Projects
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Change in the Organization Socialization of a Basic Law Enforcement Training Academy: How Supervisors Adapt
This study examines the role of a changed organizational socialization process on supervisory adaptation. The research study is motivated by the central question: how do supervisors adapt in their role as supervisors when the initial organizational socialization process has changed. Literature on socialization in policing has focused almost exclusively on long-term job satisfaction, while literature on police supervisory adaptation centers on leadership approaches. Previous research on police socialization clearly indicates the process is a series of stages filled with ‘rite of passages’. There is no distinction between the socialization of a non-supervisor officer versus a supervisory officer. The literature is scant when it comes to determining how supervisors adapt in their role when the socialization process changes significantly. This study advances our understanding of what influences supervisory adaptation and how supervisors adapt in their role. I conducted a constructivist grounded theory study by using a sample of thirty-two United States Border Patrol supervisors to conduct semi-structured interviews. The findings from this research study illustrates the persuasiveness of the profession’s socialization process is on role adjustment. The research study participants described expectations and experiences developed at the basic training academy were foundational for role adaptation. The findings also revealed that supervisor adaptation is influenced by the following constructs: supervisory preparation, supervisory challenges, and trainee preparedness. Supervisors in this case adapted in their role by increasing team building, making daily assignments based on abilities, managing and teaching more, and providing more mentorship.
Researcher(s)
Victor Manjarrez Jr., Ed.D.,Associate Director Center for Law and Human Behavior The University of Texas at El Paso |
El Paso Sector Border Patrol Agent Survey
The 2015 Federal Employment Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) revealed that U.S. Customs and Border Protection ranked 314 out of 320 agencies in the ‘Best Place to Work” index score. Primarily based on the 2015 FEVS results, the United States Border Patrol (USBP) Headquarters initiated an effort to gain a better understanding of the influences on Border Patrol employee work satisfaction. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Human Capital Study (HCS) team has conducted employee focus groups and leadership interviews to identify key challenge areas around which to focus employee engagement efforts.
In response to the results of the 2015 FEVS, the El Paso Sector of the USBP also took the proactive step of partnering with the Center for Law & Human Behavior (CLHB) at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in an effort to identify and refine issues related to employee morale. The intent of this effort was to develop measures that improve workplace morale in the sector. During the initial meetings of this partnership, three primary limitations were identified in the prior studies (FEVS and HCS) that challenge the ability of the sector leadership to identify solutions that have the greatest chance of creating change: the inability to drill down to the sector or station level in the results, the inability to generalize the results, and the lack of connection to existing research on related issues in the broader law enforcement community.
The UTEP research team agreed to create a survey focusing on the El Paso Sector that addresses the above limitations. The intent was to more precisely identify issues affecting morale within the El Paso Sector, generate constructive discussion, and assist in developing a plan to effectively impact those issues in a positive way. This effort is supported by residual research funds of the UTEP research team members and their volunteered time, resulting in no cost to the service. The development of the survey unfolded in an interactive process between the UTEP research team and El Paso Sector personnel. The survey focuses on two broad concepts regarding agents’ support for their organization—employee satisfaction and agency trust. Overall employee satisfaction and trust in the organization are important for USBP leadership to pay attention to because both are related to employee work-related output.
Researcher(s)
Jeff Rojek, Ph.D., DirectorThe University of Texas at El Paso Associate Professor Department of Criminal Justice |
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Victor Manjarrez Jr., Associate DirectorThe University of Texas at El Paso M.A. Center for Law and Human Behavior |
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Scott Wolfe, Ph.D.Michigan State University (MSU) Associate Professor School of Criminal Justice |
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Allison Rojek, M.A.The University of Texas at El Paso Lecturer and Internship Coordinator Department of Criminal Justice |
An Integrated Ecological approach to Countering Terrorism and Targeted Violence on the U.S.-Mexico Border Region (Resilience, Education, Action, Commitment and Humanity)
The lack of local infrastructure to curb domestic terrorism and targeted violence, and the paucity of culturally and linguistically competent service provision, can adversely impact national security along the US-Mexico border region. Integrating the Whole Community Preparedness and Global Citizen Education approaches to advance our understanding of the ecology of homeland security, the goals of this project are two-fold: 1) To prevent terrorism and targeted violence through education, outreach, and community capacity building aimed at identifying and deterring radicalization (primary prevention); and 2) To reduce short-term and long term impact and prevent re-occurrence of terrorism and targeted violence (secondary and tertiary prevention). El Paso County presents a critical and urgent case for this project implementation given its proximity with drug related cartels in Juarez, Mexico, high frequencies of border-crossing activities among residents, and the regional socio-economic disparities (high poverty prevalence and low educational attainment). This project has ten important activities:
- Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Symposium Series
- Capacity Building Trainings of Professionals/Paraprofessionals and Community Members
- Peer2Peer Educators
- Youth LEADER
- Town Hall Meetings
- Civic Engagement Day
- Media Campaign
- Reducing Violence Referral Services System
- Healthy Coping
- Health Promotion Fairs
Researcher(s)
Yok-Fong Paat, Ph.D. Principal InvestigatorAssociate Professor Social Work The University of Texas at El Paso
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Victor M. Manjarrez, Jr., Ed.D., Co-Principal InvestigatorDirector Center for Law & Human Behavior The University of Texas at El Paso |
Effectiveness of army Field Manual Interrogation Techniques Through the Development of Specific Dimensions of Rapport
Executive Order 13491 limited interrogators to the use of interrogation approaches listed in the Army Field Manual 2 22.3. Very little research has evaluated these approaches. The proposed study will examine the effectiveness of Change of Scenery and We Know All Approaches, in combination with other approaches, with 120 participants. There is no research examining the independent use of either of these approaches. However, they have been referenced in the scientific literature on interrogation as being useful for educing information from sources. In addition, this study will evaluate how these approaches may impact specific dimensions of rapport, and how the effectiveness of the approaches may depend upon personality characteristics of the source. These goals will be accomplished through the implementation of an experimental study utilizing a tested interrogation research paradigm that retains psychological realism. It is anticipated that the Change of Scenery and We Know All Approaches will be effective above and beyond Direct Questioning in obtaining source cooperation.
Researcher(s)
Misty Duke, Ph.D., Principal InvestigatorUniversity of Texas at El Paso Post-Doctoral Teaching Fellow National Security Studies Institute
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James Wood, Ph.D, Co-Principal InvestigatorThe University of Texas at El Paso Graduate Program Director and Assistant Chair Department of Psychology |
Research on Offender Decision-Making and Desistance From Crime
Theories of criminal behavior emphasize different thinking styles as a key factor that underlies offenders’ motivation to commit crime. Relevant disciplines (sociology, behavioral economics, psychology, etc.) deferentially focus n whether offenders (a) believe crime’s rewards outweigh its costs, (b) perceive crime as a legitimate response to their circumstances, (c) consider non-criminal opportunities, or (d) behavior without thinking (impulsively or emotionally). Researchers have not integrated these elements into one cohesive explanation of how thinking styles predict criminal behavior while utilizing a longitudinal design. Analysis will test whether thinking patterns are related to behavior ratings recorded by supervision officers, and official records of reoffending collected over a one-year period.
Researcher(s)
Caleb Lloyd, Ph.D., Principal InvestigatorUniversity of Texas at El Paso
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Security and Strategic Trade Management Academy project Department of State, Office of Export Control Cooperation
The University of Houston was awarded the Department of State’s Security and Strategic Trade Management Academy project to train foreign government officials on policy, licensing, and enforcement issues as it relates to Strategic Trade Management. Dr. Victor M. Manjarrez, Jr. and Dr. Mario Cano will conduct the independent evaluation of the program results and lessons learned
Researcher(s)
Victor M. Manjarrez, Jr., Ed.D., Principal InvestigatorDirector Center for Law & Human Behavior The University of Texas at El Paso
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Mario, Ph.D., Co-Principal InvestigatorAssistant Professor Department of Criminal Justice The University of Texas at El Paso |
Evaluation of a Law Enforcement-Motor- Vehicle Crash Prevention Program
This project will provide support to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Safety Research, in the development, implementation and management of a collaborative research project entitled “Evaluation of Law Enforcement Motor-Vehicle Crash Prevention Program”. The purpose of this research project is to evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive motor vehicle crash prevention program in a large metropolitan police departments in reducing the incidence of motor vehicle crashes and motor vehicular injuries and to develop a dissemination plan to transfer the program to other law enforcement agencies if found to be effective.
Researcher(s)
Dr. Jeffrey RojekUniversity of Texas at El Paso Associate Professor Department of Criminal Justice
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U.S. – Mexico Border Management Study: Consensus Build to Unlock Transformation
The U.S.-Mexico border has served as a hub for the exchange of ideas, goods, services, and people for centuries. Mexico remains the United States’ largest trading partner in 2021, with over $486 billion in total trade as of November. However, the border presents several challenges including unauthorized migration, illicit flows of weapons south, and exploitation by organized criminal organizations trafficking people, drugs, and counterfeit products across the border.
The high volume of movement through the border has starkly exposed inefficiencies in border management practices and tools, leading to extensive wait times and the over-use of scarce management resources. The introduction of more efficient, technology-focused border management practices and tools that build toward the goal of improving trade facilitation and enhancing shared security is the primary goals of this project. A consortium, led by the Atlantic Council in partnership with the Hunt Institute for Global Competitiveness (the Hunt Institute) at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and Colegio de la Frontera Norte – Tijuana (COLEF), proposes two objectives to enhance shared security and border management between the U.S. and Mexico.
- Objective 1: produce an economic impact study of improved U.S.-Mexico border operations and distribute additional written and audiovisual products to raise awareness of the economic as well as the security and environmental benefits among two key constituencies in the U.S. and Mexico: stakeholders (public sector, private sector, civil society) who can affect or block desired change; and the general public.
- Objective 2: build consensus and political will, generate buy-in and early commitments, and facilitate dialogue and cooperation between key constituencies on the identified benefits of improvements to, and standardization of, new technology screening procedures at the border.
Researcher(s)
Mayra G. Maldonado, Principal InvestigatorDirector Hunt Institute for Global Competitiveness The University of Texas at El Paso |
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Roberto Ransom, Co-Principal InvestigatorDirector of Operations Hunt Institute for Global Competitiveness The University of Texas at El Paso
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John. D. Gibson, Ph.d., Co-Principal InvestigatorDirector of Research Hunt Institute for Global Competitiveness The University of Texas at El Paso
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Victor Manjarrez Jr., Ed.D., Co-Principal InvestigatorDirector Center for Law and Human Behavior The University of Texas at El Paso
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