Policing Sex Crimes

Dale Spencer is associate professor and Faculty of Public Affairs' Research Excellence Chair in the Department of Law and Legal Studies at Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Rosemary Ricciardelli is professor (PhD, Sociology) in the School of Maritime Studies and Research Chair in Safety, Security, and Wellness, at Memorial University of Newfoundland's Fisheries and Maritime Institute.

Policing Sex Crimes represents a significant and much needed contribution to the research on police investigation. With access to data from 70 interviews, Spencer and Ricciardelli offer a unique opportunity to peer behind the glamorous images of such work in mainstream media, revealing instead a complex picture of how both investigators and victims are often forced to navigate incredibly difficult legal, emotional and psychological terrain.

• AcknowledgementsChapter 1. IntroductionChapter 2. Sex Crimes, Law, and TechnologyChapter 3. ‘This Isn’t Your Father’s Police Force’: Digital Evidence in Sex Crime Investigations and the Need for Digital PolicingChapter 4. “Society Wants to See a True Victim”: Police Interpretations of Victims of Sexual ViolenceChapter 5. Collaborative Policing and Networked Responses to Victims of Sex CrimesChapter 6. Cynicism, Dirty Work, and Policing Sex CrimesChapter 7. ConclusionReferencesAbout the Authors