EVALUATING THE POLICE - A COMPARISON OF BLACK STREET AND HOUSEHOLD RESPONDENTS

• NCJ Number: 31362
• Journal: Social Problems Volume: 22 Issue: 3 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1975) Pages: 393-406
• Author(s): S L BOGGS; J F GALLIHER
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 14 pages
• Corporate Author: Soc for the Study of Social Problems
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REPRINT

Annotation

THIS RESEARCH INVESTIGATED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONTACTS WITH POLICE AND THE EVALUATION OF THEIR SERVICE, COMPARING BLACKS AT DIFFERENT STATUS LEVELS - THOSE FROM THE 'STREET' CULTURE AND HOUSEHOLD RESPONDENTS.

Abstract

IT IS NOTED THAT ATTITUDINAL SURVEYS OFTEN DO NOT SAMPLE LOWER CLASS YOUNG ADULT BLACK MEN, SINCE MANY SURVEYS REQUIRE PERMANENT HOUSEHOLD RESIDENCE AS A PREREQUISITE FOR INCLUSION AS A RESPONDENT. THE AUTHORS ARGUE THAT THE UNDERREPRESENTATION OF THESE 'STREET RESPONDENTS' MAY SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT SURVEY RESULTS. IT IS NOTED THAT BLACK HOUSEHOLD RESPONDENTS IN GENERAL HAVE A MORE NEGATIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD POLICE THAN WHITES. THE AUTHORS HYPOTHESIZE THAT IF CONTACTS WITH POLICE DO AFFECT ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE AND RATINGS OF SERVICE, AND LOWER CLASS YOUNG MEN HAVE MORE CONTACT, THEN THEIR RATINGS WILL BE MORE NEGATIVE THAN THOSE OF HIGHER STATUS HOUSEHOLD RESIDENTS. THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN A SINGLE POLICE DISTRICT IN A CENTRAL CITY OF A MIDWESTERN STANDARD METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA. A TOTAL OF 117 STREET RESPONDENTS AND 176 HOUSEHOLD RESPONDENTS WERE SURVEYED IN GENERAL, THE EXPECTED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE STREET AND HOUSEHOLD POPULATIONS WERE OBSERVED; THE STREET RESPONDENTS EXPRESSED MORE NEGATIVE RATINGS OF POLICE SERVICE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THESE EVALUATIONS WERE AFFECTED BY THEIR MORE PREVALENT AND MORE RECENT POLICE-INITIATED CONTACTS. THE AUTHORS CONCLUDE, BASED ON THESE RESULTS, THAT SIMPLE HOUSEHOLD SURVEY DESIGNS ARE NOT ADEQUATE FOR RESEARCH ON SOCIAL CONTROL.