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The Effectiveness of Fines in Deterring Clean Air Act Violations
No full textThis dissertation uses data from the US EPA's ECHO database to examine the relationship between monetary penalties imposed by regulatory agencies and subsequent facility-level violations of the Clean Air Act and other environmental regulations. Specific deterrence, the stated objective of these penalties, is assessed by comparing the compliance of facilities in the contiguous United States that were fined in 2021 for violating the Clean Air Act with a randomly selected comparison group of facilities that were not fined. The dollar amount of penalties imposed is examined among facilities that were penalized. With an overriding goal of preventing violations, it is essential to determine whether regulatory objectives are being effectively realized in practice. The results suggest that neither being fined nor being fined larger amounts of money has any deterrent effect on facilities that have been so punished. Some evidence of an iatrogenic relationship between sanctions and subsequent compliance was observed. These findings suggest that a different approach may be necessary for regulators to prevent environmental violations by certain facilities
Utilization of SWAT for the Protection of Citizens at Public Venues
No full textIn 1966, two significant incidents taught law enforcement that there was a need for a specialized unit that could handle incidents outside the normal realm of uniformed officers. Utilizing veterans from the Korean and Vietnam wars, SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) was created. This specialized unit was specially trained and equipped to handle high-risk incidents such as barricaded subjects, hostage situations, high-risk warrants, and anything else deemed outside the capabilities of uniformed officers. The newly formed unit created a tactic known as control, contain, and negotiate, which became the standard for high-risk situations for many years. In 1999, law enforcement responded to Columbine High School, about an active shooter, and realized their usual tactics of control, contain, and negotiate did not work; thus, lives were lost. Law enforcement adapted, and SWAT was tasked with creating and training officers in active shooter response. In 2011, the landscape of law enforcement's mission shifted as terrorism struck the United States. SWAT teams found themselves at the forefront of local responses to terrorism. From 2012 to the present day, solitary assailants, known as lone wolf shooters, have initiated attacks on public venues frequented by large groups of citizens. These assaults on soft targets cause a high number of casualties and spread fear. SWAT will need to meet the new challenge of protecting citizens and public venues. SWAT needs to be overtly deployed at public venues as a visual deterrent. Although some citizens see SWAT as too militaristic and costly, they will have to accept the fact that SWAT, being utilized overtly, to deter and protect, should be the new standard in the coming years.LEMI
Law Enforcement Code of Ethics: Time for a Change
No full textOfficers should be able to accept small gratuities under ethical guidelines, and these guidelines should reflect ideals of ethical behavior while ensuring departmental guidelines are followed. Officers are uncertain about what is acceptable and what is not. There is a long history of police culture across the country that establishes general orders or policies, and they are never enforced. The need for ethical behavior should be embedded and enforced with the start of new police recruits while still in the police academy. Most departments have policies that officers can accept gratuities, if not solicited. Ethical arguments on accepting gratuities are a matter of opinion. Communities thrive on interacting with the police creating a bridge between the community and police. Some consider law enforcement officers unethical when gifts or gratuities are accepted. The public noticed that officers were entrenched in the culture of the department. Some officers even go as far as putting on their uniforms when not on duty to take advantage of the gratuities offered by the community, voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service. Citizens at times feel obligated to give back to the community. The ethical argument for accepting gratuities is a matter of opinion or a community social act that should continue. Some officers agree that offering free goods and services is an entitlement based on what the officer has received. Police gratuities should be viewed as a form of appreciation from the community, and not as a form of corruption. Slippery Slope theory exists when there are no clearly defined boundaries that can be used to draw distinctions between a gift and gratuity. The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics should be amended to allow gratuities for law enforcement officers.LEMI
Best Practice or Standard Practice Mandating Accreditation for Texas Law Enforcement
No full textThe Criteria for Law Enforcement Accreditation are based on the agency's health, safety, and life-saving policies. These rules are fundamental to modern police departments. The primary goal of the United States-based credentialing body, Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), is to accredit public safety entities such as police departments, training academies, communications centers, and university public safety organizations. The training prepares officers to handle substantial situations, meet primary community service responsibilities, and lay the framework for dealing with high-risk issues in the modern world. When police officers in a community follow established protocols, the public benefits from effective, efficient, and equitable policing. Accreditation strengthens the law enforcement agency's ability to manage and prevent crime by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of its community services. After receiving accreditation, the community better understands the law enforcement agency's objective, purpose, and role in the community. The public has greater trust in the agency's actions and policies. Workforce, technology, training, and consultancy fees are required, thus limiting the process. Despite these limitations, accreditation improves police confidence, openness, and ongoing progress. Voluntary involvement in a best practices accreditation program is an excellent way to improve transparency and professionalism within a law enforcement institution. For these reasons, it should be legislatively mandated that all law enforcement agencies receive accreditation.LEMI
A PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING SEXUAL COMMUNICATION IN CONSENSUALLY NONMONOGAMOUS RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN GAY MALE COUPLES
No full textConsensual nonmonogamy remains a stigmatized and underrepresented relational
orientation in clinical literature. Although many individuals, especially within the gay community, engage in consensual nonmonogamy, little empirical research has explored how sexual communication is navigated within these relationships. To address this gap, an interpretative phenomenological analysis research design was employed to explore the lived experiences of six gay men, or three dyads, in consensually nonmonogamous partnerships. Data were collected through demographic questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and pictorial representations. Analysis revealed four group experiential themes: (a) individual development, (b) consensually nonmonogamous relationship dynamics, (c) sexual communication dynamics, and (d) recommendations for helpful others. This study contributes to the literature on relational and sexual diversity by
offering insight into how gay male couples use sexual communication to co-construct meaning, navigate agreements, and maintain connection. Findings may inform counselor training, advocacy efforts, and future research aimed at supporting sexual minority clients in consensually nonmonogamous relationships
TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF FISH ASSEMBLAGES IN HARMON CREEK: THE INFLUENCE OF HABITAT COMPLEXITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DRIVERS
No full textDrivers of fish diversity are based on nutrient availability, habitat heterogeneity, and environmental parameters. In pristine headwater river ecosystems, the influence of these parameters can change through time and space, having a direct impact on fish diversity. The aim of the project was to explore how fish community dynamics vary amongst the stream’s diverse habitats. This work was conducted in Harmon Creek, Huntsville, Texas, a second order stream within the Trinity River Basin. I surveyed the Harmon Creek ecosystem to investigate shifts in species composition. Additionally, I conducted controlled mesocosm experiments on how the dominant species in Harmon Creek, Cyprinella venusta, would respond to changes in
habitat type and increasing fish density. I found that fish assemblage was dependent on habitat type through an NMDS ordination. A species indicator analysis also showed which species preferred certain habitats. For the mesocosm experiment, I found that the individual habitat type did not influence the fish habitat preference as greatly as the density. As fish density increased, the number of fish in the preferred habitat decreased, indicating that competition was occurring. The results of the in-situ sampling and
mesocosm experiment show the importance of both habitat and density on fish
assemblage
FACILITATED VIDEO CASE-BASED LEARNING: AN EXPLORATORY SINGLE-CASE STUDY OF PARAMEDIC WORKPLACE LEARNING
No full textHigh-fidelity patient simulators with technological integrations have steadily, but saliently, converted traditional classrooms into sophisticated clinical simulation laboratories across health professions education. The utilization of this learning strategy for emergency medical services’ (EMS) initial and continuing education has now taken center stage. However, there are many obstacles to conducting quality, high-fidelity clinical simulation, including but not limited to cost, time, and space. The purpose of this exploratory single-case study was to explore whether an alternative teaching and learning solution, facilitated video case-based learning, was effective, efficient, and engaging for the development and application of higher order thinking skills in paramedic workplace learning. Utilized in the present study was a cohort of paramedics who work in a Fire Department as part of a high-performance EMS system. Five participants engaged in a facilitated video case-based learning experience. Through observation of participant behavior and thematic analysis of post-intervention interviews, the study sought to examine the influence of this learning approach on the development of higher order thinking skills. The study was informed by the New Kirkpatrick Model® for training evaluation and Bloom’s revised taxonomy for the identification of higher order thinking skills.
The results of this study address teaching and learning solutions in paramedic education to overcome barriers that severely limit clinical simulation’s reach. The findings revealed that facilitated video case-based learning was not only perceived as highly engaging and relevant but also contributed meaningfully to knowledge acquisition and the development of higher order thinking skills. The results influence our understanding of paramedic learning and the development of higher order thinking skills and address policy and practice issues to make ongoing education more accessible, especially in resource-poor areas globally. Key teaching and learning implications for the strategic implementation of facilitated video case-based learning include a resource-efficient alternative to high-fidelity simulation, without compromising realism, which leads to deeper discussions, critical thinking development, and enhanced clinical reasoning, enabling progressive EMS skills development
Examining Post-Traumatic Stress Symptomsas Mediators of Cancer-related Symptoms and Impairments in Work and Daily Activity
No full textCancer diagnosis is a traumatic experience for cancer patients and the impact of such trauma can persist in survivorship care. Returning to work, a correlate of better quality of life, is an important milestone for cancer survivors in returning to normalcy. While the relation between cancer-related symptoms prior to assuming work and impairments in work have been well established, limited research has suggested that more severe cancer-related symptoms during treatment may be associated with the development of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) following treatment, which in turn is associated with greater impairments in work. The Enduring Somatic Threat (EST) model may provide a framework for understanding the association of cancer symptoms with subsequent work impairment via PTSS. The purposes of the present study were to examine (a) the mediating effect of PTSS on the relation between cancer-related symptoms and impairments in work and daily activity based on the EST model of PTSD, (b) the extent to which post-traumatic growth (PTG) moderates the association between PTSS and impairments in work and activity, and (c) the moderating effect of PTG on the mediating effect of PTSS on the association between cancer-related symptoms and work and activity impairments. This was a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. A total of 102 breast cancer patients completed measures of post-traumatic stress symptoms (Impact of Event Scale, IES), post-traumatic growth (Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, PTGI), cancer-related symptoms (MD Anderson Symptom Inventory, MDASI), and impairments in work and activity (Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire, WPAI) at 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month post-treatment. Simple mediation and moderation analyses, and moderated mediation analysis were conducted using the PROCESS macro for SPSS. Findings revealed no significant mediation effects of PTSS on the associations between the MDASI and the WPAI scales. In moderation analyses, PTG moderated the association between PTSS and work presenteeism but not for other WPAI scales, such that cancer patients with low PTSS displayed reduced work presenteeism at high levels of PTG. There were no significant moderated mediations observed among cancer-related symptoms, PTSS, PTG, or impairments in work and daily activity. Study limitations and implications will be discussed
Because Peer Support Matters
Full text linkCritical incident debriefings are essential for law enforcement officers who experience traumatic events in the line of duty daily. These shocking events can be anything from acts of violence, observed disturbing deaths, and natural disasters, to horrific car accidents. Peer support teams, composed of trained officers who share similar experiences, can conduct these debriefs effectively. This approach promotes a supportive environment where officers can openly discuss their experiences, reducing the stigma associated with mental health. These debriefings can help officers process their emotions, alleviate the immediate effects of trauma, and develop coping strategies for long-term mental health. Because of the shared understanding and trust within the law enforcement community, peer support debriefings enhance resilience and promote recovery, ultimately contributing to the overall well-being and operational readiness of the officers. Law enforcement agencies should mandate peer support to conduct annual critical incident debriefs for every officer in their department.LEMI
Confronting Human Trafficking with Local Law Enforcement
Full text linkHuman trafficking is often referred to as modern-day slavery since victims are forced into sex or labor against their will. The victims are not only comprised at American borders but also integrated as members of local communities. Local law enforcement in those communities typically do not have the training, personnel, or funding to recognize victims of human trafficking and therefore do not take a stand against it. Once victims are trafficked into the country, they are placed as needed by their captors whether it be in a massage parlor for prostitution or added to local lawn crews working in neighborhoods and communities. This crime occurs openly daily and is not adequately addressed by local law enforcement. Local law enforcement should invest in personnel and funding to combat human trafficking. To combat this crime and save victims' lives, local law enforcement must recognize that it is not just a federal issue but also a challenge that needs to be addressed at the local level. Partnering with federal task forces will assist agencies with needed funding and additional personnel to deter and stop human trafficking effectively. Training and educating local law enforcement and community leaders will assist in saving the lives of trafficked individuals and keeping communities safe from criminal activity.LEMI