A Case Study on The Use of Force Among Police Patrol

AUTHOR(S)

Mark Anthony L. Refugio, MSCrim

ABSTRACT

This study was primarily an investigation into the police personnel’s factors, suspect’s situational factors, and organization’s working environment and their relation to the police personnel’s use of reasonable force. In particular, this study sought to answer the following basic question, “What are the factors that generally enter into police officer’s decision to use force? Are there any specific clues or cues before enforcing force?”
From the results of the study, it may be concluded that use of force is more likely to occur when the four (4) indicators, further identified as provocative behavior of suspects or disobedience, attempts to flee or physically resisting arrest, being under the influence of alcohol, and interpersonal disturbance or mentally ill person, were present during the police-suspect encounters.
Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are proposed: (1) It is recommended to review various accountability structures already implemented by the Philippine National Police; (2)It would also be helpful to understand the term ‘police suspect’ encounters better; (3) A council or a department should be established that would monitor the trends and changes upon the implementation of the reformed and reexamined internal cleansing; (4) It is also recommended to increase the number of participants when conducting a further study in either qualitative or quantitative approach; (5) Lastly, additional parameters on the likelihood of use of police force on suspect’s resistance should be considered in future studies.