To date, few studies have examined the relationship between citizens' alcohol use and police response, preferring to examine the link between alcohol and crime by studying arrest records, suspects-awaiting trial, convicted felons, or detox-treatment residents. Although these studies provide valuable knowledge concerning alcohol use among such people, the findings may or may not be applicable to persons who are removed from the potential sample because their case is diverted at some point prior to arrest convictin, or the application of the """"""""alcoholic"""""""" label. The proposed study will attempt to move beyond the previous research literature by examing data from an earlier point in the ciminal justice system. Two research questions will be examined: (1) the extent to which citizens' alcohol use is related to breaches-of-the-peace and/or other """"""""criminal"""""""" activity which results in the presence of police; and (2) whether or not he use of alcohol on the part of the suspect(s)/complainant(s)/victim(s)/ witness(es) determines the police officer's disposition of the situation. The methodology involves two components: (1) trained observers will accompany police on their regular patrol activities. An observational instrument has been developed and pilot-tested which will code the type and nature of police-citizen encounters and an """"""""alcohol-use checklist"""""""" has been devised to assess the extent of alcohol involvement among the suspect(s)/witness(es)/victim(s)/complainant(s); (2) police reports, when written, will be examined, with emphasis on the ways in which alcohol use is recorded in the report. Since the data will be collected at the initial point in the criminal justice system, the research will examine a sample heretofor largely unstudied. Moreover, by examining the role of citizens' alcohol use on the officer's definition & dispositon of the situation, the research will provide some insight as to the extent to which alcohol use on the part of citizens may influence the processin of the case. Potentially, this information may be used to infer, albeit in a limited way, whether or not previous research may have over- or underestimated the relationship between alcohol and """"""""criminal activity.""""""""
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