Publication Date
5-2010
Type of Culminating Activity
Thesis
Degree Title
Master of Arts in Criminal Justice
Department
Criminal Justice
Supervisory Committee Chair
Jeremy Ball, J.D., Ph.D.
Abstract
The following research is an exploratory study into the level of congruence of Idaho law enforcement agencies to nationally recommended best practices in eyewitness identification procedure. Based on a series of questions relating specifically to the use of recommended procedures in eyewitness identification, law enforcement agencies were graded and assessed an individual score within two different levels of congruence: overall and functional. With three possible groups, desirable, average, and poor, the majority of Idaho departments received scores placing them in average standing for both overall and functional congruence. Three dominant themes in the research (agency type, written procedure, and officer training) were also paired with overall and functional congruence to gauge their relationship, if any, with congruence to the recommended practices. It was hypothesized that if a department had a written procedure for conducting eyewitness identifications they would be more compliant than departments without written procedures. While this was partially true, officer training appears to have the greatest impact on congruence for law enforcement agencies in the State of Idaho.
Recommended Citation
Gerhard, Nichole Jolein, "How Do Idaho’s Lineups Line Up? An Exploratory Study on Congruence to Nationally Recommended Practices in Eyewitness Identification Procedure" (2010). Boise State University Theses and Dissertations. 101.
https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/td/101