Date of Conferral
11-15-2024
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Criminal Justice
Advisor
Ali Banister
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore law enforcement officers’ perceptions in combating carjacking and auto theft during the COVID-19 pandemic in the southeast region of Louisiana. The framework selected to guide the study was the crime pattern theory by Brangtingham and Brangtinham. Using the purposive sampling method and snowballing sampling method, 10 active law enforcement officers were recruited from agencies across the Southeast region of Louisiana until data saturation occurred. The research questions focused on perceptions of law enforcement officers in combating carjacking and auto theft during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strategies used and preparedness to combat carjacking and auto thefts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted via the Zoom teleconferencing platform and the interviews were hand coded and transcribed via thematic analysis. The findings of the study revealed 5 main themes and 15 subthemes. First, there were behavioral shifts in society that law enforcement needed to be aware to combat carjacking and auto theft effectively. Second, change in crime patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic Third, the need for proactive patrol strategies, Fourth, the improvement of reactive strategies, and finally, budget issues and needs. This study’s positive social change implications include providing information to law enforcement agencies to have an effective guard against carjacking and auto theft crimes in future times of crisis and uncertainty in the US and the world. In addition, comprehending law enforcement officer perceptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recommended Citation
Gray, Daniel L., "The Perceptions of Law Enforcement Officers in Combating Carjacking and Auto Theft During the COVID-19 Pandemic" (2024). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 16659.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/16659
