Buyer behaviour and market research 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Buyer behaviour and market research 2 - Essay Example ive of the management and stakeholders to ensure there is a clear channel of communication and distribution of resources among all departments to avoid blame shifting thus enhance quick supervision. Societies expect companies to adhere to forces of mindset in order to build confidence within customers’ fraternity thus make stock turn over efficient and effective. Therefore, business prosperity largely relies on buyer behavior and market research. Business environment is paramount for successful fat-tracking of customer satisfaction and feed-back. Creation of stable working conditions and tranquil mindsets enable personnel produce quality products. Good environment can be observed through engaging dialogue and mutual organization of activities for instance, calling customers who complain. Behavioral and psychological mindsets among customers influence management decision making. Decisions should accommodate views and opinions of all employees and buyers irrespective of social, economic, and political affiliation. Good relations are aimed at reducing acrimony in work place that may cause inefficiency in production of goods and services. Customer satisfaction factors for instance, assessing competitor, market survey, product specification, expectation, and admitting to failure help firms understand customers with ease. Conversely, microeconomic variables for example, stakeholder decisions, decision making, change of production techniques, and pricing of goods and services adversely lead to increase or decrease of customer walk-ins. Segmentation is a strategy that is set to divide consumers into groups within a target market. Alternative products greatly influence the nature of marketing to undertake because it provides customers with a better option when company’s goods and services are not appealing. Similarly alternatives create a boundary of differentiation between each company’s goods and services. This helps in guiding potential and new customers to the

Terrorism and Technology Essay Example for Free

Terrorism and Technology Essay India and the United States, the world’s two largest democracies, are both vulnerable to terrorist attacks. As an Indian participant in the workshop said, â€Å"The most vulnerable states are those with open societies that tolerate dissent.† So far, India and the United States have faced rather different forms of terror attacks. Notwithstanding the terrorist threat, modern industrial societies have some offsetting advantages. Their global intelligence services and military presence, especially when they cooperate with one another, may keep the terror networks off balance, and may be able to damage some of them and interfere with their communications and money flows. Military action, or the threat of it, may discourage rogue states from supporting the terrorists. Nevertheless, highly efficient economies also acquire vulnerabilities and reduced resilience from the private sector’s reluctance to sacrifice efficiency to reduce catastrophic risks whose likelihood is difficult to estimated One area in which both India and the United States enjoy impressive capability is research and innovation. Through the application of available or new technologies, states can make targets less vulnerable, thus less attractive. They can limit the damage that may result from an attack, increase the speed of recovery, and provide forensic tools to identify the perpetrators. However, terrorist networks are led by well-educated and well-financed people who may also enjoy advanced technical skills. If supported by a government whose military establishment has developed weapons of mass destruction, these skills may be greatly amplified. Any technical strategy for responding to the threat of catastrophic terrorism must address this fact. †¢fissile nuclear materials, tactical nuclear weapons, and radiological materials †¢pathological organisms (human, plant, and animal) †¢military-type toxic chemical weapons †¢inflammable, toxic, and explosive chemicals and materials in industrial use †¢cyberattacks and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attacks on electronic targets (telecoms, data, or command and control centers) †¢transportation systems used as delivery systems for weapons †¢explosives, either conventional or derived from fuel oil and nitrogen fertilizer (ammonium nitrate), for example Benefits- †¢revitalization of the public health service for serving the normal health needs of communities †¢technical capability to respond even faster and more effectively to natural biological threats such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), West Nile virus, and monkey pox virus †¢reduction in the number of illnesses caused by infection or poisoning of the food supply †¢more reliable electric power and other services, especially in the face of hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes †¢further improvements in the safety standards of the chemical industry †¢reduced incidence of cyber attacks by hackers and financial systems made more secure against theft and malicious damage †¢more efficient and timely tracking of goods in transit and billing for their content †¢reduced risk to fire, police, and emergency health professionals MITIGATION: THE ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Nuclear and Radiological Threats If terrorists with a minimal level of scientific knowledge can acquire enough highly enriched uranium (HEU), they may be able to assemble an inefficient but effective nuclear weapon for detonation in a major city. The countries are now cooperating in safeguarding fissile material and blending down stocks of HEU, but progress is far too slow. Even more dangerous is the possible availability to terrorists of finished nuclear weapons either stolen and sold from nuclear states or provided by rogue states capable of making them. The public must be educated on the nature of radiological threats, both from Radiation Dispersal Devices (dirty bombs) and from damaged nuclear electric power plants and radioactive waste storage. Public ignorance about radiation hazards may induce a level of panic much more destructive than the radiation from which people may be fleeing.. Biological Threats to People and Their Food Supply Research on pathogenesis of infectious agents, and particularly on means for early detection of the presence of such pathogens before their symptomatic appearance, is important. Nations will stockpile vaccines against known diseases, but the threat of genetic modification—while perhaps beyond the capability of most terrorists but not of rogue states—requires a vigorous research effort to find solutions for detection, evaluation, and response.  In the United States the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a robust capability in epidemiology, but there is no equivalent epidemiological response capability for possible biological attacks on agriculture and farm animals. Thus, measures to protect the food supply, and to provide decontamination after an attack, must have high priority. Toxic Chemicals, Explosives, and Flammable Materials . Dangerous chemicals in transit should be tracked and identified electronically. To ensure that only first responders, and not terrorists, know what the tank cars contain, the rail cars should be equipped with encrypted electronic identification. Sensor networks are required to detect and characterize dangerous materials, particularly when they are airborne. Self-analyzing filter systems for modern office buildings whose windows cannot be opened can not only protect the inhabitants but also detect and report the first presence of materials (such as aerosols) that may be trapped in improved filters. An example of long-range, basic research that could be highly beneficial would be the discovery of olfactory biosensors than can reach dog levels of sensitivity, some 10,000 times that of humans. Communications and Information Systems In the United States the most urgent issue is to reconfigure first responder communications so that police, fire, and medical personnel can communicate with one another and with the emergency operations centers. Inability to do so greatly aggravated loss of life, especially among firefighters, in the World Trade Center attacks. The main worry about cyber attacks is the possibility of their use, perhaps with electromagnetic pulse devices as well, to amplify the destructive effect of a conventional physical or biological attack.13 Cyber security is one of the top priority areas for research investment because private industry was, before September 11, 2001, largely content with the level of computer and network security available to it. A quite inadequate level of sophisticated talent is devoted to the goal of fully secure operating systems and networks. Transportation and Borders Sensor networks for inspection of goods and passengers crossing the nation’s  borders will be a research priority. The primary technical challenge will not be the design of sensors themselves, although much progress is needed in this area, but in the systems engineering of the networks of sensors together with data fusion and decision support software. Biometrics for more secure identification of individuals shows promise, and systems superior to the driver’s licenses and passports used by most travelers are promising. The range of threats to the transportation networks of a modern state is very great, and careful systems analysis is essential to identifying the weak points and finding the most effective and economical means of protecting them. Cities and Fixed Infrastructure The Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) in many large U.S. cities are quite vulnerable, not only to a destructive physical attack but to more indirect attacks on their ability to access data and to communicate through a cyber attack or electromagnetic pulse attack. Remedying these vulnerabilities must have high urgency; in many cases the centers will have to be relocated. Tragically, the EOC in New York City was located in a known target, the World Trade Center. Much research is already under way to analyze the structural characteristics of high-rise buildings that may make them much more vulnerable than necessary. Without waiting for this research to result in revised building codes, the expert panel recommended immediate adoption and extension, where appropriate, of European standards for fire and blast, which were much improved following World War II. As already noted, air intakes for large buildings need to be less accessible and equipped with better air filters, perhaps with chem ical analysis sufficient to determine if a toxic material is present. Instrumentation to allow first responders to detect toxic and hazardous materials; special provisions for protecting harbors, bridges, dams, tunnels, and dikes; and protection against attacks on urban water supplies downstream from the treatment plant are all discussed in Making the Nation Safer. How much of the long term, imaginative research and development envisioned in Making the Nation Safer has been undertaken by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)? Not enough. The Science and Technology Directorate of DHS does not have the scope of authority, nor the length of vision that the Academies’ study urged on Congress. Critics say that it has been difficult for DHS to sustain an  expert staff with low enough turn over to build and execute the needed technical strategies. Nor has the Homeland Security Institute been given the necessary scope of independent system-level review of the DHS technical priorities. SOCIETAL RESPONSES TO TERRORIST THREATS the public can also be an attack amplifier. The government faces a number of dilemmas, such as using a color-coded warning system to alert the public to the perceived likelihood of additional terrorist attacks. Some citizens feel that this system itself may needlessly amplify the threat, thus doing terrorists’ psychological job for them. An urgent issue to be addressed is for government to train and introduce to the public, well in advance of any attack, a number of trusted and knowledgeable people who are prepared to provide accurate and trustworthy information quickly and authoritatively. TECHNICAL STRATEGIES From the great variety of threats studied by the National Academies’ experts, several commonsense conclusions about technical strategy can be extracted: †¢repair the weakest links (single-point failures) in vulnerable systems and infrastructures †¢use defenses-in-depth (do not rely only on perimeter defenses or firewalls) †¢use â€Å"circuit breakers† to isolate and stabilize failing system elements †¢build security and flexibility into basic system designs where possible †¢design systems for use by typical first responders †¢Focus priority attention on the â€Å"system of systems† technical challenge to understand and remedy the inherent weaknesses in critical infrastructure that are inherent in their architecture. †¢Ensure that first responders, including technical teams from critical infrastructure service industries, are properly trained and equipped, and the targets themselves are designed to be more resilient in the face of disaster. †¢Emphasize the importance of flexibility and agility in responding to disasters that were not anticipated in the system design and personnel training. The last point is particularly important. Future attacks are likely to involve multiple complex systems. There are a number of dimensions to the systems engineering challenge of homeland security. The multiple critical industrial infrastructures are closely coupled. Almost all of the responses to terrorist threats require  the concerned action of national agencies, state and local authorities, private companies, and in many cases, friendly nations. The technologies used in counterterrorism will themselves be coupled, complex systems. An evident example is the notion of complex networks of sensors that are coupled to databases, within which the network output is fused with other information, and from which sensible and useable information for local officials in Emergency Operations Centers must be provided. Thus, setting priorities requires modeling and simulating attack and response, and â€Å"red teaming† to test the effectiveness of proposed solutions. Finally, there is a need to build up investments in the social sciences, which will be especially important in devising strategies for countering terrorism. Both the roots of terrorism and its consequences need to be better understood. Social science can also contribute to a sustainable effort, involving multiple levels of government, with minimal economic cost, and where the perceived conflict between security activities and protection of individual freedom can best be informed and adjudicated. A SUSTAINABLE STRATEGY FOR HOMELAND SECURITY Because major terrorist attacks against civil populations may be separated by considerable intervals of time, there is reason to be concerned that the public will lose interest in the threat, and that none of the organizational or investment needs will be satisfactorily met. For these reasons, the strategy for maximizing civil benefits deserves high-priority attention. There are many obvious examples of how counter terror research and development can create values appreciated by the public and of economic value to firms, such as creation of a more agile vaccine development and production capability, information and communications networks that are more resistant to cyber attack, energy systems more robust in the face of natural disasters and human error, security technologies that are more effective yet more unobtrusive and convenient for the public. Sustainability will be a challenge for those in political power in the United States, for they find themselves compelled to emphasize the public’s vulnerability (for example, with the color-coded alert system, which is largely successful in making the public nervous) and at the same time to emphasize that the government’s efforts â€Å"have the terrorists on the run.† Indeed, we can easily imagine that  terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda may deliberately wait long intervals between attacks to decrease the alertness of the target’s defenses. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS There are seven major points that I would conclude from this discussion. First, only a far-sighted foreign policy, addressing the roots of terrorism and denying terrorist ideologies a foothold in other societies, can make the United States and its allies safer in the long run. Second, weapons of mass destruction are potentially devastating, but the most probable threats will be fashioned from the economy itself, as was the case on September 11, 2001. Private property and commercial industry is most often the target of terrorist attacks, and may be providing the weapons for their own destruction. Thus, the federal government must devise both positive and negative incentives for private investments in hardening critical infrastructure and urban targets. Third, the protection of critical infrastructure must, to the extent possible, be accomplished through a civilian benefits maximization strategy. Fourth, reducing vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure is a highly complex systems problem; it requires a strategy tested by the most modern systems analytic approaches. Fifth, since most of the science and technology capability of market economy governments lies outside the security agencies, governments must be able to coordinate and fund a national science and technology strategy. Sixth, a degree of cooperation between industry, cities, and government unknown in prior experience is required. In particular, local authorities must have an effective voice in setting the technical agenda for equipment for which they are the customer. Finally, for the protection against terrorism to be sustainable, more than a civilian benefits maximization strategy is required. The negative effects on civil freedoms from increased authority in the central government must be resisted, since the threat of terrorist attack is indefinite and emergency measures may never be relaxed. Now, let us examine security. First, although science and technology will not solve all problems related to terrorism against the components making up a modern regional or national infrastructure, it can help in prevention, mitigation, and restoration if an attack or attacks are attempted or carried out. In other words, science and technology will help to reduce the threat of  terrorism, but it cannot eliminate it. Unfortunately, terrorism has become a fact of life. Whenever there are dissatisfied people who are willing to give up their own lives or do not value human life, it will be difficult to eliminate the threat of terrorist attacks. A specific point where science and technology can help is in the area of intelligence, by providing information about the potential for an act of terrorism to be conducted. For example, what is being done to sort through open-air communications—both e-mail and voice wireless—is rather startling both in quantity and in degree of soph istication. There are programs, such as Trailblazer at the National Security Agency, that look for keywords and matches. Some of the recent terrorism alerts have been based on information gathered through these programs. There is another aspect that inexorably links infrastructure and security. The more sophisticated, complicated, or technologically evolved the infrastructure, that is, the more fragile it is, the more difficult it is to secure against terrorism and the greater theneed for science and technology solutions. The latter was the particular challenge that we were confronted with at the National Academies in producing the report entitled Making the Nation Safer.50 What can and should be done incrementally as society becomes more and more complex, sophisticated, and interdependent? How do you establish layers of protection because of increased vulnerability? First, communication and coordination is required. When the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks occurred, the New York City Resp onse Center was in the World Trade Center. So the ability of the fire and police departments within New York City to respond was hampered severely because there was no way to centralize and coordinate the actions of the first responders. The lesson to be learned is that redundant response centers are needed for just this sort of contingency. The lack of communication was another lesson coming from the World Trade Center disaster. There is a definite need to have common systems that will allow all parties to communicate seamlessly Regarding building structures, another lesson can be drawn from the attack on the Pentagon. The Pentagon was hit exactly at the point between a newly restored portion of the Pentagon and the old Pentagon. While there was damage to the newly restored section, there was no structural failure to that part of the building. The walls absorbed the energy of the crash. In contrast, the old Pentagon suffered severe damage. Its walls collapsed. Most of the loss of life was in the old part of the Pentagon. The lesson here is to incorporate blast-resistant designs and materials into high-profile buildings For cities, one of the areas that is most in need of immediate attention is the ability to respond to catastrophic events. There is a need for simulation models, improved communications, and associated training. There is also a need to conduct systems analyses of responses to events in both space and time. For transportation systems, there is an immediate need for intelligent â€Å"information agents† for cargo. These agents would include a combination of global positioning systems and sensors to detect intruders and, possibly, the presence of certain materials as well as shipping documents detailing the contents. Such agents would be installed on every freight car in a rail system, every container on a ship, and every container transported by truck. Thus, one could monitor at every point in time exactly where each container or rail car is, what it contains, its destination, and whether there has been any attempt to tamper with or enter it. The various pieces of the so-called intelligent agent exist today and have been used on a limited basis. Efforts are under way to marry these various components into the type of agent I have described. Cargo scanning technology is complementary to the intelligent agents. While cargo scanners do exist, there is a need to integrate various components into a â€Å"one-stop shop† to monitor for specific items or radioactivity. The scanning equipment should be located at the point of embarkation of the container to prevent lethal weapons from reaching their intended destination. What good would it be to identify a nuclear weapon in a container as you offload it in New York Harbor?53 Transportation technology needs to extend beyond the cargo. There is a compelling need to develop means of rapidly identifying people, checking them and their luggage. Although there are systems in place today, the sheer numbers of people and locations is daunting. The use of biometrics would greatly alleviate this problem, while increasing the confidence level of the security forces. Rapidly deployable barriers to keep underground structures and tunnels from being flooded are another need.

Analysis of To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell Essay -- To His Coy

Andrew Marvell’s â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† is in my opinion an excellent poem about a subject matter we can all understand and most of us can relate to: a love just beyond reach. This is the primary reason I believe it is most suited to be in a college textbook. One of the hardest things to accomplish in a poem written for uninterested college students is making it understandable and enjoyable by the audience, but this poem does it very well. In doing so, however, it also includes several important elements of poetic language that will educate the reader while at the same time keeping him or her interested. The initial paragraph lures the reader into believing that this is a happy lover’s poem written to woo a woman with whom he is in love. The steady string of compliments mesh together very well and leave a warm and happy image of the pair’s relationship. The imagery is wonderful as well, as in this example: â€Å"My vegetable love should grow / Vaster than empires, and more slow† (Marvell 11-2). This sentence inspires a mental picture of a sweeping kingdom and all the vastness th...

how Is Helium Produced? :: essays research papers

"How Is Helium Produced?" Production: Although Helium is one of the most common elements in the universe it is a rare gas on earth. It exists in the atmosphere in such small quantities (less than five parts per million) that recovering it from the air is uneconomical. Helium is produced as a by-product of the refining of natural gas, which is carried out on a commercial scale in the USA and Poland. In these areas natural gas contains a relatively high concentration of Helium which has accumulated as a result of radioactive decay of heavy elements within the earth's crust. Helium is supplied to distribution centres throughout the world in liquid form in large cryogenic containers. The Helium is filled into liquid containers, gas cylinders and cylinder packs as necessary. History of Helium Production: Government involvement in helium conservation dates to the Helium Act of 1925 which authorized the Bureau of Mines to build and operate a large-scale helium extraction and purification plant. From 1929 until 1960 the federal government was the only domestic helium producer. In 1960, Congress amended the Helium Act to provide incentives to natural gas producers for stripping natural gas of its helium, for purchase of the separated helium by the government, and for its long-term storage. With over 960 million cubic meters (34.6 billion cubic feet) of helium in government storage and a large private helium recovery industry, questions arise as to the need for either the federal helium extraction program or the federally maintained helium stockpile. In a move which would take the federal government out of the helium business, Congress passed the Helium Privatization Act (H.R. 873) as part of the Seven- Year Balanced Budget Reconciliation Act of 1995 (H.R. 2491). Although the measure died when the President vetoed the Budget Act on December 6, 1995, the Administration has made a goal the privatization of the federal helium program. On April 30, 1996, the House suspended the rules and passed H.R. 3008, the Helium Privatization Act as agreed to in the House-Senate conference on the Budget Act. Subsequently, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee amended the bill to provide for the National Academy of Sciences to study how best to dispose of the helium reserve. On September 26, 1996, with limited time remaining for the 104th Congress, the House again suspended the rules and passed H.R. 4168, a new bill containing the Senate Committee language. This would avoid the need for a conference if the Senate would also pass the same bill. The Senate did so on September 28, 1996. This report reviews the origin and

Observational research Essay

Observational research, also known as field research, pertains to a research approach that engages in the direct recording of a phenomenon as it occurs in its natural condition (Zechmeister et al. , 2003). This research approach is distinct from the other research methods because it employs a quasi-artificial scenario that is comprised of a number of factors, of which some could be controlled. The capacity to control at least one of the factors in the environment allows the researcher to perform the scientific method that would answer the developed hypothesis. Observational research could be performed using any of the three classified types of observational techniques. The covert type of observational research involves unidentified researchers that directly interact with the study participants and remain undetected until the completion of the investigation. In other cases, the researchers are positioned at a distance from the study participants, yet are still capable of direct observation of the actions and interactions that each of the study participants engages in. One advantage of this type of observational research approach is that the study participants are not required to cooperate with the researcher. The anonymity of the researcher in the scenario provides study participants to freely express themselves and to liberally make decisions without being influenced by the researcher. Unfortunately, it is also possible that certain ethical violations could be related to this type of observational approach, mainly as a form of deception that is associated with the researchers’ anonymity. The overt type of observational research allows the researchers to identify themselves to the study participants. In addition, the researchers are also required to fully disclose the purpose of their investigation to the study participants. One disadvantage that is strongly associated with the overt type of observational research is the impact of the disclosure on the behavior of the study participants during the entire experimental period. It is actually natural for an individual to be watchful of their actions when they are aware that at least one individual is observing their behavior. As such, the study participant exerts effort in projecting the ideal personality that is acceptable to the eyes of the beholder and definitely not reflective of the actual personality of the study participant. However, it should be understood that in this type of observational research approach, there would be no ethical issues related to deception of the study participants because the identity and the goals of the investigator have been disclosed early on. Researcher participation is another observational type of research approach that engages the investigator in the scenario that is being studied. One advantage of this type of observational technique is that the investigator is allowed to directly interact and to directly appreciate an incident that is being studied. Aside from taking notes of the effects and reactions of the study participants, the researcher also interacts with the rest of the scenario and regards himself as another study participant in the investigation. One disadvantage of this observational type is that the investigator may lose track of the goals of his research study because he becomes extremely engrossed in the activities occurring in the study scenario. In the observational study described in this unit, the covert approach was employed, wherein the investigator directly interacted with 50 study participants with their knowledge of his role and his goals in the interaction. In addition, the study participants are unaware that they are being observed in terms of their attitudes and responses to a specific stimulus or setting. The investigator thus chooses to project a smiling stance as he talks to 50 individuals and he takes note of the response of each of the study participants during his exchange with them. The investigator then rates the response of each of the study participants as very friendly, friendly or neutral.

Free Essays on Financial Analysis Of Home Depot And Lowes

Financial Analysis of The Home Depot & Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse Jack Branas History and Summary Home Depot, Inc. was founded in 1978. Their stores, which originally were set as an attachment to Treasure Island stores, carried a stock of around 25,000 products. Presently, offering twice as many products, it is the world's largest home improvement retailer operating over 1,400 stores in 49 U.S. states and 94 more abroad. Besides its most well-known stores, the company also operates 48 EXPO Design Centers across U.S. which enable customers to get expert advice and top quality products within its unique custom showrooms. At the end of its 2001 fiscal year, Home Depot had reported an impressive $53.6 billion of net sales. Their stock is publicly traded at NYSE, listed under the symbol "HD". Fortune magazine has ranked the Home Depot as America's Most Admired Specialty Retailer for eight consecutive years. In March 2002 the same magazine placed Home Depot as number six on its "Top Ten" ranking of industry. This judgment was based on innovation, financial soundness, employee talent, use of corporate assets, long-term investment value, social responsibility, quality of management and quality of products/service. Being the industry leader, Home Depot believes in setting a proper example to others by giving back to the communities in which it conducts its businesses. One-way of doing it is through providing grants in such areas as: affordable housing; at-risk youth; the environment; and disaster preparedness and relief. Home Depot’s major competitor is Lowe’s Companies, Inc. Lowe’s is a 56 years old Fortune 100 company. With its $22 billion of net sales in 2001of a complete line of home improvement products and equipment within its 780 stores in 42 states, it is the world's second largest home improvement retailer and the 14th largest retailer in the U. S as well as the 30th ... Free Essays on Financial Analysis Of Home Depot And Lowe's Free Essays on Financial Analysis Of Home Depot And Lowe's Financial Analysis of The Home Depot & Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse Jack Branas History and Summary Home Depot, Inc. was founded in 1978. Their stores, which originally were set as an attachment to Treasure Island stores, carried a stock of around 25,000 products. Presently, offering twice as many products, it is the world's largest home improvement retailer operating over 1,400 stores in 49 U.S. states and 94 more abroad. Besides its most well-known stores, the company also operates 48 EXPO Design Centers across U.S. which enable customers to get expert advice and top quality products within its unique custom showrooms. At the end of its 2001 fiscal year, Home Depot had reported an impressive $53.6 billion of net sales. Their stock is publicly traded at NYSE, listed under the symbol "HD". Fortune magazine has ranked the Home Depot as America's Most Admired Specialty Retailer for eight consecutive years. In March 2002 the same magazine placed Home Depot as number six on its "Top Ten" ranking of industry. This judgment was based on innovation, financial soundness, employee talent, use of corporate assets, long-term investment value, social responsibility, quality of management and quality of products/service. Being the industry leader, Home Depot believes in setting a proper example to others by giving back to the communities in which it conducts its businesses. One-way of doing it is through providing grants in such areas as: affordable housing; at-risk youth; the environment; and disaster preparedness and relief. Home Depot’s major competitor is Lowe’s Companies, Inc. Lowe’s is a 56 years old Fortune 100 company. With its $22 billion of net sales in 2001of a complete line of home improvement products and equipment within its 780 stores in 42 states, it is the world's second largest home improvement retailer and the 14th largest retailer in the U. S as well as the 30th ...

Changing Trends Of Hospitality Industry In India Tourism Essays

Changing Trends Of Hospitality Industry In India Tourism Essays Changing Trends Of Hospitality Industry In India Tourism Essay Changing Trends Of Hospitality Industry In India Tourism Essay Vol. 18 No. 6, 2006 ) . In add-on, there has been an addition in the use of engineering as a manner of doing on-line reserves through several distribution channels. These channels can be interpreted as an organized and serviced system that is paid for, out of the selling budget and is used to supply an entree to the clients, who are off from the location of production and ingestion ( Middleton and Clark, Selling in Travel and Tourism, 2001 ) . Normally in India, clients would do a reserve by either straight nearing the hotel or by booking through a travel agent. However, now the electronic distribution channels like the Global Distribution System ( GDS ) and the cyberspace have been steadily deriving popularity. ( Dabas and Manakt. , Vol. 19 No. 5, 2007 ) . Because of the perishable nature of the stock lists, its really important for the hotel to hold an economical distribution. ( OConnor, Vol. 4. pg 1-15, 2002 ) . RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Every research methodological analysis includes a research design which may be defined as the set of conditions organized hypothetically for the aggregation and analysis of informations that aims to incorporate relevancy to the research procedure with economic system in process Research Problem: Understanding the development in cordial reception industry along with the current tendencies and, how the companies have been affected the demand for their consumers every bit good as their perceptual experience. Research Question: The altering tendencies of the Hospitality Industry in India Research Aims: 1. The public presentation of Hospitality industry in India. 2. How has the tendency transformed in the past few old ages. 3. Analyzing the demand and supply of adjustment and turning monetary values in different Indian cordial reception industry? 4. How has the perceptual experience about the restaurants/hotels and bars changed in the heads of consumers? 5. Who are the main participants in the Indian market every bit good as the 1s that have branched outside India? Approach: Since there is no relationship between the Hospitality Industry and the decision, the research would be to the full prelusive so that the decision, which is being analysed utilizing different methods of study and survey, would back up the research. Scheme: The scheme that will be followed for the research work will be Surveys. Surveys will be taken from either the Hotels or Resto-Bars in India and besides from the clients of different cordial reception sections. DATA COLLECTION My informations aggregation processes for this research would dwell of series of processs, which would be farther branched into primary and secondary informations aggregation. PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION The chief procedures that I would be trusting on while utilizing my primary informations aggregation would be through questionnaire based on the information, that will be done by personally run intoing the clients and by directing them stations and by run intoing the staff of the hotel in individual. The questionnaire I would be working on, would be divided in a manner that would be most efficient in managing them and by maintaining the clip factor into consideration, the most applicable system would be applied to the best suited group. While using a incorrect procedure in garnering information would ensue in detaining the whole operation. The research subject requires a Qualitative method to measure the findings aimed for. A well framed questionnaire will be given in individual. The appropriate tool for my research proposal would be a type of a study, because the best manner to obtain the needed informations, in order to happen replies for my research inquiries, would be inquiring a set of inquiries. Every methods of informations aggregation have its ain advantages every bit good as disadvantages. For illustration: Internet study: Survey done through electronic mails and file sharing. The advantages of Internet as a manner of study are: 1. Survey can be set up faster. 2. Survey consequences are faster. 3. Response can be administered by leting pre and station inquiries. 4. The skip-pattern inquiries can be used to extinguish interviewer mistake. 5. Respondent can reply at their ain convenience. 6. Cost of interview in minimum. Although, Internet study has many advantages, it might non be the most appropriate method of appraising for this thesis. The ground behind this is the namelessness of the web, which makes any type of avowal hard, if non impossible. Postal Questionnaire is yet another type of study which has the undermentioned advantages and disadvantages: Advantages Their costs are comparatively low. Datas can be obtained from big sample countries. Can avoid interview prejudice. Privacy scenes can be enhanced for the respondents. Rating graduated tables can be flexible. Disadvantages Poor response rates. Respondents may misinterpret inquiries. The intended individual may non be the 1 who completed questionnaire. The comparative nature of the inquiries to be posted is supposed to hold confidential information, has made me to make up ones mind that postal questionnaire might be the most appropriate signifier for roll uping information. The methods for informations aggregation scope from the simple usage of postal questionnaire to face-to-face interviews, where an interviewer uses tape recording equipment and note taking as their tools for roll uping information. Few of the methods are expensive but they certainly guarantee a good response rate, while others being inexpensive to administrate but are most likely to bring forth a hapless response ( Les Oakshott, 2001 ) SECONDARY DATA COLLECTION: The secondary informations are the type of informations that are made by others for their ain intents. The secondary information for my research proposal would be gathered from the companies own informations archives and from their one-year fiscal studies. In add-on, the findings of former research surveies on outsourcing an accounting procedure would give an ample sum of historical informations or decision-making forms. I would besides be utilizing Internet to acquire some more information about the industry and usage diaries for acquiring direction from the past researches on this subject. TOOLS FOR DATA ANALYSIS The informations collected from the questionnaire would be analyzed through the SPSS text analysis. Different manner of SPSS analysis will be used in analysing the information from the questionnaire. Research: NEW AND RELEVANT? Recently this subject has been quiet popular, with a roar in the cordial reception industry at that place have been a batch of research worker working on this subject in order to understand the demands and behavior of the people, so that they could propose stairss to better and assist turn the industry. The subject for this research is besides a hot topic as the touristry industry is besides connected with the cordial reception industry and the touristry industry has progressed alot.

Literary Analysis Essays

Literary Analysis Essays Literary Analysis Essay Literary Analysis Essay El Dorado, a ballad poem written by Edgar Allan Poe, is notably one of his most prolific, and prominent works. It depicts the journey of a knight searching for the â€Å"land of El Dorado†, while enduring a loss of strength, and affliction of old age. The term â€Å"El Dorado† is frequently used metaphorically to describe a utopia, true love, success, or sincere happiness. There are various interpretations of what Poe was referring to in his mentioning of El Dorado. However, it is highly probable that due to the text, and the context surrounding the poem; that El Dorado is synonymous with a wanted lover, or an ideal woman suitable for the knight. Throughout the poem, Poe refers to a â€Å"shadow† which symbolizes the knight being without a partner, and the depressing, gloomy feeling he gets from being alone. In the first stanza, Poe writes â€Å"A gallant knight / In sunshine and in shadow / Had journeyed long / Singing a song / In search of El Dorado† (2-6). In these lines the shadow is used to compare the joyous, jubilant life of being in love, represented by sunshine; with an empty feeling, and deep desire for companionship. Furthermore, he stresses that the knight has experienced both the feelings of love, and loneliness; but strives to continue his endeavor of finding the love of his life. As the story progresses, the burden of searching vigorously for an acquaintance becomes increasingly evident where Poe writes â€Å"But he grew old / This knight so bold / And o’er his heart a shadow / Fell as he found / No spot of ground / That looked like El Dorado† (7-12). At this point in his life, the knight has grown old, and begins to lose hope of ever finding the perfect woman. Towards the end of the poem, the meaning of the shadow shifts from being the deep desire the knight has to find a partner, to a ghost-like illusion that he encounters which presumably serves to guide him to El Dorado. â€Å"And as his strength / Failed him at length, / He met a pilgrim shadow / â€Å"Shadow†, said he, / â€Å"Where can it be / This land of El Dorado? † (12-18). After years of searching for the ideal woman, the knight reaches his breaking point and is consulting the shadow for the pathway to his lover. The shadow instructs the knight to continue searching for El Dorado through the â€Å"Valley of the Shadow†. When looked at in context, this valley serves as a symbolic representation of the future sadness, and disappointment that awaits the knight if he wishes to continue his search for a lover. One of the most beneficial ways to understand the meaning of this poem is to analyze the context. It is imperative to have an understanding of the larger picture. When taken into consideration the time, and place in which this poem was written; it is by no means farfetched to believe that the term â€Å"El Dorado† is being used in a romantic sense, to represent true love. The poem was published in 1849, which was one of the defining years of the Romantic Movement. During this time, many authors were attempting to relinquish the conservative social norms brought about during the Age of Enlightenment. They aspired to promote the freedom to openly express love towards an individual. I believe that the life of Edgar Allan Poe had a crucial impact on the writing of this poem. Poe’s life dealt heavily with romance, and the desire to be loved. In 1935, he married his 13 year old cousin who died 12 years later. While attending the University of Virginia, Edgar Allan Poe was heartbroken when he discovered that his sweetheart, to whom he had been engaged, eventually married another man. Overall, Poe spent his life pursuing happiness, while encountering much sickness, financial instability, and death; all of which played huge roles in the writing of El Dorado. The poem expresses a man who spent his life searching for a sense of satisfaction; and Poe’s life, ironically enough, is a direct reflection of the character he writes about. Scott Peeples, a Poe scholar, notes that El Dorado is â€Å"a fitting close to a discussion of Poe’s career†. This statement was made partly due to the fact that the poem was published 4 months before Poe’s death. The metaphors of shadows, mountains, and the land of El Dorado itself, serve as evidence that Edgar Allan Poe attempts to portray a man desperate to find his true love. When viewed from the perspective of Poe, it is apparent that he would want to express his own life’s journey of searching for happiness, while often finding only anguish, and despair. The knight growing old, losing his strength, and becoming depressed, is an analogous storyline, fitting Poe’s life.

General Management - Investment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

General Management - Investment - Case Study Example 4 ) Assuming that the client expressed some concern about having too much money in the growth fund, how would the original recommendation change if the amount invested in the growth fund is not allowed to exceed the amount invested in the income fund? 5 ) Is the asset allocation model that I developed will be useful in managing the portfolio for all of the firm’s clients whenever the anticipated yields for the three funds are periodically revised. What is your recommendation as to whether use of this model is possible? The objective of managing the funds of all the clients is to maximize the annual yields of their portfolio given their risk preferences. However it is not possible to use exactly the same linear programming model because the different clients have different risk preferences and risk indexes. The different linear programming models will have different set of constraints in spite of having the same objective. However if the annual yields for the three funds are periodically revised then the model is useful. The coefficients of the objective constraint can simply be changed to reflect the new yields of the three

Internet and Ideology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Internet and Ideology - Assignment Example By contrast science’s acceptance was objectively linked with the perception of agreement among the scientists. Rejection of scientific propositions repeatedly implicates conspiracist ideation even without insufficient empirical evidence. Lewandowsky et al. analyzed the response of climate blogosphere to LOG12 publication and followed the hypotheses surfacing in response to LOG12. The multi-phased search involved sampling of LOG12-related Internet activity and deriving six criteria to permit hypotheses’ classification pertaining to potentially conspiracist LOG12. Use of established criteria showed how many hypotheses reflected counterfactual thinking and conspiratorial material. Conspiracist ideation possibly has a role in the rejection of science. To explore the relative importance of projecting alternative explanations in contrast to rejecting conventional explanations for events, Wood and Douglas studied conspiracist and conventionalist comments on news websites. They found conspiracist commentators having greater tendency to argue against opposing interpretation and lesser tendency to argue for their own interpretation or to put forth an account explicitly whereas conventionalist commenters demonstrated the reverse trend. Research led to identification of a range of differences between conspiracists and

Three imediments to small businesses in America Research Paper

Three imediments to small businesses in America - Research Paper Example Small businesses in America face many difficulties, but three that are documented in current literature are financing, race, and having a solid business strategy. The literature researched shows three reasons small businesses in America can have difficulty. Part of the discussion around small business difficulty is the definition of what it means to have a small business success. There are several factors affecting survival of small businesses in the United States, but the most dominant are racism, ineffective strategic planning and poor management. In the United States the race factor plays an important role in most of the operations and functioning in the country. Small businesses require loans to boost their performance and increase income. This is because most if the small businesses have limited financial supply. However, racism has greatly affected availability of loans to most of entrepreneurs with small businesses. Most small business owners are African American and the race factor has hindered them access to loans and hence affected development of small businesses. On the other hand, whites are accessing loans. However, not most of the whites are engaged in small businesses. This has affected growth if the small business industry to the expense of large scales businesses (Weinzimmer and Manmadhan, 2009, p 171). For the survival of an organization, it has to posses an effective marketing department. The marketing department is charged with ensuring public awareness of the services and the products of the organization. The department works in conjunction with the public relation department hence inform the public while maintaining a good relation and image with the public. For proper and effective marketing, an organization has to strategically plan the marketing process. For instance, before a company commences it has to determine the kinds of services or products to offer to the public. For established companies, they use marketing as a tool of determi ning the changes they ought to make to their products or services so as to enhance sales. Generally, companies use marketing to determining appropriate strategies to use in sales, development and communication with an aim of increased sales and containing competition (Cavalluzzo, & Wolken, 2005, p 2158). Due to the limitation of resources, small businesses ought to strategically plan. Therefore, small businesses strategically plans the marketing process hence concentrate their limited resources to the greater opportunities available. When the process is effective, the company may realize sales increase and hence achieve competitive advantage in the market. The strategy may enable a company to fill the needs of the market and hence reach the objectives of the market. A good strategy has to effectively scan both the external and internal environments. This can be achieved via appropriate Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats (SWOT) analysis. After the analysis then a company may set a strategic plan for market, establish goals, identify alternatives in the market, determine market mix and implement them (Bergen, 2001, p 460). Strategic marketing plan An effective, efficient and adaptable marketing plan has several components. These components help in the implementation and achieving

Argumentative paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Argumentative paper - Essay Example Notably, the year-round school plan ensures that students do not have the three-month summer break, but are in school throughout the year. Although the year-round school seems to be highly favorable, it has certain disadvantages that need proper consideration as will be highlighted in this paper. The year-round calendar adopted by some school districts presents certain challenges, especially when it comes to the storage space needed for both students and teachers. Notably, many multitrack year-round calendars do not follow the usual single class operating in a specified classroom. The system allows many students to enroll in different programs throughout the school year. Therefore, school districts adopting the plan have budget wisely in an effort to ensure that there is sufficient storage space for both students and teachers. Unless this happens, the multitrack year-round calendars will strain school facilities contrary to its objective of ensuring proper utilization of the facilities throughout the year (Chittom and Klassen 1). The year-round calendars adopted in some districts introduce additional demands on the school subordinate staff cafeteria systems as well as the maintenance services. Usually, all these services are continuously needed throughout the year. Compared to other plans that allow students to have a three-month summer break, support staffs working in different schools face the compulsion of constantly providing services to the schools. Therefore, many support staffs do not find the systems favorable because the year-round calendar strains them (Long). The year-round calendars pose challenges for teachers who pursue further education during the summer break. Notably, teachers need to advance their education in an effort to become more qualified for their job responsibilities. Usually, the three-month summer break gives teachers sufficient time to study each year. With the

The Role of ICT to Support Development of Literacy Essay - 1

The Role of ICT to Support Development of Literacy - Essay Example Aims of research on ICT/Digital film use in schools This critical review sets out the key messages from the literature, which focuses on:- a) The infrastructure to support the use of ICT in schools, b) The impact of this on learning and literacy levels c) The extent to which its adoption has supported communication in schools and the community at large The report analysis will further present an opportunity for further exploration and research. Research indicates that there is an increase in the use of computers and other new technologies in homes through the same suit is not followed at the schools where the authorities are so strict on print and print-based texts. The embracing of technology is viewed as a lot of a waste of times, which should not be the case as children and school going individuals are already expressing enormous interest to learn through the adoption of the new technologies like the digital film techniques (BESA 2006). Setting the context: ICT/Digital film techno logy provision and access In the recent years there have been numerous surveys formulated to provide information on the extent to which schools are developing the capacity to integrate digital technology in learning and teaching to improve the level of literacy in the UK. The evidence gathered shows an increase in the number of computers and other technologies like digital technology over time with most schools achieving the baseline for the computer-to-pupil/student ratio (BESA 2006). The evidence on the impact on learning and teaching indicates that the use of digital film technology is effective and efficient in enhancing the students learning experience and therefore teachers are motivated to integrate a number of technologies like the laptops to produce an interactive environment with whiteboards and the internet. Through the emergence of the digital technology, teachers have been in a position of integrating a combination of hardware; software and connectivity to allow them to have an innovative approach towards learning and teaching hence a bust in the level of literacy (Watts 2007). A critical factor in the effective use of digital technology is the fact that there exists a school level e-strategy; this gives room for the future development and maintenance of the ICT systems. Research has it that school going aged children are embracing the use of new technology through the engagement of a wide variety of Digital practices. These range from the use of CDs, playing computer games, play stations, internet mobiles, and mobile phones. It worth noting that computer games so far is the most popular components engaged in by children as they are able to access the internet at a very tender age (BESA 2005). From research, therefore, it is evident that children have been engaged in multimodal literacy’s in a manner that the print media is being faced out. Because digital texts are fast facing out print media most so in the young populations perspective, s chools through the authorities need to adopt such systems as they will in the first place engage the youth keeping them away from accessing intolerable material online. Research on the use of digital film technology in the UK shows that, through the new technological advancement, teachers are able to develop creativity within potentially limited confines, and pressures of curriculum guidelines.

Argumentative paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Argumentative paper - Essay Example Notably, the year-round school plan ensures that students do not have the three-month summer break, but are in school throughout the year. Although the year-round school seems to be highly favorable, it has certain disadvantages that need proper consideration as will be highlighted in this paper. The year-round calendar adopted by some school districts presents certain challenges, especially when it comes to the storage space needed for both students and teachers. Notably, many multitrack year-round calendars do not follow the usual single class operating in a specified classroom. The system allows many students to enroll in different programs throughout the school year. Therefore, school districts adopting the plan have budget wisely in an effort to ensure that there is sufficient storage space for both students and teachers. Unless this happens, the multitrack year-round calendars will strain school facilities contrary to its objective of ensuring proper utilization of the facilities throughout the year (Chittom and Klassen 1). The year-round calendars adopted in some districts introduce additional demands on the school subordinate staff cafeteria systems as well as the maintenance services. Usually, all these services are continuously needed throughout the year. Compared to other plans that allow students to have a three-month summer break, support staffs working in different schools face the compulsion of constantly providing services to the schools. Therefore, many support staffs do not find the systems favorable because the year-round calendar strains them (Long). The year-round calendars pose challenges for teachers who pursue further education during the summer break. Notably, teachers need to advance their education in an effort to become more qualified for their job responsibilities. Usually, the three-month summer break gives teachers sufficient time to study each year. With the

Public Goods and Common Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Public Goods and Common Resources - Essay Example Turkey being the sixth largest textile industry in the world is losing its comparative advantage in the textile industry. The country is losing its comparative advantage due to loss of cheap labour advantage. The cost of labour escalates every year. Statistics indicate that the prices are currently five times that of China. Turkish textile industry has a comparative advantage over the Indian textile industry as a result of the wide market available. Its proximity to European countries makes it easy to reach out for consumers (Sugur, 2005). This gives the company advantage in transportation and access to a large market share. The professor may start a marketing firm. With the professor’s vast knowledge in economics, a marketing consultancy firm would be appropriate for him or her. This enables the professor to be an entrepreneur in a field he or she is quite sophisticated. The professor would provide consultancy services to the clients just as he or she taught while teaching in the

Postpartum Contraception Essay Example for Free

Postpartum Contraception Essay Postpartum contraceptive methods are those used by breast feeding women before twenty six days after they have given birth. Basing on the NICE guidelines, the advice on how to use these methods should be explained to the patients before their second postpartum week. The breast feeding women are allowed to use the lactational amenorrhoea method but they are not recommended to use the COCP (combined oral contraceptive pills) method by the World Health Organization before the first 42 days postpartum because it’s illegal (outside the license) (WHO, 2006). Below are some of the postpartum contraceptive methods. The contraceptive methods; The combined contraceptive pills (to the breast feeding women) This contraceptive method to breast women brings about some hormonal out comes on the quantity of milk and its quality too. If these pills are taken before 24 weeks postpartum, they affect the baby’s growth. In a previous review of randomized controlled trials held to clarify this case, the review reassured women that hormonal contraceptive method has no strong effects on the baby’s growth. On the other hand, the World Health Organization recommended that, breast feeding mothers before 24 weeks of postpartum should not use the combined contraceptive pills because its use is outside the license (WHO, 2006). Sterilization Basing on the guideline of Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, it shows that women should be alert about the consequences and the increasing rates at which sterilization fails before the postpartum period (Johnson, Edelman and Jensen, 2003). Lactational Amenorrhoe This method is scientifically proved to be effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies, given to a woman, in less than 24 weeks postpartum. As Johnson, Edelman and Jensen (2003) states, she does not experience virginal bleeding after the first seven weeks postpartum, and if she can fully breast feed the baby day and night. Progestogen injectables If this method is used before 42 days of postpartum, it means, that it has been used illegally by the applicant (outside their license). According to Johnson, Edelman and Jensen, (2003), if injectables are used in the early periods of postpartum, it may result into excessive bleeding. It is therefore, recommended that it should be used after 42 days of breast feeding. This may prolong bleeding if applied when not breast feeding in five days of delivery. Emergency contraceptive method This method is not required before twenty one days postpartum and it can be used even if the woman is breast feeding. The IUD may be used after one month postpartum. Implants and the progestogen only pills It is recommended by World Health Organization that this method should not be applied in the first 42 days postpartum (WHO, 2006). On the other hand, in the United Kingdom, this method is commonly used by women before 42 days postpartum since it is proved that it has no effect on the quantity of breast milk and the fact that it does not affect the growth of the baby during this specified period. The following have to be noted for application of POP As noted by (Guillebaud (1993) if its application is started after the first two weeks, there is need for some additional contraception and need to clarify that the woman is not pregnant. If the woman starts to experience constant menstrual cycles again, she has to begin the applying POP including the period of five days without the necessity for additional barrier methods. For Etonogestrel implants Guillebaud (1993) explains that, this can be applied between the first 21 to 28 days of delivery. If it exceeds from 28 days, there is need to apply additional contraception methods for a week. Barrier methods (condoms, cervical caps and diaphragms); Condoms It has been proved by scientists that condoms are eighty seven percent effective when used without any other protective measure. And said to be ninety eight percent effective if used with another measure of protection (spermicide). Every time you have sex, it is recommended that you use condoms (Guillebaud, 1993). Diaphragm As Guillebaud (1993) explains, scientifically, this method is said to be ninety eight percent effective that is if used correctly. It has to fitted by the doctor and used when having sex. Conclusion From what has been discussed above, there are many postpartum contraceptive choices a breast feeding woman can use like POP, COCP, barrier methods such as condoms, cervical caps and condoms, progestogen only pills, and others. Some women are using the COCP method, for example, women in UK, before the first 42 days postpartum and yet it is not recommended by WHO. We there by strongly conclude that women should be keen when taking postpartum contraceptives for the seek of their healthy and the child they have, it is important that they should follow the recommendations of the World Health regarding postpartum contraceptives. Reference Guillebaud, J (1993): Postpartum Contraception: Unnecessary before three weeks: BMJ, Vol. 307, 6918; p 1558-61 Johnson L, Edelman A, and Jensen J (2003): Patient satisfaction and the impact of written material about postpartum contraceptive decisions: AMJ Obstet Gynecology; Vol. 188, 5, p, 1201-5 WHO (2006): Medical eligibility criteria for contraception: Available online at: www. who. int/reproductive-health/public/mec/mec. pdf

Construction And Understanding Of Childhood Social Work Essay

Construction And Understanding Of Childhood Social Work Essay In order to consider how child protection policy and practice has been shaped, a definition of child protection and significant harm and abuse is required. The Department for Education (DFE, 2011) defines child protection as the action that is carried out to safeguard children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm. Furthermore the Children Act (1989) defines harm as ill-treatment including neglect, emotional, sexual and physical abuse. Interestingly, Parton et al (2012) suggested that determinations of what should be considered child abuse are socially constructed, and are therefore reflective of the culture and values at a specific moment in time. To begin, childhood is a status that is documented worldwide and throughout history, which sometimes sees the child as innocent ,vulnerable, a consumer, a worker alongside other household earners, a threat to society and it is a construction that changes over time and place (Prout, 2005). Historians of childhood have argued over the meaning, such as Aries (1960) cited by Veerman (1992, p5) stated the concept of childhood didnt exist before the seventeenth century; therefore children were mini adults with the same rights, duties and skills. This idea was supported by the poor law (1601) which was a formalised system of training children in trades to contribute to society when they grew up (Bloy, 2002). Another example came from Locke (1632-1734) and the Tabula Rasa model. This proposes that children were morally neutral and were the products of their parents (Horner, 2012). The nineteenth century showed it was the parents responsibility to offer love and pertinent correction, to bring out the good in their nature thus helping them to become contributing members of society. This could easily lead to blaming the parents as good or bad based on the behaviours of their child, since the child was not considered as his own agent. The 1834 Poor Law Reform Act would support Lockes idea and children who were sent to workhouses, would participate in schooling to imprint knowledge. Although this incurred a number of scandals, for example inmates eating the rotting flesh from bones, the governments responded by introducing sterner rules for those operating workhouses, along with regular inspections (cited by Berry 1999, p29). Fox Harding (1997) described this era as laissez faire which was bas ed on family privacy and minimal state intervention that allowed families lives to remain private and behind closed doors. An alternative concept from Rousseau (1712) suggested the idea of innocence; a child was born angelic until the world influenced them. This was significant in terms of child protection with the implementation childrens charities such as Save the Children (founded in 1919). They portrayed children in a variety of adult situations and as poor victims worthy of being rescued (Macek, 2006) using contemporary ideas of childhood. Interestingly the Children and Young Persons Act (1933) was introduced to protect the welfare of the child, including any person legally liable to have neglected them in a manner likely to cause injury to his health. Nonetheless it could be argued that the cause of injury may not have been fully understood considering caning in schools was common until 1987. However some may argue this was legalised abuse, and in direct contradiction to legislation put in place to protect children. Moving into the twentieth century took a wide shift from the laissez faire approach and along with the concept of childhood, became the notion of state paternalism. Child protection practice was based on extensive state intervention to protect children from poor parental care (Fox Harding, 1997). These changes led to a sharing of blame with their parents for children becoming anti-social (a demon) or a great achiever (an angel) in society. The demonic model illustrated by Pifer (2000) was already seen in childhood construction but blamed society, not the child, when as Rousseau noted is the romantic discourse that becomes tainted with the corrupt outside world. These historical concepts still dictated that children should be seen and not heard and every aspect of the childs life should be determined by their parents or guardians. Although the shift is evident, it could be argued that the laissez faire and paternalist perspective shared a common view of children having limited capacit y for independence and decision making. Pollock (1983) would argue that children were not miniature adults as Aries (1960) claimed, but actually were at a significantly a lower level of development and so had distinctive needs from adults. This suggests as immature people they could make mistakes and be excused from full responsibility for their actions. Given the current high profile debates on children, it is public outrage and moral panics in the media that frequently changes the way things are seen. The research into child deaths has prompted changes in legislation (Parton et al, 2012). Key events such as the death of Maria Coldwell (1974), led to specialist workers instead of generic workers who dealt with the elderly. They were specific to the child and encompassed the needs of the whole family. Serious case reviews in to a childs death was undertaken as a way of discovering how the tragedy occurred, who was responsible, what professionals were involved, rationalising individual actions and learning lessons for future practice (Rose and Barnes, 2008). The publics perception of social workers placed more pressure on the notion of identifying risk before the child died which developed many theories and models for the professional to practice. In contrast to the numerous child deaths, the Cleveland case in 1988 evidenced the over enthusiasm of state intervention. Children were removed from their families based on an anal reflex test to diagnose sexual abuse. The inquiry recommended greater rights for parents and children and suggests the separation from families was seen as abuse itself (Ashden, 2004). This, and proceeding enquires into the deaths of children, offered dilemmas for social workers representing the most visible agencies within the child protection system, in terms of whether a child should be removed or not. This event was a major policy driver and is reflected in the Children Act 1989, where parents rights have been replaced with responsibility in ensuring children turn out to be good citizens of society. However it could be argued that in practice today the Cleveland event still carries stigma with parents believing their children are going to be taken into care. Given the models of childhood outlined in previous paragraphs it is quite predictable that children appear to fit within a particular construct. However children such the murderers of Jamie Bulger in 1993 were children carrying out unthinkable, far from innocent acts. These children had a dual status; they committed a crime as an adult yet still a child in need of protection. Society wanted to look at their background to decide if watching horror movies or having divorced parents or poor discipline made them kill a little boy. The thought in the media flowed from born bad, to being made bad which is the nature nurture debate. Moral panic through media fed into this case and although historically the view had been to protect children, society shifted to the concept of demonising children, newspaper headlines branding them as wicked and evil (Bracchi, 2010). It is interesting that throughout history, legislation was implemented to protect children yet it conflicts with criminal law, as it does not recognise them as children over ten years of age (Molan, 2008). It could be argued that criminal law agrees with Aries and children are mini adults, yet social workers guidance refers to children up to the age of seventeen. One could question how professionals can work in a multiagency way when conflicting legislation cannot agree what age a child is. Further spotlight cases such as Victoria Climbie (2003) highlighted failings of multi-agency workers (Lamming 2003) and facilitated to shape the next change in legislation. The Every Child Matters green paper which outlined five outcomes to be achieved by all children was enshrined in law as part of The Childrens Act (2004). These were defined as, stay safe, be healthy, enjoy and achieve, achieve economic wellbeing, and make a positive contribution (Knowles, 2006) which gave professionals direction on the minimum requirements for every child, and allowed social workers to intervene to meet these needs in child protection practice. Nonetheless, the coalition government in 2010 abolished this agenda (McDermid, 2012) suggesting that families are not as important, even though it has underpinned social work practice for a number of years. Nevertheless child deaths continued to be a growing problem, the Baby Peter case (2008) indicated that individuals are failing children and again multi-agency communication is poor in assessing risk. Another case that followed approximately a year later was the Edlington boys (2009) who tortured two young boys. Society then blamed foster placements and care systems suggesting they do not work and foster placements are as bad as the families they were removed from. Cases such as these developed blame culture, where children were perceived as being failed by the government workers; usually the social workers less often the police and the politicians (Community Care, 2012). The public outcry and criticisms of social services which followed high profile cases of child abuse make social workers practice to err on the side of caution. This suggests the romantic concept of childhood (i.e. protection of innocence), came to the forefront and children were seen as vulnerable and in need of pro tection. It appears that each disaster that happens the social construct of children changes. Indeed, researchers into twenty-first century childhood such as Sue Palmer (2006) refers to a Toxic Childhood which is the harm society is causing to children through a competitive, consumer driven, screen-based lifestyle. The media and internet evidence how much it has made it possible for children to consider adult ideas and behaviours, alcohol, sexual activity, drug use and teenage violence that show that distinctions between adulthood and childhood are fading. Nevertheless it could be debated that contradictory attitudes remain commonplace with children being constructed as innocent little angels and little devils, innately capable of the most awful types of crime until the adults in society influenced them. Despite these criticisms the families that children live in are also judged to be secretive and deliberate abusers. As a result children may grow into poor citizens due to not being protected from their families. There is a notion of good families and bad families and very often poor families are classed as poor parents and certain constructions take place without the family even being assessed. To exemplify Tucks (2002) identified a connection between all forms of abuse and social deprivation, but a possible explanation for this is that perpetrators target vulnerable children or women to secure access to children; socially deprived neighbourhoods are characterised by relatively large numbers of lone parents. Through the pressures of their circumstances and in family crisis, parents had become caught up in a child protection system that was more attuned to assessing risk than to bringing out the best in parents struggling in adversity (DoH, 1995). Moreover Owen and Pritchard (1993) identified the difficulties in classifying at risk in terms of the criteria for assessing the levels of risk and what constitutes abuse. The role of professionals holding varying opinions and attitudes towards what constitutes abuse and risk could be argued that this in itself reduces the identification of risk to a child. Nonetheless professionals are still expected to protect children by the Children Act 1989 which outlines significant harm, but is very ambiguous and there is broad scope for authorities to further define what constitutes a child in need (Brandon et al 1999). The Munro report (2011) on Child Protection agrees that social work involves working with this uncertainty and not able to see what goes on in families which suggests little shift . The defensive practice comes from workers who are expected to manage this uncertainty and the issue is that evidence of abuse and neglect is not clearly labelled. Since the implementation of the Children Act 1989 more emphasis was placed on the childs rights but has become very controversial. The idea of protecting children and giving them rights may become problematic for adults in terms of taking childrens rights seriously. This could be that children have been under-represented in social theory and policy for many years). It could also be, that adults may be reluctant to relinquish power to the children because they still assume they know what is best for children as the early historians suggest. Franklin (2002) suggests a conflict between adults rights and childrens rights could offer explanations for demonization of children. Another idea could be that giving children rights takes away a childs childhood. This may have been viewed from the idealistic construction of childhood as a time of innocence where they consider that children should not be concerned with important decision-making and responsibility. To further support childrens rights, the children Act 2004 updated the legislation to include the abolishment of physical punishment (NSPCC, 2012). However, Owen and Pritchards (1983) idea of cultural relativism whereby specific behaviours in some families is attributed to cultural practice, question the concept of what how significant harm can actually be measured. In cases of child abuse, black and ethnic minority children are therefore at a higher risk because warning signs that would otherwise have been picked up are ignored and accepted to cultural practices and norms. For instance Rogers, Hevey and Ash (1989) state that the beating of West Indian children can be viewed as traditional use of chastisement within that culture, rather than observed as physical abuse of children. Owen and Pritchard (1983) propose this aspect to racist beliefs and stereotyping, where culture is considered deviant rather than the actions of a caregiver. Conversely Munro (2008) considers Effective Child Protection and points out the significance on the value of relationships between families and the worker and suggests this leads to better outcomes by understanding the families and cultures. An effective assessment and intervention in child protection draws from having good interactions and in turn aids parents to disclose information and collaborate with authorities. It could be argued if a worker does not believe in certain cultural practices that children could become at risk when maybe they are not. Another point to consider is the risk posed by professionals that work with children; previously society has created an assumption that the rich, social workers, teachers and other professionals that work in child focused roles follow the legislation on protecting our children from significant harm. Yet through the power of trust professionals appear to abuse safe spaces designed for children. For example the police report in to the murder of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells by the school caretaker in 2002, identified significant failings with regard to police vetting procedures (HMIC, 2004). The Sexual Offences Act 2003 which included offences of grooming and abusing positions of trust was incorporated with a vetting and barring system to adults working with children and introduced into the safeguarding vulnerable groups Act 2006 (NSPCC, 2012). Equally Nursery manager Vanessa George in 2009 abused children in her setting. The review found a systemic failure in communication throughout and highlighted a common theme of assumption provided a fruitful environment in which to abuse, a point that has been proficiently highlighted by the mainstream press. The child protection policies and procedures were inadequate and rarely followed, as she feared children would be moved to other settings. The report highlighted how culture had within the nursery preventing staff from challenging Georges inappropriate behaviour. Cases such as this called for a review of vetting adults who work with children and formed a piece of legislation, the protection of freedoms Act (2012) which focuses on roles working closely with vulnerable groups. Some children related posts such as governors and school inspectors were being removed from the lists although they require having contact with children (Kelly, 2012). Additionally supervised volunteers will no longer be classed as working in regulated activity. Therefore, individuals barred from working in regulated activity can still volunteer at your school, as long as they are supervised. It could be argued that although the government is keen to scale back the cost of vetting, it does not take into account the risk of grooming which is not negated by supervision. Furthermore, the new process does not allow schools to check the barred list when recruiting volunteers which suggests it is providing a false sense of security for all. A further report into child protection by Munro A child centred practice in 2011, established that a universal approach to child protection is preventing the main focus of the child. Munro recommended that the Government and local authorities should continually learn from what has happened in the past, however this could be difficult when cases such as Jamie Buglers that buried the hatchet to protect the boys. One could question what professionals can learn from such secretive cases. Additionally, it could be argued that Munros child centred approach offers a potential negative impact on children and professionals. For instance, if the government removes the prescriptive practice that professionals may be using as guidance, this could create the potential to miss the signs of a child being abused based on judgement alone. Having considered this idea, future risks assessment needs to change a theoretical and practical model for possible state intervention in cases where a caregivers ability to care for a child is questioned. The British government will be pivotal to play a major role in reforming existing legislation and constructing new strong legislation to allow involvement by care services in the most high risk cases of child abuse. This request upon the government is an outcome of the philosophy of risk now prevalent in the UK, where it is assumed that the government has the ability to foresee and prevent abuse and maltreatment which holds the government when this does not happen. In conclusion, the historical views of childhood can be seen throughout the numerous ideological discourses and demonstrate how societys constructions of childhood can, has and will carry on to influence laws and legislation regarding the ways in which child protection is shaped. Although it is recognised that childhood warrants some degree of protective status, socioeconomic and cultural circumstances do affect young childrens behaviour and the way professionals practice. Those changed conditions also influence adult beliefs about rearing children and how protecting children should be. The emphasis on risk and assessing risk has changed over time, what was a risk in the 1980s is very different to what is a risk today. As outlined there are some recurrent issues such as the recognition of significant harm, taking appropriate action, effective communication and achieving an appropriate balance between supporting families and disruptive intervention to safeguard and promote childrens welfare. Nevertheless child protection has been around for a number of years and indicates that there is a correlation between legislation, society and the construct of childhood which continually mirrors each other.

Stanley V. Illinois :: essays research papers

Stanley v. Illinois Nature of Case: The plaintiff is Peter Stanley. He said that his rights to equal protection of the law under the 14th Amendment have been violated. He believes that the Illinois law that makes children of unwed father’s wards of the state upon death of the mother violated his rights. Facts: Joan and Peter Stanley lived intermittently together for 18 years, in which they had 3 children. When Joan Stanley died, Stanley’s children were declared wards of the state and placed with court appointed guardians after a dependency hearing by the State of Illinois. Stanley claimed that he had never been shown to be an unfit parent. He believed that since married fathers and unwed mothers could not be deprived of their children without proving this, neither should he. The Illinois Supreme Court accepted the fact that Peter Stanley’s unfitness had not been proven but rejected that he was deprived of his rights under the 14th amendment. Issue: Did the State of Illinois violate the Equal Protection Clause when it denied Peter Stanley a hearing on his fitness to keep his children? Holding: Yes, a hearing is guaranteed by equal protection under the law, for both married fathers and unwed mothers & unwed fathers. Rule: 1. Justice White, speaking for the majority believes that the decision in this case is similar to Bell v. Burson, in which held that the state could not deprive a person of there drivers license pertaining to a speeding violation without a hearing. He stated: "The states interest in caring for Stanley’s children is de minimis if Stanley is shown to be a fit father. It insists on presuming rather than proving Stanley’s unfitness solely because it is more convenient to presume than to prove. 2. They concluded that all Illinois parents are constitutionally entitled to a hearing on their fitness before their children are removed from their custody. Denying such a hearing to Stanley and those like him while granting it to other Illinois parents is inescapably contrary to the Equal Protection Clause. 3. The rule of law that justifies the holding of the case is: "It is cardinal with us that the custody, care, and nurture of the child reside first in the parents , whose primary function and freedom include preparation for obligations the state may neither supply nor hinder" (Prince v. Mass.). 4. "The integrity of the family unit has found protection in the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and the Ninth Amendment.

South African Apartheid Essay -- South Africa Apartheid Essays

Have you ever wondered how it would feel to be considered inferior because of your race? The people of South Africa had to endure racial inferiority during the era of apartheid. The apartheid laws the government of South Africa made led to an unequal lifestyle for the blacks and produced opposition. South Africa really began to suffer when apartheid was written into the law. Apartheid was first introduced in the 1948 election that the Afrikaner National Party won. The plan was to take the already existing segregation and expand it (Wright, 60). Apartheid was a system that segregated South Africa’s population racially and considered non-whites inferior (â€Å"History of South Africa in the apartheid era†). Apartheid was designed to make it legal for Europeans to dominate economics and politics (â€Å"History of South Africa in the apartheid era†). Apartheid consisted of a set of unequal laws that favored the whites (â€Å"History of South Africa in the apartheid era†). The Race Classification Act, which divided everyone into four race groups, whites, blacks, coloreds, and Indians were the first of many major laws (Evans, 8). Hundreds of thousands of black South Africans were forced to leave their homes and move into special reservations called â€Å"homelands† or Bantustans that were set up for them (Evans, 8). There were twenty-three million blacks and they were divided into nine tribal groups, Zulu, Xhosa, Tswana, North and South Sotho, Venda, Tsonga, Swansi, and South Ndebele, and each group were moved into a separate homeland (Evans, 8). Another major law was the Groups Area Act, which secluded the twenty-three million blacks to 14 percent of land, leaving 86 percent of the land for the 4.8 million (Evans, 9). Under apartheid laws a minority ... ...rry their pass books (â€Å"Black’s resistance to Apartheid†). â€Å"During 1980 there were 304 major incidents concerning struggle with apartheid including arrests, tear gas violence, stoning, and strikes (â€Å"Black’s resistance to Apartheid†). In 1986 violent conflict forced the government to assert a national state of emergency (Wright, 68). The Public Safety Act increased penalties such as fining, imprisonment, and whippings for protesting the law (â€Å"History of South Africa in the apartheid era†). Finally in 1990 De Klerk, president of South Africa unbanned the ANC (‘History of South Africa in the apartheid era†). In 1994 the first free multiracial elections were held and the people voted to end apartheid (â€Å"History of South Africa in the apartheid era†). Nelson Mandela was elected president (Wright, 66). The opposition to apartheid helped turn things around in South Africa.

Irregular Warfare

Army is beginning to shape itself for complex irregular warfare. The new Army vision calls for a â€Å"campaign-quality Army- that incorporates both Joint and expeditionary capabilities.This includes the capacity not only to conduct decibels combat operations, but also to sustain operations indefinitely, as well as to adapt Itself to the unexpected and unpredictable, As Army Chief of Staff General Shoemaker puts It, â€Å"The Army preeminent challenge Is to reconcile expeditionary agility and responsiveness with the staying power, durability, and adaptability to carry a conflict to a victorious conclusion no matter what form it eventually takes. This vision is oriented on the more asymmetric adversaries targeted in the war on terror.General Shoemaker focuses on the undetectable and â€Å"morally unconstrained† adversaries who are opposed to the United States and its allies. The Army professes to recognize that its enemies will seek asymmetric approaches that provide shelter in those environments and methods for which we are least prepared. Overcoming this adversary requires the adoption off mindset that Is both expeditionary and Joint. This approach accepts uncertainty about location, the high probability of an austere environment, and the need to fight Immediately upon arrival.It moves the Army from Its current disposition toward predictable enemies to an understanding that the new enemies are elusive and will have to be engaged in the far corners of the world. Appropriately, the individual soldier is the centerpiece for the Army transformation. The Army's pending transformation gives primacy to the warrior ethos, training, and education of â€Å"the ultimate combination of sensor and shooter,† the individual soldier. Its education programs will focus on teaching soldiers how, rather than what, to think, since defeating adaptive enemies requires the Army to outthinking the enemy.The vision statement aptly notes the need for greater agility and versatility, which it says will be gained by emphasizing modularity at the brigade level and combined arms at the lower levels. 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Act and the related Initiative to establish U. S. Special Operations Command (COM). 38 Embedded wealth the congressional legislation was the express expectation that the services achieve a higher order of mint cooperation. Additionally, Congress mandated a particular service-like† status for Special Forces to preclude longstanding prejudices against the elite, unconventional, and secretive component of America's arsenal.Congress's insights in this regard have paid significant dividends in the past few years. Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) revealed a remarkable renaissance in operational capability. Small teams of agile warriors quickly established relationships with the leadership of Afghanistan's Northern Alliance and ably applied America's firepower against the Taliban. Subsequently, numerous examples of valor and Im provisation on the fly in Iraq and elsewhere are testimony to the need for and utility of Special Forces.In a world of anarchy, the masters of chaos† provide sophisticated and discriminate means. 39 The Department of Defense has recognized the Importance of this unique arm In the war on terror and assigned COM with a lead role In combating transnational terrorist networks. Coma's end strength has been increased since 1 ,405 members in IFFY, to nearly 53,000 personnel. 40 Army special forces, SEAL teams, and aviation support have albeit increased. During the troubles in Northern Ireland, the arrival of British troops in 1969 was at first welcomed by Roman Catholics.But the army's heavy-handed methods, such as large cordon-and-search operations and the shooting of 13 civilians on Bloody Sunday in 1972, pushed many Catholics into the arms of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. Historically, counterinsurgency campaigns have almost always failed. This is especially so when the c ounterinsurgency are foreign troops fighting on the insurgents' territory.

Patrol Rifles: Arming Officers to Succeed

PATROL RIFLES: ARMING OFFICERS TO SUCCEED Sergeant Scott Buziecki North Aurora Police Department A Research Paper Submitted to the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff & Command Class #175 Naperville, Illinois December 9, 2002 Executive Summary The North Aurora Police Department currently allows officers to carry their choice of 9mm or . 45 caliber pistols; no long guns are available. The Firearms Training Unit has proposed that the department adopt the . 223 caliber rifle for patrol officer use.The reasons for this proposal are: (1) pistols are inherently less accurate and have a shorter effective range than long guns such as rifles and shotguns, (2) pistol caliber bullets penetrate more heavily through interior walls than . 223 rifle caliber bullets, which causes an increased risk of unintended persons being hit, and (3) pistol caliber bullets will not penetrate body armor and many other obstacles commonly encountered, while most . 223 caliber bul lets will. The objective of this research is to determine if the NAPD should adopt a long gun for patrol officer use or keep the current pistol-only program as it is.The types of weapons under consideration are pistol caliber rifles (9mm and . 45 caliber), shotguns (slugs and buckshot), and the . 223 caliber rifle. These weapons will be compared and contrasted with respect to accuracy & range, ease of use, wounding ability, and barrier penetration. Immediate Incapacitation Officers shoot to immediately achieve physiological incapacitation of a suspect who is threatening life. This means that the suspect is rendered physically incapable of continuing his or her life threatening behavior.This is done by (1) damaging or destroying the suspect’s central nervous system by shooting the brain or upper spinal cord, or (2) interrupting blood flow to the brain, to cause unconsciousness, through shooting the center mass of the suspect. Stopping blood flow to the brain is done by creatin g as much trauma and bleeding as possible. Some projectiles cause these effects better than others. Decisions on weapons, ammunition, and training should be made with the goal of immediate incapacitation in mind. Accuracy & Range Pistols are less accurate than rifles and shotguns due to their short sight radius.Their useful range is 25 yards or less. Shotguns have a range of about 30 yards with buckshot and about 50 yards with slugs. Pistol caliber rifles (9mm and . 45 caliber) have a useful range of about 50 yards. The best range and accuracy of all the choices is found in the . 223 caliber rifle. It is accurate to over 100 yards, even in the hands of average officers, the majority of the patrol workforce. Officers should be armed with a weapon capable of the longest range that they might reasonably need to engage with lethal force.The longest hallway at Jewel Middle School is about 180 feet or 60 yards. Compare this to the above listed weapons ranges. Other buildings, such as fact ories and warehouses are usually very large and would likely require long gun capability to adequately respond to an active shooter situation. Even though an active shooter here is unlikely, officers should still be prepared to respond to one. The weapon with the best accuracy and range is the . 223 caliber rifle, followed by pistol caliber rifles, shotguns, and pistols.Ease of use Compared with the shotgun, the rifle (either pistol caliber or rifle) is more comfortable for officers to shoot and be confident with, an important consideration for risk management. The shotgun is known for heavy recoil, something that makes controlling it difficult, especially for female officers and smaller male officers. Rifles, on the other hand, have a mild recoil. Because of this, its use is as easy for women as it is for men. If a weapon is uncomfortable for officers to shoot, it is not an effective weapon.With respect to ease of use, the best weapon is one that the majority of patrol officers can operate effectively, and in this case, rifles are easier to shoot than shotguns. Wounding ability Handgun bullets have minimal fragmentation and a very small temporary cavity, which causes very little or no additional wounding so their wounding effectiveness is determined simply by the size of the permanent cavity and the depth of penetration. Shotgun slugs produce very devastating wounds due to very high penetration and if that were the only factor in choosing the appropriate round, the best projectile would be a slug.Rifle bullets produce adequate penetration, larger temporary cavitation, and fragmentation, depending on the weight and design. The temporary cavity, acting on tissues already damaged by bullet fragments, causes additional trauma and bleeding. These elements combine to make . 223 bullets more severe than pistol bullets. Penetration tests illustrate that, in general, . 223 caliber bullets cause more severe trauma than pistol calibers. Barrier Penetration Pistol bullet s have been shown, through ballistic testing, to penetrate further after going through a common interior wall. This is also true for shotgun slugs and buckshot. 223 caliber bullets, on the other hand, have been shown to fragment more and penetrate less after going through an interior wall, thereby reducing the risk of a bystander being injured in an adjacent room. .223 caliber bullets also reliably penetrate body armor, while pistol bullets and shotgun ammunition do not. This would be vitally important if officers must face violent criminals wearing body armor, such as during the 1997 Hollywood bank robbery shootout. Long Gun Survey Of 21 suburban Chicago area agencies surveyed, every one allows patrol officers to carry a long gun (100%).While it is not surprising that some are carrying shotguns, it is a little surprising to find that the majority of departments surveyed (71%) are actually carrying rifles. In fact, several agencies carry both a shotgun and a rifle or give officers t heir choice of either weapon. Of those that carry rifles, the majority (80%) uses . 223-caliber ammunition. Conclusion Handguns are inadequate for some situations because of their limited effective range, limited accuracy, lesser wounding ability, and higher risk of over penetration through interior walls. 223 caliber rifles have less recoil, better accuracy, greater range, superior wounding ability, more favorable interior wall penetration, and the ability to penetrate body armor. Since patrol officers are the first to respond to any life threatening criminal incident, however infrequent they may be, law enforcement agencies should arm them with a long gun of some kind. Anything less and they will not be adequately prepared to respond. Having adequate weapons will increase the chances that responding officers can reduce the ability of the suspect to resist. Recommendations The North Aurora Police Department should adopt . 23-caliber ammunition for patrol rifle use. Further investig ation of specific . 223 rounds in various weights and configurations should be done to precisely determine each round’s performance for various uses. Based on anecdotal information from firearms trainers, the Department should select one round for barrier penetration (when this is desired) and one for close quarters use (when interior penetration is not desired). More focused research and/or ballistic testing will help determine the specific cartridges. In addition, the FBI’s ammunition testing data will be of some help as well.Submitted to Chief Thomas Fetzer Sergeant Scott Buziecki North Aurora Police Department The Village of North Aurora, a community of about 12,500 residents, is not a violent community; in fact, the North Aurora Police Department considers itself â€Å"service† oriented. Still, the citizens expect the police to be able to protect lives, our most important service. Currently, officers of the North Aurora Police Department are armed with only a sidearm, their choice of a 9mm or . 45-caliber semi-automatic pistol. There is no supplemental weapon available, such as a shotgun or rifle.Even though officers in North Aurora are rarely called upon to face armed, violent offenders, it could happen at any moment. Since the Columbine massacre of 1999, police agencies have begun training their patrol officers in rapid deployment procedures for active shooter situations and other critical incidents. The NAPD has done this as well. However, while many other police agencies, both large and small, carry side arms and long guns, the North Aurora Police Department is only prepared to respond to these incidents with handguns, a significant tactical disadvantage.Columbine was the law enforcement community’s wake up call and there is no longer any excuse not to be prepared. This does not mean that every agency should field a SWAT team. Patrol officers are the backbone of every police department and the first to respond to every call . They should have the tools and training to handle any reasonably predictable incident. Even though they are rare in North Aurora, incidents of violence are not confined to any particular jurisdiction size or socioeconomic class, so it could happen anywhere.During the North Hollywood bank robbery shootout in Los Angeles, California in 1997, heavily armed offenders wearing several layers of body armor outgunned responding patrol officers for 45 minutes. Since this incident, police agencies across the nation began arming their patrol officers with rifles. On Halloween 2002 in St. Charles, a man fired several shots through his apartment door at children trick or treating. Patrol officers were the first to respond to these incidents and they handled at least the first several minutes until relieved by better-equipped personnel.What would have happened if the armed suspect confronted the police? What would have happened if that happened in North Aurora, where sidearms are the only weapo ns available to officers? While North Aurora has been blessed by being relatively violence-free, it is not immune to violence. There is nothing to indicate that any of those incidents could not have happened in North Aurora. Police administrators are responsible for ensuring that their agencies are prepared to respond to life threatening emergencies. This means adequately equipping and training personnel to meet challenges that could reasonably be expected.If it is predictable, then it is preventable. PROBLEM STATEMENT The North Aurora Police Department currently allows officers to carry their choice of 9mm or . 45 caliber pistols. No long guns are currently authorized for use. Members of NAPD’s Firearms Training Unit have suggested that the pistol is inadequate for all situations and that a long gun should be adopted. The deficiencies in the current pistol-only program are: (1) pistols are inherently less accurate and have a shorter effective range than long guns such as rif les and shotguns, (2) pistol caliber bullets penetrate more heavily through interior walls than . 23 rifle caliber bullets, which causes an increased risk of unintended persons being hit, and (3) pistol caliber bullets will not penetrate body armor and many other obstacles commonly encountered, while most . 223 caliber bullets will. The primary issue is to evaluate whether or not a supplementary long gun is necessary for patrol officer use in the North Aurora Police Department. If a long gun is needed, what is the best type to choose: a . 223 caliber rifle, a pistol caliber rifle (9mm or . 45 cal. ), or a shotgun (buckshot or slugs)? ACHIEVING IMMEDIATE INCAPACITATIONAccording to the law, a police officer can only shoot in defense of his or her own life or that of another—to immediately stop the life threatening behavior of the suspect. Police officers shoot to achieve immediate physiological incapacitation—defined as â€Å"the sudden physical or mental inability to p ose any further risk of injury to others. † (Patrick). If not physiologically incapacitated, the suspect is still able to continue life-threatening behavior. In some cases, a hit to a suspect’s arm or leg might obtain psychological incapacitation, where the suspect voluntarily stops fighting due to the ‘shock’ of being shot.In this type of case, the suspect is still physically able to continue the fight, but chooses to surrender. Psychological incapacitation is very unreliable, since it varies greatly from person to person without regard to a particular cartridge. (Roberts 17) Therefore, we must strive to achieve immediate physiological incapacitation to stop life threatening behavior. Decisions on weapons, ammunition, and training should be made with this goal in mind. There are only two ways to cause immediate physiological incapacitation.The first is to damage or destroy the Central Nervous System, by shooting the brain or upper spinal cord. In order to damage or destroy the CNS, officers are taught that a hit in the triangle between the eyes and nose is most likely to succeed. Hits outside that area have a higher chance of hitting bone at an angle and can actually fail to penetrate, bouncing off. Or they can hit a part of the brain that will not incapacitate the suspect. â€Å" . . . individuals can perform tasks or even survive gunshot wounds of the brain—especially if they involve the frontal lobes.In documented cases of suicide, an individual has fired a bullet through the frontal lobes, to be followed by a second fatal shot into the basal ganglia. † (DiMaio 210) The author once responded to a shooting where the victim was shot at close range in the side of the head with a . 25 caliber bullet at an angle and the bullet bounced off his skull. He suffered only a minor flesh wound. Shooting the brain or spinal cord usually causes death or permanent disability so it is usually done only as a last resort to prevent imm inent great bodily harm.The second way to cause immediate physiological incapacitation is to interrupt blood flow to the suspect’s brain, which causes unconsciousness. The best way to do this quickly is to cause heavy bleeding by shooting vital organs or blood arteries and vessels. The faster the suspect bleeds, the faster blood flow to the brain will stop and the sooner that unconsciousness will occur. Since the highest concentration of vital organs and blood vessels is located in the chest and abdomen of the human body, officers are taught to shoot at that area, called the center of mass.Shooting at the center of mass also increases the likelihood of getting a hit, since it is the largest part of the human body. Shooting an arm or leg to wound, as some might suggest police should do, is not likely to cause physiological incapacitation. Physiological incapacitation takes a minimum of 10-15 seconds to occur because even when shot directly through the heart, the suspectâ€℠¢s brain and muscles still have a small supply of oxygen and can function until it is exhausted. The limiting factor for consciousness is the oxygen supply to the brain.When the oxygen in the brain is consumed, unconsciousness occurs. Experiments have shown that an individual can remain conscious for at least 10-15 seconds after complete occlusion of the carotid arteries. Thus, if no blood is pumped to the brain, an individual can function, e. g. , run, for at least 10 sec before collapsing. (DiMaio 210) Put simply, the best bullets are the ones that cause physiological incapacitation the quickest. By measuring several factors of projectile wounding, the most appropriate type of round(s) can be selected for the various types of applications.There are four factors of projectile wounding: (1) Depth of penetration, (2) Permanent cavity, (3) Temporary cavity, and (4) Fragmentation. Depth of penetration is the amount of tissue that the bullet passes through and destroys, which is importa nt because in order to cause physiological incapacitation, the projectile must make it deep enough to damage vital organs and blood vessels. (Patrick) The permanent cavity is the hole left by the bullet’s path through the body. (Patrick) As it passes though, tissue is crushed and bleeding occurs.The bigger the hole, the more tissue that is damaged, the more bleeding that will occur. The temporary cavity is the tissue surrounding the permanent cavity that stretches away from the bullet as it passes through the body. (Patrick) This is a little like what happens when a rock is thrown into water. The impact of the rock initially moves the water out of the way, causing a temporary hole in the water. The water quickly moves back and fills the hole. The amount of damage caused by this effect varies greatly based (generally) on the velocity of the bullet and the elasticity of the tissue.Anatomical structures such as blood vessels, muscles, lungs, and bowels are able to survive signif icant stretching with a minimum amount of damage but inelastic tissues will sustain significant damage because of the temporary cavity stretching. (Patrick) â€Å"Inelastic tissues such as the liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas, brain, and completely full fluid or gas filled hollow organs, such as the bladder, are highly susceptible to severe permanent splitting, tearing, and rupture due to temporary cavitation insults. † (Roberts 18) Fragmentation is the breakup of the bullet. Patrick) Fragments of the bullet can spread out wider than the permanent cavity, causing multiple, smaller permanent cavities and bleeding as they pass though tissue. â€Å"Projectile fragmentation in tissue can also greatly increase the perma- nent cavity size. When a bullet fragments in tissue, each of the multiple fragments spreads out radially from the main wound track, cutting its own path through tissue. † (Roberts 20) Fragmentation also increases the chances that the bullet will remain in th e body, thereby, reducing the chances that an innocent bystander will be seriously injured by a bullet that passes through the target’s body.The extent of injuries caused by a bullet depend, in part, on how well the bullet produces the four listed wounding components and how well they compliment each other. Temporary cavity and fragmentation, under the right conditions, can complement each other because the bullet fragments can weaken surrounding tissue, which can then be detached by the temporary cavity, in effect creating a larger permanent cavity with additional trauma and bleeding. â€Å"It is the synergy of the temporary cavity acting on tissue that has already been riddled with bullet fragments that produces the increased permanent cavity . . . (Fackler 27) Therefore, the temporary cavity is reliant on the velocity of the bullet, where in the body it hits, and what the bullet does inside the body. According the Federal Bureau of Investigation, depth of penetration and permanent cavity are considered the most important of the wounding components, especially for pistol ammunition. The FBI recommends penetration of at least 12 inches to ensure this damage. (Patrick) Pistol ammunition involves a very small temporary cavity and very little fragmentation. However, the component that most affects the severity of a gunshot wound is the size of the temporary cavity.Due to their very high velocities and high kinetic energies, rifles can produce very severe wounds. (DiMaio 142) As stated earlier, the more trauma and bleeding caused, the more likely physiological incapacitation will occur. IS A LONG GUN NECESSARY? Before considering whether a supplementary long gun is necessary, we must first compare and contrast pistols and long guns. The greatest strength of pistols is that they are always readily accessible, while their weakness is their limited accuracy and short useful range. Long guns, however, have increased accuracy and longer range than handguns.The ir weakness is limited accessibility in unexpected situations. However, some policy makers, in spite of the evidence, will still be concerned about liability. â€Å"Liability issues should not be the main focus of whether rifle/carbines are permitted to be carried by officers. Public safety and officer survival should be the prime consideration. † (Chudwin 15) Since public safety and officer survival are the focus, the differences of pistols and long guns in accessibility, accuracy, and range will be shown. In addition, results of a long gun survey as well as some views opposed to patrol rifles will be presented.Accessibility The greatest strength of pistols is that they readily available. They are best suited for use at close range (under 25 yards) in situations in which an unexpected threat confronts officers. â€Å"When faced with a non-anticipated life-threatening situation, a peace officer is best armed with the firearm of convenience, a handgun . . . .† (Bollig 2 4) The National Tactical Officers Association, in its Tactical Team Weapon Selection position paper agrees: â€Å"It is recommended by the Association that members tasked with entering high-risk areas be adequately armed with a shoulder-fired weapon . . . Handguns are to be carried as ‘secondary’ or ‘back up’ weapons and not as primary entry weapons. † (â€Å"Tactical Team Weapons Selection† 5-6) Special Agent Urey Patrick, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, agrees: A review of law enforcement shootings clearly suggests that regardless of the number of rounds fired in a shooting, most of the time only one or two solid torso hits on the adversary can be expected. This expectation is realistic because of the nature of shooting incidents and the extreme difficulty of shooting a handgun with precision under such dire conditions.The probability of multiple hits with a handgun is not high. Experienced officers implicitly recognize that fact, an d when potential violence is reasonably expected, their preparations are characterized by obtaining as many shoulder weapons as possible. Since most shootings are not anticipated, the officer involved cannot be prepared in advance with heavier armament. As a corollary tactical principle, no law enforcement officer should ever plan to meet an expected attack armed with only a handgun. Patrick) The most general description of a situation where a pistol is inadequate and a long gun would be preferred is one where officers reasonably believe that lethal force might be necessary. Accuracy Pistols are inherently less accurate than long guns. â€Å"The . 223 has advantages relative to a handgun, partly by creating greater wound trauma, but primarily through greater accuracy of fire and the associated extension of effective range. † (MacPherson 30) At the practice range, missed shots are caused by the failure of the shooter to align the sights at the moment the trigger breaks and the bullet leaves the barrel.In real life, where both the shooter and the target are usually moving, missed shots are very common. In a study of 19 officer-involved shootings the Joliet, Illinois Police Department found that officers, using various types of firearms, missed their intended target 71 percent of the time. (Kerr and Wilkerson 10) Pistols are imprecise for two main reasons. The first reason is simply the distance between the front and rear sights. Pistols have a short sight radius, while long guns have a much greater distance between the sights. The greater the sight radius, the greater the accuracy will be.The second reason for pistols limited accuracy when compared to long guns is the stability (or instability) of the way that pistols and long guns are held. Most officers use a two-hand hold when firing a pistol, while a long gun allows a four-point hold—both hands, cheek, and shoulder. (Lesce 28) With a two handed pistol hold, misalignment of the sights from the e ye of the shooter happens with only a slight movement of the wrist or a lowering of the arms, which is very easy to do in a gunfight. This misalignment is possible because of the short sight radius and the unanchored hold.Any misalignment of the sights translates to a missed shot. In order to break the eye-rear sight-front sight alignment using a long gun, an officer would have to hold the weapon incorrectly. The superior range of long guns is closely related to greater effective range than pistols. Effective Range In contrast with the performance of handguns, long guns offer greater range. The useful range of a pistol is 25 yards or less. For some officers the ideal pistol range may be only as far as 15 yards. When used with buckshot, a shotgun’s maximum useful range is around 30 y ards.With slugs, the maximum range for the average officer is no more than 50 yards, while a rifle, on the other hand, is best for intermediate ranges (up to 100 yards). (Fairburn 39) Sniper rifle s, of course, are useful for longer ranges but patrol officers would not have a need for such longrange accuracy. Armed with a patrol rifle, an officer can control a 100 yard radius which â€Å" . . . allows fewer officers to control a given area and still deliver far more close-range precision than that offered by a sidearm or a shotgun. † (Fairburn 59)Specifically, long guns would be advantageous to deploy in the following types of situations: hostage situations, barricaded subjects, felony stops, perimeter containment, confronting armed criminals wearing body armor, tactical entries on search and arrest warrants, and crimes involving weapons. Their advantages in accuracy and range increase the tactical advantage for responding officers, allowing them to be farther away behind better cover. Long Guns Used SPSC 175 Shotguns 29% Long Gun Survey A number of area police agencies currently use long weapons of some kind or another and many have replaced their shotguns with patrol rifles.Of 21 agencies surveyed, every one allows patrol officers to carry a long gun (100%). Of those, seven (33. 3%) carry only rifles, eight (38. 1%) carry rifles and shotguns or the officer’s choice, and six (28. 6%) carry only shotguns. Therefore, 71. 4% of the agencies surveyed allow patrol officers to carry rifles and 28. 6% carry only shotguns. See pie chart in figure 1. Of the fourteen departments that allow rifles, eleven of them (78. 6%) use . 223-caliber ammunition Only three of fourteen, (21. 4%) use 9mm ammunition. Class survey) While this survey is not scientific, it certain demonstrates that long guns are the norm and patrol rifles are not a revolutionary idea. Rifles 71% Figure 1 Opposing Views Even though a number of departments have switched or are switching to the use of rifles by patrol officers, there are opposing viewpoints. One view says that if police are armed with more firepower, they will feel pressure to use them. â€Å"‘It’s courtin g trouble,’ said Tom Diaz of the Violence Policy Center, a Washington-based non-profit research group that studies the effects of violence. ‘The average cop never has the occasion to use his gun,’ Diaz said. So if this kind of firepower is available, there is an implicit pressure to use it. Yet the average officer often lacks the training and experience. ’† (Vogt 8) Some of the LAPD officers involved in the 45 minute long North Hollywood bank robbery shootout probably had never used their guns in the line of duty before and they clearly needed a more powerful weapon that day. While events like this are not likely in North Aurora (or anywhere for that matter), patrol officers should be reasonably prepared to respond Another viewpoint says that community policing and more firepower do not mix. â€Å"Particularly problematic . . . s that while the federal government is arming police departments, it is also promoting a softer, gentler approach to law en forcement with the Community Oriented Policing program. † (Elbow 5A) Community policing is based on officers responding to the problems and concerns of the community, along with the community members. If an armed offender is endangering the community, the community wants the police to come prepared to put an end to it. Is the community going to care what the weapon looks as long as it helps the police conclude the incident safely? Will they be upset if an innocent bystander is hurt by a rifle or shotgun?Of course they will, but this would also be the case if a bystander were hurt by an officer armed with only a pistol. Finally, this opposing viewpoint agrees that more heavily armed suspects are a problem for the police. He says that arming police with such weapons is not a good idea and offers no better way to deal with the problem. It takes little imagination to guess the difficulties this poses for the police in the future. Shootouts with criminals equipped with handguns are dangerous. Facing adversaries armed with military assault rifles substantially increases the risk to both police and innocent citizens . . . Increasing police weaponry is really not a sound solution to the problem. In a gun battle, the police are usually not in a position to unleash the fury of an automatic weapon at an armed opponent. Most gun battles take place in an urban setting. Firing off a clip of ammunition in the direction will, sooner or later, result in the killing of an innocent bystander. The police are therefore limited in their ability to respond to sophisticated weaponry. (Holden 341) Mr. Holden agrees that heavily armed criminals pose a great risk to police and civilians and he is right about that. His point that the police are not n a position to use an automatic weapon misses the point. First, very few departments, if any, are actually arming patrol officers with fully automatic rifles. Rather, they are semi-automatic rifles, which fire one round at a time with e ach trigger pull. In unexpected confrontations with armed offenders, his point is accurate, because they cannot call timeout to get their rifle. However, the value of having patrol officers armed with rifles is that when they are responding to a situation where they can reasonably expect an armed offender, they can have the rifle in their hand when they exit their patrol car (with an interior mounted rack. This is no slower than drawing their pistol from its holster. Finally, Mr. Holden refers to a magazine, the container that holds the cartridges, as a ‘clip. ’ If he does not even know what the name of the part, how knowledgeable is he and how intensive was peer review of his book? The above opinions expressed against arming patrol officers seem either misinformed or based on something other than facts and tactical principles. Is a long gun a necessary piece of equipment for a patrol officer to carry? The answer is an emphatic ABSOLUTELY. Without long guns, officers wi ll be nearly tactically helpless beyond 25 yards.WHAT TYPE OF LONG GUN IS BEST SUITED FOR PATROL USE? Many agencies are concerned about liability and rightly so. However, choosing the wrong tools and training for the job seems more at risk for incurring liability than doing careful research and then selecting the best solution. It is a far greater liability risk to fail to give officers the tools & skills they need to survive and succeed. â€Å"The key case of City of Canton v. Harris (1989) identifies ‘deliberate indifference’ toward civil rights on the part of city policy makers as the mental state needed to subject a municipality to Section 1983 liability.Recall here that deliberate indifference is akin to recklessness in the disregard of risk to others. † (Mijares et. al 36) In other words, to be aware of a risk and fail to prepare for it can create civil rights liability. Which type of weapon (and what cartridge) is best ultimately depends on the needs of ea ch particular agency, but weapons that are easy for officers to operate will be the best choice. The primary choice each agency must make is first, to decide the caliber and second, to decide the configuration (i. e. full metal jacket, hollow point, etc. ) and in what situations each type will be used.Then they should select the weapon to use with the ammunition. First, some ammunition-related definitions, since these terms and abbreviations are used throughout this discussion: †¢ Full metal jacket (FMJ): This bullet has a metal jacket surrounding the lead or steel core, to prevent it from expanding on impact. The FMJ is the bullet configuration used by the military. (DiMaio 143) †¢ Jacketed soft point (JSP): Unlike the full metal-jacketed bullet, a metal jacket partially covers the soft point bullet. The core is exposed at the tip, which helps the bullet expand upon impact.Soft point bullets are usually used for hunting. (DiMaio 143) †¢ Jacketed hollow point (JHP): L ike the soft point bullet, the hollow point bullet has a metal jacket partially covering it. However, the exposed tip is hollow, which encourages expansion upon impact. Hollow point bullets are usually used for hunting and shooting competitions. (DiMaio 144) Hollow point bullets are the official bullets of the NAPD. The three different types of ammunition under consideration are (1) Pistol Calibers (9mm and . 45 calibers), (2) Shotgun (both buckshot and slugs), and (3) Rifle Calibers (. 23 caliber). 9mm and . 45 caliber bullets are being considered because these are the currently issued duty ammunition for the North Aurora Police Department. Shotgun slugs and buckshot are being considered because they have always been the standard second weapon of law enforcement. Finally, . 223 caliber bullets are being considered because they seem to be the most popular rifle round that agencies select. .308 caliber bullets are not being considered because they are generally considered too powerfu l for patrol use. They are most commonly used by police snipers.Deciding what caliber to use requires some knowledge about the wounding mechanics of each of the major choices for long guns. Comparisons will be made between shotguns, pistol caliber rifles, and . 223 caliber rifles in the areas of ease of use, accuracy and range, wounding ability, interior wall penetration and body armor penetration. Ease of Use Compared with the shotgun, the rifle is more comfortable for officers to shoot and be confident with, an important consideration for risk management. While this is not an advantage over pistol caliber rifles, it is huge advantage over shotguns.The shotgun is a difficult gun to master. Its recoil is excessive for many small-statured officers and at least bothersome to even the biggest, strongest men. This recoil hampers precise placement of slugs as well as limiting the practice many need to be effective with shot. . . . The shotgun, despite its long history of use in the Unite d States, is not an ideal second weapon for police agencies (Fairburn 39) If officers are not comfortable with a weapon, they will not practice as well and their handling of the weapon during real-life situations will be tentative. This becomes a liability issue.As police agencies become more sensitive to the liability aspects of police firearms training, specifically the lack of such training, the rifle or carbine becomes more attractive. Officers are more comfortable with a rifle since it allows more precision and metes out less abuse. The comfort factor promotes increased training and familiarity, which in turn, increases confidence. And being confident with one’s weapon is the secret to effective use. (Fairburn 39) Would you want officers, armed with a weapon that they do not feel comfortable with, to respond to a life-threatening situation?Due to the excessive recoil, training is limited because the body can only take so much. With limited training comes limited confiden ce and limited familiarity. These are not acceptable qualities of a weapon for law enforcement. In contrast with shotguns, the rifle’s low recoil makes it as easy to master for women as it is for men. The . 223 cartridge offers a milder recoil than shotguns and full size rifle cartridges because it is an intermediate sized cartridge. This is important for training female and smaller male officers. Parker 3-4) â€Å"It is my experience that training officers to effectively use the rifle/carbine is easier due to the shoulder mounted stability, low recoil, and long sight radius. † (Chudwin 17) Once an officer is taught the proper way to hold the rifle, getting accurate hits is as simple as lining up the sights with the target and making a smooth trigger pull. Accuracy & Range Long gun accuracy, from least accurate to most accurate, is the shotgun, the pistol caliber rifle, and the . 223 caliber rifle. Slugs and buckshot are the least accurate of all three types of long gu n ammunition under consideration.When used by the average officer, the shotgun has a useful range of around 30 yards with buckshot and about 50 yards with slugs. Buckshot is terribly imprecise since the pellets spray outward after they leave the barrel. They spread wider the farther they travel, which is why the range is so limited. (Fairburn 39) While the best officers might be able to hit a suspect farther than 50 yards away with a shotgun with good quality sights, average officers are not capable of this, and they represent a much larger percentage of the patrol workforce.The accurate range of a pistol caliber rifle may be no more than 50 yards, although a patrol rifle should be capable of accurate head shots at 50 yards and accurate body shots at 100 yards (or more). (Fairburn 59) In comparison, a rifle caliber weapon, in the hands of an average officer, is capable of accurate shots to a range of at least 100 yards, if not more. (â€Å"Tactical Team Weapons Selection† 2) Well-trained officers might be capable of distances greater than that but probably would not be much need for a shot to be taken at those ranges.The most accurate long gun, of those under consideration, that you can arm a patrol officer with is rifle chambered in an intermediate rifle cartridge, such as the . 223. Critics might suggest that the range of the . 223 caliber bullet makes missed shots too dangerous because they will travel a very great distance, increasing the chances for an innocent bystander to be struck. However, Chief Jeff Chudwin, of the Olympia Fields Police Department and a police rifle instructor, points out that the maximum range (with optimum barrel angle) of the . 223 (8,300 ft. ) is similar to that of the 9mm (6,800 ft. and the . 357 magnum (7,100 ft. ). The 12 ga. 1 oz. Slug, which weighs considerably more than the others do, travels only 1,830 feet. â€Å"Any stray round is a hazard and it is illogical to claim one type of firearm is more or less dangerous than another based only the maximum range of the round. The key issue is, what is the penetration and ricochet potential of the bullet type and caliber in a residential area? † (16) Wounding Ability The FBI recommends projectile penetration of at least 12 inches in order to ensure that the projectile gets deep enough to damage vital organs and large blood vessels. Patrick) Dr. Martin Fackler, a world-renowned ballistic expert, believes that in order for the . 223 bullet to cause adequate tissue damage, it must produce a 14-15 cm temporary cavity along with bullet fragmentation of 30-50%. (27) In terms of terminal wound ballistics (the study of what projectiles do after they hit something), there is no more devastating projectile than a shotgun slug. In tests of hollow point projectiles shot into bare gelatin conducted by Dr. Gary Roberts, a 12-gauge 1- ounce shotgun slug had an average penetration of 26. inches and average maximum temporary cavity of 13. 0 cm. 12 gauge 00 buc kshot had an average penetration of 22. 8 inches. Maximum temporary cavity was not measured for this round. A 9mm 147gr JHP bullet (similar to an NAPD issued round) had an average penetration of 13. 2 inches and an average maximum temporary cavity of 5. 5 cm. A . 45 cal 230gr JHP bullet (similar to an NAPD issued round) had an average penetration of 14. 2 inches and an average maximum temporary cavity of 6. 5 cm. The shotgun slugs and pistol bullets did not fragment in the testing.The . 223 bullets (various weights and configurations) tested had varied performance depending on the grain weight and the configuration of the round. The average penetration ranged from 6. 1 inches to 16. 8 inches, while the average maximum temporary cavity ranged from as small as 7 cm to as large as 14 cm. The . 223 bullets fragmentation ranged from as little as 2. 4% to as high as 100%. (28) In contrast with rifle bullets, handgun bullets cause a much smaller temporary cavity, which does not usually add wounding effectiveness. Roberts & Bullian 143) Part of this is because rifle rounds travel close to 3,000 feet per second and pistol bullets travel around 1,000 fps, depending on the caliber. (Roberts 28) All handgun wounds will combine the components of penetration, permanent cavity, and temporary cavity to a greater or lesser degree. Fragmentation, on the other hand, does not reliably occur in handgun wounds due to the relatively low velocities of handgun bullets. Fragmentation occurs reliably in high velocity projectile ounds (impact velocity in excess of 2000 feet per second) inflicted by soft or hollow point bullets. In such a case, the permanent cavity is stretched so far, and so fast, that tearing and rupturing can occur in tissues surrounding the wound channel which were weakened by fragmentation damage. It can significantly increase damage in rifle bullet wounds. (Patrick) The high velocity of rifle bullets, when rapidly slowed by the body, causes the tearing and rupturing associated with the temporary cavity, especially when combined with fragmentation.Research by the military has revealed that the feature of a bullet’s interaction with soft tissue that contributes most to the severity and extent of the wound is the size of the temporary wound cavity. The size of this cavity is directly related to the amount of kinetic energy lost by a bullet in the tissue. Rifle bullets, by virtue of high velocities, possess considerably more kinetic energy than pistol bullets. The severity and extent of a wound, however, are determined not by the amount of kinetic energy possessed by the bullet but rather by the amount of this kinetic energy that is lost in the tissue.The major determinants of the amount of kinetic energy lost by a bullet in the body are (1) the kinetic energy possessed by the bullet at the time of impact with the body, (2) the shape of the bullet, (3) the angle of yaw at the time of impact, (4) any change in the presented area of the bulle t in its passage through the body, (5) construction of the bullet, and (6) the biological characteristics of the tissues through which the bullet passes. (DiMaio 142) Pistol bullets, unlike rifle bullets, have insufficient velocity to cause fragmentation. DiMaio 47) â€Å"Individuals shot with high-velocity rifle bullets, whether full metal-jacketed military rounds or soft-point hunting rounds, show more severe wounds than people wounded by pistol bullets. This is especially true of [rifle] hunting ammunition. It is also true that [rifle] hunting ammunition, because it is soft-point, does fragment in the body. † (DiMaio 311) If the pistol bullets do fragment, the fragments stay very near the permanent cavity (within 1 cm), essentially reducing wounding effectiveness since the smaller main bullet will cut a smaller permanent cavity. Roberts 20) Rifle bullets break up easier than pistol bullets due to their small size and weight and the increased stress caused by the high veloc ity. To summarize, with handgun bullets there is essentially no fragmentation and a very small temporary cavity, which causes very little or no additional wounding so wounding effectiveness is determined simply by the size of the permanent cavity and the depth of penetration. Therefore, by going with a pistol caliber rifle, an agency does not really gain anything but better accuracy over a handgun.Shotgun slugs produce devastating wounds due to very high penetration and if that were the only factor in choosing the appropriate round, the best projectile would be a slug. But the fact is that pistol bullets and shotgun slugs and buckshot have a tendency to penetrate more than rifle bullets. Rifle bullets can produce adequate penetration, temporary cavitation, and fragmentation, so by selecting a rifle, an agency gains range, accuracy, and wounding ef- fectiveness over pistols & shotguns. While Dr.Roberts’ test results are not conclusive enough select one specific cartridge (due to the limited number tested), they do demonstrate better overall performance by the . 223 caliber cartridge than pistol calibers cartridges and shotgun slugs and buckshot. Examination of more test results are needed to specify an exact cartridge for duty use. Acceptable wounding performance of the . 223 bullet is based, at least partly, on its velocity and the type of weapon (length of barrel) used. â€Å"5. 56mm/. 223 weapons require a minimum barrel length of 14. inches to optimize incapacitation potential, as 5. 56mm/. 223 weapons with barrel lengths shorter than 14. 5 inches . . . exhibit significantly decreased wounding effects and limited incapacitation potentials, similar to those produced by the 9mm pistol bullets used in handguns and SMG’s [submachine guns]. † (Roberts 24) In order to ensure fragmentation and effective wounding ability, weapons used should have a long enough barrel length to produce muzzle velocities above 2,500 feet per second.Examples of we apons that meet this criterion are the Colt M-16/AR-15 and M-4/CAR-15, H&K G41 and HK33, and the Ruger Mini-14. (Roberts & Bullian 145) While recommending a specific weapon and specific ammunition is outside the scope of this paper, it is important to keep these factors in mind when making selections. Barrier Penetration While deep penetration in soft body tissue is desirable for wounding effectiveness (immediate physiological incapacitation), there must be a balance of enough penetration without too much.Since the selected shoulder-mounted weapon will undoubtedly be used in close quarters, such as during a high risk raid or near residences, police must try to prevent missed shots from over penetrating and striking an innocent bystander in an adjacent room or on an adjacent floor. While some police administrators select pistol calibers for their rifles to reduce the perceived over penetration liability risk with rifle calibers, there is actually an increased liability with pistol ca libers when used inside structures.Handgun bullets, including rounds similar to NAPD’s duty rounds, have been shown to penetrate further through common building materials than do rifle bullets. â€Å"The fragmenting behavior of most 5. 56mm (. 223) bullets in both soft tissue and building materials, drastically limits their over penetration potential compared with that of many pistol bullets. † (Roberts & Bullian 145) â€Å"As suspected based on previous testing, all of the 9mm 147 gr JHP, . 40 S&W 180 gr JHP, and . 45 ACP 230 gr JHP bullets failed to expand and had very deep, excessive penetration after passing through the interior wall, due to plugging of the hollow point.With the hollow point plugged, the bullets performed nearly identical to FMJ pistol bullets† (Roberts 23) The NAPD issues Speer brand jacketed hollow point (JHP) ammunition in both 9mm 145 grain and . 45 ACP 230 grain. In tests of hollow point projectiles shot through a simulated interior wal l into bare gelatin, a 1-ounce shotgun slug had an average penetration of 22. 8 inches and average maximum temporary cavity of 14. 0 cm. 12 gauge 00 buckshot had an average penetration of 23. 2 inches. Average maximum temporary cavity was not measured.A 9mm 147gr JHP bullet (similar to an NAPD issued round) had an average penetration of 22. 8 inches and an average maximum temporary cavity of 2. 0 cm. A . 45 cal 230gr JHP bullet (similar to an NAPD issued round) had an average penetration of 29. 7 inches and an average maximum temporary cavity of 3. 0 cm. (Roberts 28) In these tests, all projectiles had more penetration into gelatin (a simulation of the consistency of human soft tissue) after having penetrated a common interior wall than without penetrating a wall.As stated above, the drywall plugs the hollow point, causing it to function like a full metal jacket bullet. The . 223 bullets tested (various weights and configurations), on the other hand, had less penetration gelatin int o after Interior Wall Penetration (Roberts 28) .223 Fed 55 gr. JSP . 223 Win 55 gr. FMJ . 45 cal. Win 230 gr. JHP 12 ga. Rem shotgun 1 oz. slug HPRS 12 ga. Rem 00 buckshot 9mm Fed 147 gr. JHP 0 Figure 2 penet rating the wall. interior Their 14. 4 16. 1 29. 7 22. 8 23. 2 22. 8 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 average maximum penetration from ranged 10. 6 inches to 16. 1 inches, their Avg.Penetration in Inches average maxi- mum temporary cavity ranged from 7. 0 cm to 14. 0 cm, and their fragmentation ranged from 11. 8% to 79. 5%. See figure 2. While some rounds still have sufficient penetration to cause a serious wound after penetrating an interior wall, their penetration is clearly less than that of the pistol calibers. (Roberts 28) The FBI has done extensive testing on the terminal ballistics of all kinds of bullets, however, they will not allow law enforcement agencies to share these statistics outside of their own agency. This is the reason why FBI testing is not cited here.While their bare ge latin testing results will be helpful for a future internal study of ammunition, their penetration tests may not be helpful. â€Å"Unfortunately, the testing and evaluation criteria are exactly backwards relative to law enforcement use in gunfight scenarios; the testing and assessment was designed to find ammunition that would produce substantial wound trauma after penetrating housing barriers. † (MacPherson 32) The ideal round would be one that produces incapacitating wounds when striking the intended target but would not produce substantial wound trauma after penetrating walls. . . . stray 5. 56mm/. 23 bullets seem to offer a reduced risk of injuring innocent bystanders and an inherent reduced risk of civil litigation in situations where bullets miss their intended target and enter or exit structures. 5. 56mm/. 223 caliber weapons may be safer to use in CQB situations and in crowded urban environments than 9mm, . 45 S&W, or 12 ga. weapons. (Roberts 24) In another test condu cted by the Joliet and Crest Hill, Illinois police departments, pistol ammunition, shotgun slugs and buckshot were found to stay intact after penetrating two residential walls (four pieces of drywall), while many . 223 rounds fragmented significantly.Pistol ammunition, shotgun slugs, and buckshot represent â€Å"a greater threat to citizenry and other officers than does several of the . 223 rounds tested. † (Kerr and Wilkinson 14) More testing is needed in this area to be able to select a specific round, but it is clear that pistol caliber bullets and shotgun slugs fired inside a structure during a raid, for example, penetrate more than . 223 caliber bullets. Body Armor Penetration Unlike pistol bullets, shotgun slugs, and buckshot, rifle bullets penetrate soft body armor, which is very important if officers have to confront violent offenders wearing body armor.Recall that the suspects in the LA bank robbery shootout wore body armor. In testing published in Journal of Interna tional Wound Ballistics Association, 9mm, . 40 S&W, and . 45 ACP bullets plus the 12 gauge 00 buckshot pellets failed to penetrate the body armor. The shotgun slugs did penetrate some, but not all, layers of the body armor. While they did push the armor panels into the gela- tin, simulating blunt trauma injuries, the body armor did stop the slug from entering the body in every case. Unlike the pistol calibers and shotgun slugs, all . 23 bullets defeated the body armor. (Roberts 24) â€Å"As law enforcement officers increasingly confront criminals protected by soft body armor designed to defeat pistol bullets and shotgun pellets, the ability of the 5. 56mm/. 223 bullets to defeat soft body armor has become a significant factor. † (Roberts 16) To summarize, of the three types of weapons under consideration, the . 223 caliber rifle is by far the most accurate. Because of this, its effective range is also superior to the other choices. In the area of wounding effectiveness, the . 23 caliber is, again, superior to the pistol calibers. The shotgun, at close ranges, is probably the most devastating firearm that there is. But pistol calibers and shotguns penetrate more through common building materials than the . 223 caliber bullet, which increases the chance that an innocent bystander could be seriously hurt by a missed round that penetrates a wall. Moreover, pistol caliber bullets and shotgun slugs and buckshot will not penetrate body armor, while . 223 caliber bullets will.Conclusion Since patrol officers are the first to respond to any life threatening criminal incident, however infrequent they may be, law enforcement agencies should arm them with a long gun of some kind. Anything less and they will not be adequately prepared to respond. The North Aurora Police Department Firearms Training Unit trains officers according to the Police Training Institute’s philosophy and methodology, which in part says the Strategic Objective of any tactical operation is to â€Å". . . diminish the potential for resistance. Should resistance occur, overcome rapidly with minimal risk. Officers are taught to â€Å". . . create and maintain a recognizable advantage . . . † (Police Training Institute) Having adequate weapons will increase the chances that responding officers can reduce the ability of the suspect to resist. If he does resist, officers will be better able to defeat his resistance quickly with the least amount of risk to themselves and others. Long guns are more intimidating to criminals and simply deploying one may convince some offenders to give up without a fight. If they do not give up, the officers will be better prepared to defend themselves.If officers confront an armed criminal with less than adequate weapons, they give up some of their tactical advantage, thereby increasing the risk to themselves and innocent bystanders. Handguns are inadequate for some situations because of their limited effective range, limited accura cy, lesser wounding ability, and higher risk of over penetration through interior walls. The . 223 caliber rifles have less recoil, better accuracy, greater range, superior wounding ability, more favorable interior wall penetration, body armor penetration.Police agencies across the nation, including the NAPD, have been trained in rapid deployment procedures for active shooter situations such as at schools and businesses. These are necessary skills for officers to possess in society today. However, the skills and knowledge gained from these classes is not put to full use unless officers are given the correct tools for the job. Consider the differences between rifles and pistols in the context of active shooter incidents. Many schools and large businesses have long hallways, some in excess of 200 feet. For example, Jewel Middle School’s longest hallway is approximately 180 feet long (60 yards).If there were an active shooter at the end of the hall shooting at students and respo nding officers, a body shot against the suspect would be the minimum need. Of course, this would not immediately physiologically incapacitate the suspect—he or she could continue shooting for 10-15 seconds. How many more students or officers could be shot in this time? It would be optimal for officers to take a precise head shot and immediately end the suspect’s life threatening behavior. A pistol is incapable of making an accurate shot at that range and shooting from that far away is truly ‘spraying and praying’ for a hit.For these situations, the only effective weapon is one capable of accurate shots from at least 100 yards away. Recall the earlier cited maximum ranges: Pistol—25 yards, Shotgun with slugs—less than 50 yards, Shotgun with buckshot—30 yards, Pistol caliber rifle—50 yards, and . 223 rifle—100 yards or more. It would be tactically prudent for officers holding the perimeter of such an incident to be behind a dequate cover as far away from the building as possible. Of those under consideration, the best weapon for this mission is a rifle chambered in . 223 caliber. 223 caliber rifles are available in various weights and configuration that will limit their penetration through common interior walls to reduce the chances of an innocent bystander being seriously injured in an adjacent room. Pistol caliber bullets have been shown to penetrate more in ballistic gelatin (a simulant for human soft tissue) after penetrating a common interior. While more accurate than a pistol, pistol caliber rifles have less wounding ability than a . 223 rifle bullet. A shotgun, while superior in wounding ability, is limited in range and inferior in accuracy compared to a rifle plus it penetrates even more than pistol bullets.Think of patrol officers responding to a hostage situation where the armed suspect is holding his victim from behind and yelling, â€Å"If I can’t have her, then no one will. † Officers are only armed with pistols and it will take at least thirty minutes for a police sniper to arrive and set up. After fifteen minutes, efforts to convince him to surrender are unsuccessful as he gets increasingly agitated and officers believe that he is about to kill her when he starts raising the gun toward her head. Officers would be derelict in their duty if they did not use lethal force at that point.A headshot would be the only option to immediately incapacitate the suspect before he shoots the victim. Taking that shot with a pistol would be a lot less likely to be successful than the same shot with a rifle. A well-placed shot would likely end the situation successfully. A missed shot could result in the tragedy of the victim being killed, either by the suspect or by the police. Granted, a situation like this is unlikely in any town, but the police should still be adequately prepared to respond. Because of the totality of the information available, it is this authorâ⠂¬â„¢s recommendation for the North Aurora Police Department to adopt . 23 ammunition for patrol rifle use. For those concerned about incurring additional liability, consider this: â€Å"As John Hall of the FBI pointed out in his series of articles in the FBI Journal, a firearms training program that addresses legal, practical and policy considerations will likely win in court. † (Chudwin 15) Further investigation of specific . 223 rounds in various weights and configurations should be done to examine more closely their performance in both desired penetration (shooting through barriers at a suspect behind cover) situations as well as limited penetration (inside structures).If this does not produce clear enough data to make an informed choice, then the Department should conduct gelatin testing before selecting official ammunition. Rifle bullets, including the . 223 is not the magic bullet (pardon the pun) that works perfectly in all applications. But certain weights and config urations perform well in their intended missions and can be deployed based on the situation. Ballistic testing must be done with each of the various cartridge configurations (i. e. full metal jacket, hollow point, soft point, etc. ) in order to auge their effectiveness for the given application. This testing can usually be arranged through the Illinois Tactical Officers Association or various ammunition manufacturers for free or at a very low cost. In closing, Chief Chudwin’s comments sum up the need for a patrol rifle program the best: In conclusion, establishing a rifle/carbine program is a positive approach to meet needed officer survival and public safety demands. From rural America to the big cities, law enforcement officers have faced violent, heavily armed offenders. Let history be our guide.There is a proven need for the rifle/carbine as a patrol weapon. These firearms, in the hands of select well-trained officers, are a line of defense against the ultimate predators. (20) Works Cited Bollig, Tim. â€Å"Structural Penetration Testing. † San Diego County Sheriff’s Department report, Jan. 2000. Rpt. in Patrol Rifle. CD-ROM. Sept. 2002 version. Doylestown, PA: National Tactical Officers Association. Chudwin, Jeff. â€Å"Establishing a Police Rifle/Carbine Program. † The Tactical Edge Winter 1999: 15-20. Class survey. School of Police Staff and Command class #175 (Naperville, IL).Northwestern University Center for Public Safety. 15 Nov. 2002. DiMaio, Vincent J. M. Gunshot Wounds: Practical Aspects of Firearms, Ballistics, and Forensic Techniques. Boca Raton: CRC, 1993. Elbow, Steven. â€Å"Military Muscle Comes to Mayberry† Capitol Times 18 Aug. 2001: 5A. Fackler, Martin L. â€Å"Perspectives on the . 223 Remington. † Journal of the International Wound Ballistics Association. Vol. 3. 4 (19xx): 27. Holden, Richard N. Modern Police Management. Englewood Cliffs: Prentiss Hall, 1994 Kerr, Patrick, and Wilkerson, Dwayne . â€Å"The . 223 Remington Cartridge in anUrban Environment. † ITOA News Fall 1997: 10 Lesce, Tony. â€Å"The Police Carbine. † Law and Order Apr. 2001: 27. MacPherson, Duncan. â€Å". 223 Ammunition for Law Enforcement. † Journal of the International Wound Ballistics Association Vol. 3. 2 (19xx): 30-33. Mijares, Tomas C. , Ronald M. McCarthy, and David B. Perkins. The Management of Police Specialized Tactical Units. Springfield, IL: Thomas, 2000. Parker, Robert W. â€Å"Police Rifles. † Omaha, Nebraska Police Department memorandum, 26 Mar. 1997. Rpt. in Patrol Rifle. CD-ROM. Sept. 2002 version.Doylestown, PA: National Tactical Officers Association. Patrick, Urey W. â€Å"Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness. † U. S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Washington: 1989. 31 Oct. 2002 . Roberts, Gary K, and Bullian, Michael E. â€Å"Comparison of the Wound Ballistic Potential of 9mm vs. 5. 56mm (. 223) Cartridges for Law E nforcement Entry Applications. † Association of Firearm and Toolmark Examiners Journal Vol. 25. 2 (1993): 142-148. Appendix A Patrol Rifle survey Please fill in as much information as you know & return to Scott Buziecki. ) Department name ____________________________________ 2) Does your department allow patrol officers to carry any long guns in their pat