Date of Award
12-1-2011
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Criminology and Criminal Justice
First Advisor
Schafer, Joseph
Abstract
AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF DAVID WELKER, for the Master of Arts degree in CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE, presented on OCTOBER 18, 2011, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: POLICE PROGRAMS, CANINES, AND CONTINGENCY THEORY: AN EXPLANATION OF CANINE NUMBERS AMONG LARGE POLICE DEPARTMENTS MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Joseph Schafer Canines have provided services for humans over many centuries. More recently, they have been used for police work. Canines are used to apprehend suspects, track people, and find drugs. They are also seen as a less-than-lethal weapon and can be used in a number of different programs such as D.A.R.E./crime prevention education, S.W.A.T., and drug task forces. But research on canine use and effectiveness is lacking. This study tries to fill that gap using secondary data from the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey of police agencies. In this study, adoption of canines was predicted by contingency theory based on contingencies such as tasks and structural programs in the various departments. Contingency theory was also used to test the canine's role in enhancing the effectiveness of the police organizations. This study tries to explain the variation of canine use across departments by using contingency theory and the effectiveness of canines by assessing monetary values from drug forfeitures.
Access
This thesis is Open Access and may be downloaded by anyone.