Browsing by Author "Walsh, D."

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    Applications of Legal Psychology in Japan: Current practice, research knowledge, and future directions
    (Universiy of California Press, 2024-03-05) Orthey, R.; Satchell, L.; Rechdan, J.; Kyo, A.; Walsh, D.
    We examine practices in the Japanese criminal investigation in light of investigative interviewing, concealed crime knowledge detection, and line up identification procedures. The investigative interviewing section considers suspects and victims and& eyewitnesses separately. Each section features a description of current Japanese practice, followed by a review of the current state of the literature. Each section ends with a reflection and suggestions for future research.
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    Child Criminal Exploitation and County Lines Drug Distribution: Understanding the Impact of Covid-19
    (University of Nottingham, 2022-05-10) Brewster, Ben; Robinson, Grace; Silverman, Bernard; Walsh, D.
    Executive summary In March 2020, restrictions on movement and social contact were imposed across the UK following the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Many legitimate businesses either closed their doors entirely or made changes to enable their employees to work from home. Media reports also began to circulate suggesting that the illicit drugs trade was also making alternative arrangements for the supply of illegal drugs. Research conducted for this UKRI Rapid Response funded project COVID-19 and Child Criminal Exploitation: Closing Urgent Knowledge and Data Gaps on the Implications of Pandemic for County Lines sought to understand the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the County Lines model of illegal drug supply, and in particular on the resulting criminal exploitation of children. In this report we highlight [1] practitioner-perceived changes and shifts in the County Lines drug supply model, [2] the impact of pandemic restrictions on law enforcement activities aimed at tackling County Lines activity, and [3] the pandemic’s effect on efforts to support and safeguard children and young people criminally exploited through County Lines, or at risk of it. Overall, our research participants indicated that they believed that the pandemic had induced shifts to County Lines that reflected the ongoing evolution of the drug supply model, in addition to responsive shifts directly resulting from pandemic restrictions on travel. Our participants reflected that the pandemic had caused them to reconsider their understandings of the modus operandi of offending and behaviour linked to County Lines, as the pandemic in some cases foregrounded tactics and practices that were different from those considered to be (stereo)typical. In our study, practitioners clearly articulated the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on some young people’s vulnerability to exploitation, on the way in which police and frontline practitioners respond to County Lines and CCE, and on the way in which illegal drugs were being moved and sold. The research methodology included ! A review of published sources (including academic publications, media articles and grey literature) ! Qualitative interviews with 46 practitioners across England. Participants included: ! practitioners working in frontline (statutory or non-governmental) service provision with young people currently or previously exploited in County Lines, or considered at-risk of exploitation; ! law enforcement officers with portfolio responsibility for policing County Lines and the illegal supply of drugs; ! practitioners from law enforcement, non-governmental or other statutory bodies working in analytical roles with responsibility for County Lines and illegal drug supply. Interviews conducted with key frontline and analytical practitioners aimed to understand their experiences and the way they perceived the impact of the pandemic. Through our research we aimed to investigate possible and sudden shifts in perpetrator behaviours, and the development of new safeguarding and support challenges related to County Lines and Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE). Data collection took place between July 2020 and September 2021. We identified several challenges County Lines supply methods Law enforcement agencies asserted that while they believed that the overall volume of County Lines activity was consistent with pre-pandemic levels, they had perceived adaptations to the actual supply methods used by County Lines networks. For instance, significant reductions in public footfall meant that it was no longer possible to hide in plain sight on the country’s rail networks, increasing County Lines’ reliance on moving product by road. Police also highlighted to us that increased enforcement activity on the rail networks may have been a factor that drove this change during the initial months of lockdown. There were also suggestions that restrictions on travel may also have increased the risk of some vulnerable adults having their properties cuckooed and taken over. Others suggested that exploited young people were being required to remain in drug market locations for longer as drugs were being moved at lower frequency, but in higher quantities. There were also indications of shifts towards the recruitment and exploitation of young people already in drug market areas, further reducing the need for frequent travel. Other tactics were also highlighted as mechanisms to avoid detection by law enforcement, such as the use of supermarket carparks as deal locations, enabling dealers to co-locate with customer shopping routines and use keyworker disguises. Safeguarding capacity Face-to-face contact between young people and various professionals was reduced, caused both by a lack of resources and social distancing restrictions (imposed to suppress infection rates), often being replaced either by doorstep or telephone communications. This had the effect of diminishing professionals’ ability to easily identify signs of exploitation. School closures also created challenges, contributing to overall reductions in referrals for young people potentially at risk of exploitation, heightening concerns that many young people were confined to dangerous and exploitative situations both within and away from their homes. Exploitation risk Participants believed that drug supply lines persisted at pre-pandemic levels as Covid-19 did little to affect the demand for class-A substances such as heroin and crack cocaine. This ensured continued demand for young people to move and distribute drugs on behalf of those organising the drug supply. Safeguarding practitioners emphasised these concerns, and suggested young people were at increased risk of grooming through social media, as they spent longer online due to school closures and restrictions on face-to-face social activity. Concern was also expressed regarding young people’s mental health, as practitioners began to receive reports of substance misuse, isolation, and self-harm.
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    Child Criminal Exploitation: and County Lines drugs distribution: Understanding the impact of Covid-19. Report
    (University of Nottingham, 2022-04-22) Brewster, Ben; Robinson, Grace; Silverman, Bernard; Walsh, D.
    In March 2020, restrictions on movement and social contact were imposed across the UK following the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Many legitimate businesses either closed their doors entirely or made changes to enable their employees to work from home. Media reports also began to circulate suggesting that the illicit drugs trade was also making alternative arrangements for the supply of illegal drugs.
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    Conflicts of role, trust and emotion in interpreter-assisted police interviews
    (John Benjamins, 2019-05-28) Walsh, D.; Wilson, Lauren
    In the context of interpreter-assisted police interviews (IAPIs) it is essential for both police officers and interpreters to maintain impartiality at all times. However, there are numerous obstacles on the way towards achieving this fundamental goal. The present study examined whether and how the different conflicts in communication are constructed and controlled within the different phases of police interviews, using a self-administered questionnaire that explored the perceptions of police officers and interpreters. Three areas of conflict pertinent to impartiality were identified: role, trust and emotion. The differing assumptions about the roles of police officers and interpreters, and the respective differing expectations, appear to create barriers in the achievement of trust and in the working relationship as a whole, which may well affect the aim of IAPIs (i.e. to gather reliable information) and alter the interview outcomes. In addition, both police officers and interpreters have strong emotional experience during IAPIs; however, neither group appear to make conscious efforts to engage in coping strategies.
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    Corporate Non Compliance with Section 54 Modern Slavery Act 2015: "Nobody's kicking our ass"
    (Journal of Modern Slavery, 2024-06) Lawson, Karen; Walsh, D.
    Section 54 of the UK’s Modern Slavery Act requires certain companies to publish annual statements, detailing steps taken to manage risks of modern slavery. However, many companies still have yet to fulfill their most basic legal requirements. Prior research has largely examined the quality of published statements; thus, the reasons and remedies for non-compliance are not wholly understood. The present study directly sought the views of non-compliant companies, finding apathy and the lack of repercussions for non-compliance as central to their continuing inertia. We also argue for a number of measures, including stronger penalties and enforcement, to increase compliance rates.
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    Covid-19 and Child Criminal Exploitation in the UK: Implications of the Pandemic for County Lines
    (Springer, 2021-12-06) Brewster, Ben; Robinson, Grace; Silverman, Bernard; Walsh, D.
    In March 2020, the UK was placed in lockdown following the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Just as legitimate workplaces made changes to enable their employees to work from home, the illicit drugs trade also made alternative arrangements, adapting its supply models to ensure continuity of operations. Based upon qualitative interviews with 46 practitioners, this paper assesses how front-line professionals have experienced and perceived the impact of Covid-19 on child criminal exploitation and County Lines drug supply in the UK. Throughout the paper, we highlight perceived adaptations to the County Lines supply model, the impact of lockdown restrictions on detection and law enforcement activities aimed at County Lines, and on efforts to safeguard children and young people from criminal exploitation. Our participants generally believed that the pandemic had induced shifts to County Lines that reflected an ongoing evolution of the drug supply model and shifts in understanding or attention because of the Covid-19 restrictions, rather than a complete reconstitution of the model itself. Practitioners perceived that Covid-19 has had, and continues to have, a significant impact on some young people’s vulnerability to exploitation, on the way in which police and frontline practitioners respond to County Lines and child criminal exploitation and on the way illegal drugs are being moved and sold
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    Developing a scale to measure the presence of possible prejudicial stereotyping in police interviews with suspects: The Minhas Investigative Interviewing Prejudicial Stereotyping Scale
    (Taylor and Francis, 2016-10-31) Minhas, Rashid; Bull, R.; Walsh, D.
    If police interviewers’ hold negative feelings towards certain groups, this may affect how they interview them (either as victims, witnesses or suspects) in that they may not obtain reliable accounts, being the aim of such interviews. The Minhas Investigative Interviewing Prejudicial Stereotyping Scale (MIIPSS) has been developed to assess the level of any investigative interviewers’ prejudicial stereotyping towards suspects. The current exploratory study involved semi-structured interviews with twenty people, who had previously been interviewed as suspects in England and also eight very experienced lawyers. Both their views were measured using the MIIPSS before being subjected to a Guttman analysis. Statistical analyses showed that MIIPSS satisfies the criteria for classification as a valid unidimensional and cumulative scale. Therefore, researchers could use MIIPSS as a tool to measure prejudicial stereotyping in investigative interviews. Interviewers could also use MIIPSS to monitor their own attitudes towards certain groups or individuals suspected of different types of crimes.
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    The Domains of PEACE: Examining interviews with suspected sex offenders
    (Springer, 2022-01-01) Izotovas, Aleks; Kelly, Chris; Walsh, D.
    In England, few studies have examined actual police interviews with suspects (despite such interviews being mandatorily tape recorded there for 30 years). That which has been undertaken has tended to examine certain (albeit important) aspects of such interviews (such as rapport, questioning strategies, and evidence disclosure). However, interviews are the sum of these individual aspects. An analysis that examines the totality (and dynamic nature) of interviews is required. Such a framework exists, being used to examine USA police interrogations, from the perspective of six domains, rooted in the relevant literature. That is, Rapport and Relationship Building, Context Manipulation, Emotion Provocation, Collaboration, Confrontation/Competition, and Presentation of Evidence. This taxonomy has yet to assess overall interviewer performance in England. The present study examined 184 five-minute segments throughout 14 interviews with suspected sex offenders in this country, incorporating this taxonomy. Our exploratory findings are that when suspects (whether innocent or guilty) offer resistance, interviewers abandon their initial efforts to build/maintain rapport, and become increasingly confrontational. They also ask more of those question types known to yield little information. The study affirms that the taxonomy of domains methodology can be used to provide in-depth and revealing analyses of overall interviewer performance.
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    The effect of the number of interviewers on children’s testimonies
    (Taylor & Francis, 2021-04-02) Ferra, Fenia; Blades, Mark; Walsh, D.
    Many investigative interviews with children who report that they have been victims of crime are carried out by one interviewer. Some interviews, however, may involve more than one interviewer. There has been little research examining the impact upon children’s reports when more than one interviewer (or adult) is present. Over the course of two experimental studies, involving 375 children in total, the effects that the number of adults (present in such interviews) had on children’s recall were investigated. It was found that the number of the adults present during an interview had an effect on the quality and quantity of the information children provided. When children were interviewed by a single interviewer, with no-one else present, the children provided lengthier and more accurate accounts, in comparison to when children were interviewed by an interviewer in the presence of either one or two additional adults. These findings have implications for the conduct of forensic interviews, especially in those countries where several adults are present in forensic interviews.
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    Evaluating interviews which search for the truth with suspects: but are investigators’ self-assessments of their own skills truthful ones?
    (Taylor and Francis, 2017-03-09) Walsh, D.; King, M.; Griffiths, A.
    Self-evaluation of one’s own performance has been found in prior research to be an enabler of professional development. The task of evaluation is also a core component of a model of the investigative interviewing of victims, witnesses and suspects, being increasingly used throughout the world. However, it remains the case that there has been little research as to how practitioners approach the task itself. The present study examined the topic through the lens of observing how effectively 30 real-life investigators in the UK undertook evaluation of their interviews, representing almost the entire investigative frontline workforce of a small law enforcement agency in this country. Using an established scale of measurement, both investigators’ and an expert’s ratings of the same sample of interviews were compared across a range of tasks and behaviours. It was found that in almost all the assessed behaviours, requiring of the investigators to provide a self-rating, their scores tended to significantly outstrip those applied to the sample by the expert. Reasons are explored for the investigators’ overstated assessments. Implications for practice are then discussed.
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    Examining the Effects of Violence and Personality on Eyewitness Memory
    (Taylor and Francis, 2017-05-24) Pajon, L.; Walsh, D.
    Witnesses play a key role in criminal investigations. Research in estimator variables has aided criminal justice practitioners to estimate, post hoc, the likelihood of obtaining accurate testimony from a specific witness. Nonetheless, only a few studies have examined how violence and personality influence memory. The present study examines both variables with a student sample (N D 53). Participants were randomly divided between those who viewed a crime involving physical violence (n D 24) and those who watched an event that did not include physical violence (n D 29). Results found that physical violence increased the quantity of information recalled, and Honesty personality domain was positively correlated with memory performance. Nonetheless, the relationship between personality domains and memory performance appeared to be influenced and modified by the presence of physical violence. Under violent conditions personality domains of Emotionality and Openness appeared to be related with decreased memory accuracy, whereas Contentiousness appeared to be related with increased memory accuracy. This study enables a clearer picture to emerge of the effect that violence and personality have on memory and seeds the idea that claiming linear relationships between estimator variables and memory may be over-simplistic as variables appeared to be related among them when influencing eyewitness memory
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    An exploration of infant feeding experiences of women in Lincolnshire in the early postnatal period
    (University of Nottingham, 2012-12) Spencer, R.; Hinsliff-Smith, K.; Walsh, D.
    Executive Summary Breastfeeding initiation and maintenance rates within Lincolnshire remain lower than the average for the East Midlands and England. Rates of initiation of breastfeeding at birth in 2010/2011 were 72% in Lincolnshire, compared to an initiation rate in England of 74%. The percentage of babies still being either partially or exclusively breastfed at 6 – 8 weeks dropped to 39% in Lincolnshire in comparison to 46% in England (NHS Lincolnshire, 2011). The purpose of this qualitative research was to gain an understanding of primigravid women‟s breastfeeding experience in the first 6 – 8 week postpartum period. Whilst valuable audit data is held on infant feeding methods in Lincolnshire, this research focuses on offering insights into the experiences of new mothers in order to better understand their feeding experiences and decisions, with a view to understanding differences in rates. The objectives of the study were: PRIMARY OBJECTIVE To describe women‟s experiences of breastfeeding SECONDARY OBJECTIVES To determine women‟s perceptions of breastfeeding To identify the factors that influence breastfeeding duration and cessation. The study used phenomenological principles to understand the lived experiences of the women. The study focused on women who were living in the county of Lincolnshire. Ethical approval was granted by the University of Nottingham and the National Research Ethics Committee. Two methods of data collection were used: Personal diaries 48 primigravid women over 34 weeks gestation were invited to complete detailed daily diaries of their infant feeding experiences in the 6 to 8 week postnatal period. 22 diaries were completed, a response rate of 46%. In-depth interviews A sub-sample of 13 women participated in a face-to-face interview which explored their infant feeding experiences and factors that affected their decision to continue or to discontinue breastfeeding. Data analysis utilised phenomenological principles that proceeded from coding to category development to themes.
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    An exploration of perceptions of real-life suspects’ from the Asian Muslim community relating to the police interviewing practices in England
    (Routledge, 2017) Minhas, Rashid; Walsh, D.; Bull, Ray
    ABSTRACT In England and Wales, the ‘war on terror’ has been argued to impact adversely on existing race relations policies. New legislation (such as wide discretionary powers of stop and search and arrest under the Terrorism Act (TA) 2000, the extension of pre-charge detention of 28 days (TA 2006), and the use of control orders to detain without trial), policing, and counter-terrorism measures may cast Muslims as the ‘enemy within’. The current research concerns real-life Asian Muslim suspects’ perceptions and experiences of police interviewing practices in England. This study involves semistructured interviews with 22 people who had previously been interviewed as suspects throughout England. Around two-thirds of participants reported perceiving the demonstration of various stereotyping by police officers during interviews, half of whom indicated that the interviewers demonstrated racial/religious stereotypes via discriminatory behaviour. Given the potential and serious consequences of such racial/religious stereotypes and discriminatory behaviour, further training of police officers seems necessary to improve both interviewing performance and community cohesion.
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    Fashioning a beautiful future? Supporting workers and addressing labour exploitation in Leicester’s textile and garment industry
    (University of Nottingham, 2022-06-01) Gardner, Alison; Blair, Krista; Burcu, Oana; Phelan, Kieran; Pajon, Laura; Walsh, D.; Stirk, Michelle; Gray, charlotte
    This report presents the results of a four-month research study into systemic and locality-based factors underpinning labour exploitation within Leicester’s Garment and Textile industry, with particular emphasis on the perspective of frontline workers. The key findings are summarised here, and an outline theory-of-change for future intervention and action is presented on pages 36-49. 1) What factors make people vulnerable to exploitation in Leicester? This report highlights four key themes increasing vulnerability to worker exploitation in Leicester. Financial precarity is widespread due to the prevalence of low wages, uncertain or part-time hours, and specific cost-pressures that particularly impact upon communities with lower levels of English language skills, or who were recently arrived in the UK. Many workers identify limits in their employability, which constrain the choices available to them, due to a lack of job search skills, qualifications, proficiency in English and (particularly for women) cultural expectations associated with family and childcare duties. Anti-exploitation measures have proved ineffective due to the isolation of workers, low expectations concerning the impact of raising concerns, and insufficient multi-agency collaboration at local level. There are also continuing disincentives to employers to offer decent work, due to uncertainty about the financial returns possible within an ethical business model and a ready supply of workers with limited options. 2) What can major retailers and Government agencies do to improve things? We have identified a range of potential levers for change, that emphasise the need for a concerted multi-agency and multi-sector approach to building resilience against exploitation. Key aspects of this approach include: ■ Improving community-based support, advocacy and advice for workers. ■ Establishing the proposed Single Labour Market Enforcement body, to simplify points of contact for reporting labour abuse and promote coordinated action in the medium to long term. ■ Supporting a range of employability interventions to provide greater choice and opportunity. ■ Co-operating with major brands and retailers to increase the supply of decent work and ensure that ethical practices are rewarded. ■ Improving links between enforcement agencies and communities, to improve the flow of intelligence and identify risks and threats. ■ Working with communities that suffer most from financial pressures to minimise costs and enable them to achieve a secure and sustainable income. 3) What other actions would improve the lives of garment workers? Workers spoke to us in detail about their lives and aspirations. In common with many people across the UK, they described how financial pressures were becoming acute, particularly in relation to housing, utilities bills and as a result of under-employment or unemployment. In this context a secure and sufficient income was the over-riding necessity, as well as advice and advocacy services that could help them to access welfare support and avoid expenditure on poor-value intermediary ‘agents’ in applying for benefits or passports. Workers also expressed a wish to pursue additional training, particularly in relation to English language skills, IT skills, and practical topics such as first aid. They described their high aspirations for their children, who were frequently receiving additional tutoring or support for higher education. As one participant put it ‘We want to make our children’s future beautiful’ (FG5). 4) Why do people choose to work in the industry and do they have a choice? Many workers had joined the garment industry because they perceived it as the only work available to them, often in connection with a lack of alternative skills, low levels of English language proficiency, or a desire to work informally ‘cash in hand’. Workers’ experiences of the garment industry were not wholly negative. Many of the people we spoke to were keen to see jobs return to the garment sector, but with (at least) minimum wages, career progression opportunities and fair conditions. Women in particular needed more flexible, part-time, and local opportunities for work, and valued the social contact and financial independence it offered. However, workers also expressed a wish for fairness in the workplace and greater choice in employment opportunities. 5) How can garment workers be better enabled to exercise their workplace rights? Evidence from our survey and focus groups showed that workers were aware of their right to the minimum wage and some other aspects of pay and conditions such as holiday pay and sick pay. However, in most cases workers could not identify a source of support that they would trust to help them if they had concerns about rights being withheld. Provision of community-based trusted advocacy services, and effective multi-agency follow-up on complaints could assist in raising expectations and trust in services to resolve workplace abuses. 6) Are factory owners listening to workers and responding with appropriate changes? Our research indicated that although many workers feel able to raise complaints with their employers, manufacturers frequently respond that they are unable to change terms and conditions within the current operating models. ‘Gaming’ of compliance with audit and inspection measures, and a ready supply of vulnerable labour, provides a further disincentive for change. Continued multi-sector action is necessary, combining the efforts of regulators and brands to reward ethical practice. 7) How would workers like to be represented and by whom? Our research participants frequently had little experience or knowledge of the benefits of being represented in the workplace. Some did not feel that trade unions would be of benefit to their situation, and others expressed concerns about the fragmentation of the workforce and a lack of unity between different worker groups. However, others expressed an interest to understand more about unions and how their voice might be better represented to employers. Progress on a local level would also complement - and be reinforced by – implementation of a Single Labour Market Enforcement body. Although many important areas for action have been identified through this research, progress will not be achievable without long-term, coordinated action towards the systemic change required. Our research indicated that a programme of multi-stakeholder intervention is essential to resolve entrenched challenges. The success of action moving forward will – most importantly - rely upon effective community engagement and productive partnership between business, government and regulatory sectors, the voluntary sector, and workers themselves, coming together as trustful agents for change in Leicester’s communities.
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    Forensic interviews conducted with autistic adults in Japan: A review of the literature and directions for future research
    (Taylor and Francis, 2023-02-22) Brooks, Graham; Naka, Makiko; Oxburgh, Gavin; Kyo, Akira; Walsh, D.
    The interviewing of victims, witnesses and suspects are important in helping resolve criminal investigations. In Japan, developments have recently occurred in the training of the police and their public prosecutors in these key tasks. Whilst literature exists on autism in Japan, studies examining police/public prosecutor interviews with autistic adults conducted in that country (and indeed, any other) remain scant. As elsewhere in the world, identification of those who manifest characteristics prevalent on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) scale, has been found to be problematical to criminal justice professionals. To help address this deficit in understanding, we provide an overview of the literature concerning contemporary understanding of the challenges facing autistic adults as they attempt to reveal their verbal accounts, as well as suggested techniques when interviewing adults on the ASD scale during criminal investigations, offering lessons learned from research conducted around the world that provide potentially promising solutions for Japan.
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    The importance of multi-agency collaborations during human trafficking criminal investigations
    (Taylor and Francis, 2022) Pajon, Laura; Walsh, D.
    Human Trafficking (HT) has serious social and economic implications for both society and the victims of the crime. Despite being one of the most complex crimes to detect and investigate, multi-agency collaboration can often underpin effective investigations. There remains, however, a scarce evidence-based knowledge concerning the investigation of HT and police collaboration with partner agencies. The present study examines police collaborations in England and Wales when investigating HT, providing empirical knowledge on (i) the types of support police officers usually require from other agencies when investigating HT crimes; (ii) the agencies with whom they usually collaborate; and (iii) the types of support agencies can provide. The study uses the Repertory Grid Technique to gather and analyse data from 28 investigators from nineteen police units in England and Wales investigating trafficking crimes. Data from the individual grids was analysed through content and descriptive analysis. A median grid was created and analysed through principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. The study identified that police officers need to collaborate with partner agencies when working with victims, planning and assisting police operations/strategies, building the criminal intelligence picture and obtaining information about premises/companies and individuals. Findings also reveal that the police believe they need to rely upon several key agencies for each category of support. Findings evidence the need for police collaboration with partner agencies to secure victim-centred and intelligence-led investigations.
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    Increased risks of labor exploitation in the UK following Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic: Perspectives of the agri-food and construction sectors,
    (Taylor and Francis, 2022-05-24) Walsh, D.; Pajon, Laura; Lawson, Karen; Hafeez, Khalid; Heath, Mark; Court, Neil
    On leaving the EU, changes to the UK’s immigration system meant that low-skilled workers from overseas were largely prohibited from entering the UK. Since industries such as Agri-food and construction have been dependent on low-skilled migrant labor, the present study examined whether there would be increased risks of labor exploitation. Interviews conducted with 43 senior industry representatives revealed problems already being experienced recruiting labor, that were expected to worsen. Participants believed that the labor exploitation would increase, especially further down the supply chain, only compounded by impact of Covid-19, which some participants stated had prompted neglect of due diligence. In searching for practicable solutions, participants saw the new immigration rules as opportunities to re-examine business practices to appeal more to British workers through, say, providing better pay. Such aspirations are thought unlikely, when considering the various factors that create downward cost pressures upon consumers. Similarly, industry responses in developing new technologies to overcome labor shortfalls seem still some years away from realisation. These conditions, together, suggest there is a continuing and pressing demand for cheap labor, particularly from overseas, which is only being partially addressed by the current seasonal visa schemes. Accordingly, risks of increased labor exploitation remain very real.
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    Influence of racial stereotypes on investigative decision-making in criminal investigations: A qualitative comparative analysis
    (Cogent OA, 2018-10-22) Minhas, Rashid; Walsh, D.
    Recent research suggests that the police are aware of the general trends in street crime and, from such awareness, tend to form impressions of the likelihood that persons belonging to various racial groups will commit certain types of crimes (e.g. drugs-related crimes). Such perceptions may lead to the police undertaking racial profiling which has the effect of creating a cycle of profiling of suspected offenders, regardless of the accuracy of these perceptions. As such, these cycles of profiling are results of negative stereotypes. The present study involved semi-structured interviews with serving police officers in England, during which the same scenario was put to each of them in turn, only differing in the name of the suspect. We employed an innovative methodological technique, crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis (csQCA), which enabled us to identify the causal relationship between variables (i.e. racial stereotypes) and associated outcomes of investigations. As a result, we found two pathways to police officers’ investigative decision-making. Both pathways indicated that any negative stereotypes based on suspect’s group membership may well indeed influence the officers’ investigative decision-making, quite possibly affecting outcomes of criminal investigations. Implications for investigative practice are discussed.
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    Interpreter-Assisted Interviews: Examining Investigators’ and Interpreters’ Views on Their Practice
    (Springer, 2020-01-22) Oxburgh, Gavin; Amurun, Tyson; Walsh, D.
    The investigative interviewing of victims, witnesses and suspects is one of the most frequent and important tasks undertaken by those conducting law enforcement investigations. Over the past 20 years or so, there has been a substantial growth in the amount of research examining the practice. Nonetheless, little research has been conducted into those interviews where an interpreter is increasingly present. Using a self-administered questionnaire, the present study examined the beliefs of 66 investigators and 40 interpreters in the context of international criminal investigations, concerning certain key tasks in such interpreter-assisted interviews. It was regularly found that there was not always a consensus of opinion either within or between these two groups of professionals concerning whether (when participating in investigative interviews) (1) they prepared jointly with each other; (2) interpreters assisted (or otherwise) with rapport building; (3) interpreters could interpret accurately; and (4) interpreter interventions were disruptive or not. Given such divisions of opinion, our findings tend to suggest that there is a lack of clarity as to the role of interpreters and, indeed, only personalised views as to what is best practice. The implications of our findings are discussed, and recommendations are made to enable practice enhancement.
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    Interviewing suspects: Examining the association between skills,questioning, evidence disclosure, and interview outcomes
    (Taylor and Francis, 2015-04-09) Walsh, D.; Bull, Ray
    The interviewing of suspects is an important element in the investigation of crime. However, studies concerning actual performance of investigators when undertaking such interviews remain sparse. Nevertheless, in England and Wales, since the introduction of a prescribed framework over twenty years ago, field studies have generally shown an improvement in interviewing performance, notwithstanding ongoing concerns largely relating to more demanding aspects (such as building/maintaining rapport, intermittent summarising, and the logical development of topics). Using a sample of 70 real-life interviews, the present study examined questioning and various evidence disclosure strategies, examining their relationships between interview skills and interview outcomes. It was found that when evidence was disclosed gradually (but revealed later) interviews were generally both more skilled and involved the gaining of comprehensive accounts, whereas when evidence was disclosed either early or very late, interviews were found to be both less skilled and less likely to involve this outcome. These findings contribute toward an increased research base for the prescribed framework.