Research Symposium
23rd annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, April 6, 2023
Mariah Szekeres Poster Session 2: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm/ Poster #108

BIO
I am from Jacksonville, FL, and am a Criminology student, with a minor in Child Development. I hope to get my Masters after undergrad, and then work within the juvenile justice field. My research interests include incarceration, policing, and children's issues.
Can 8 Wait? A Review of Police Use of Force Policies in Florida
Authors: Mariah Szekeres, Tyler McCrearyStudent Major: Criminology
Mentor: Tyler McCreary
Mentor's Department: Geography Mentor's College: Social Sciences and Public Policy Co-Presenters: Lara Japiassu, Justin Robert
Abstract
The project seeks to answer the question, does the presence of '8 Can't Wait' policies in law enforcement protocols decrease incidents of police use of force? This project conducts a systematic review of police use of force policies across different city and county police jurisdictions in Florida, collected via email and public records requests. It evaluates which jurisdictions have adopted the “8 Can’t Wait” policy proposals, as well as an additional policy mandating the provision of emergency medical services in the event of physical harm. Once this systematic review is complete, an analysis will be done for possible statistical correlations between policies and reported incidents of police use of force, as well as any demographic trends in the areas where policies have been adopted.
Keywords: Policing, Geography, Policy Analysis, Criminology