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Abstract

This article examines the impact of California's 1994 Three Strikes law on front line law enforcement personnel—specifically whether there is a greater risk of injury by criminal suspects resisting arrest and contact with law enforcement due to Three Strikes. The authors evaluated data collected from six major police agencies and district attorney offices in California between 1990 and 2001, including total arrests, resisting arrest charges, assault on a peace officer, officer injuries or deaths, use of force incidents, officer-involved shootings, vehicle pursuits, and three-strike case filings. Although the resulting analysis did not evidence a statewide increase or trend, in the Los Angeles area (where there is a higher concentration of repeat offenders and three-strikes prosecution has been more actively pursued), there is a notable increase in arrest rates, resisting and assaulting officers, and a significant increase (113% between 1996 and 2001) in two and three-strikes crimes with a police officer victim.

Keywords

three strikes public safety officer injuries

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References

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Officer Down: Implications of Three Strikes for Public Safety

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