Ballistics, Bertillonage, and Ballyhoo

This chapter considers some key intersections between cinema and criminal science, centering on a little-known case study: so-called suspect films—observational shorts produced initially by the New Jersey State Police and an assortment of municipal counterparts and later by private companies like RCA, Universal, and General Electric. As this case study reveals, cinema’s utility as a tool of policing was far from simple or self-evident. It had to be carefully constructed, aggressively promoted, and rendered profitable in a political economy in which the line between public service and private profit was rarely very distinct.

Implementation of a State Police EAP

The implementation of the employee assistance program in the New Jersey State Police was studied over a three-year period. Quesionnaires were sent to a stratified random sample of sworn members once each year for three years. The questionnaire contained items to measure the degree of diffusion, receptivity, and the use of the program. The initial hypothesis was that the implementation of the program would follow the three-phase process of diffusion receptivity and use. The result of the first survey indicated the program was in the diffusion stage with more than 69% of the troopers having heard of the employee assistance program. Response to the receptivity items revealed there was an awareness and sensitivity to the need for the program and its potential benefits. The results of the second survey showed that the diffusion stage was strengthened with 78% of the response having heard of the program. Receptivity to the program had not increased significantly and use was minimal. On the basis of these results, recommendations were made to enlarge and enhance certain program elements. The results of the third survey were quite similar to those of the second. The program was largely in the diffusion stage and was little into receptivity and utilization. Innovative procedures were recommended to move the program into an integral part of the Division.