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Media Coverage of Police Sexual Misconduct in Seven Cities: A Research Note

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Abstract

As a supplemental component of a larger confidential analysis of police sexual misconduct (PSM) in “Central City”, this study examines news accounts of PSM events in seven comparable metropolitan cities in the United States. Google search was used to identify media news reports to estimate PSM, standardized for city population and size of police force. Findings indicate that PSM rates vary by city, events typically implicate a male officer and a female victim, and most media reports involved an arrest that may signal under-reporting. Observation of commonalities across the sample cities informs discussion of the need for transparency and preventative measures.

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Acknowledgments

The current study was a supplemental component to a funded confidential analysis of police sexual misconduct in an United States metropolitan city. Points of view are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position or policy of the sponsoring municipality. The authors gratefully thank Nicole Decker for research assistance.

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Correspondence to Kristina M. Lopez.

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Table 3 Media reports of police sexual misconduct by City

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Lopez, K.M., Forde, D.R. & Mitchell Miller, J. Media Coverage of Police Sexual Misconduct in Seven Cities: A Research Note. Am J Crim Just 42, 833–844 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-016-9384-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-016-9384-0

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