistema de Administração por Objetivos e a pretendida implantação de um modelo de Polícia Comunitária. As dificuldades e deficiências se fazem evidentes devido à complexidade do sistema, à natureza quantitativa dos indicadores encarregados de medir a qualidade do trabalho, e também ao componente económico ligado ao cumprimento de tais indicadores. Tudo isso faz que um sistema a priori encarregado de melhorar a qualidade do serviço possa chegar a ser contraproducente para a própria função policial.

La misión de la Policía de los colombianos debe ser renovada? / Should the mission of the Colombian Police be renewed? / A missão da Polícia dos Colombianos deve ser renovada?

Problema. El deterioro de la convivencia y de la civilidad, impulsado por nuevas formas delincuenciales, requiere respuestas sobre el papel de la policía, incluidas las relacionadas con la renovación de la misión institucional. El artículo argumenta que la misión esencial, entendida como identidad dura, ha de mantenerse intacta, mientras que la misión coyuntural, vinculada a la estrategia y a la táctica como expresiones de identidad blanda, ha de adecuarse a las exigencias cambiantes de la sociedad. Metodología. La argumentación está sostenida en una reflexión teórica y doctrinal con referencias empíricas. Resultados. La convivencia y la civilidad están debilitadas frente a la explosión de agresores que dejan víctimas inocentes y una deslegitimación institucional. Conclusiones. La civilidad y la convivencia deberían replantearse, no solamente desde la institución policial, sino también, y este aspecto es fundamental, desde instancias de la sociedad y del Estado que respondan a una mirada multidimensional.

Problem. The deterioration of coexistence and civility as driven by new criminal forms demands answers relating to the role of the police, including those associated with the renewal of their institutional mission. In this article, it is argued that this essential mission understood as a hard identity has to be kept intact, while the conjunctural mission connected with strategy and tactics as soft identity expressions has to adapt to the changing demands of society. Methodology. The argumentation is supported by a theoretical and doctrinal thought with empirical references. Results. Coexistence and civility have been weakened in the face of aggressors leaving behind innocent victims and institutional delegitimization. Conclusions. Both civility and coexistence should be revised and rethought not only from the police institution but also –and this is essential– from society and State entities capable of responding to a multidimensional look.

Problema. A deterioração da convivência e da civilidade, impulsionado pelas novas formas delinquenciais, requer respostas no papel da polícia, incluindo as relacionadas à renovação da missão institucional. O artigo discute que a missão essencial, compreendida como a identidade dura, tem que permanecer intacta, enquanto a missão conjuntural, vinculada à estratégia e às táticas como expressões da identidade leve, tem que se adaptar às exigências variáveis da sociedade. Metodologia. A argumentação está sustentada em uma reflexão teórica e doutrinal com referências empíricas. Resultados. A convivência e civilidade estão enfraquecidas à frente da explosão dos agressores que deixam vítimas inocentes e uma deslegitimação institucional. Conclusões. A civilidade e a convivência teriam que ser reformuladas, não somente desde a instituição policial, mas também, e este aspecto é fundamental, desde instâncias da sociedade e do Estado que respondem a uma olhada multidimensional.