NCJ Number
54612
Date Published
1976
Length
199 pages
Annotation
A TELEPHONE SURVEY WAS ADMINISTERED TO 1,200 RESIDENTS OF CHICAGO, ILL., IN A LOOK AT FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CITIZEN COOPERATION WITH POLICE.
Abstract
AFTER CONSIDERING POSSIBLE SAMPLING BIAS DUE TO NONRESPONSE OF SUBJECTS, FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CITIZENS' PROPENSITY TO REPORT CRIMES TO THE POLICE ARE EXAMINED. IN ADDITION TO THE RANDOMLY SELECTED TELEPHONE SURVEYS, DATA WERE COLLECTED USING OPENENDED INTERVIEWS, A PRETEST OF EARLIER VERSIONS OF THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT, AND SUPPLEMENTARY INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED IN PERSON. THE METHODOLOGICAL QUESTION OF THE IMPACT OF ADDITIONAL, NONRESPONSIVE SUBJECTS WAS TREATED FIRST. THE TYPICAL RESISTANT RESPONDENT WAS EITHER A BLUE COLLAR OR SERVICE WORKER, OR OFTEN, A SKILLED CRAFTSMAN. IT WAS FOUND THAT IN THIS STUDY INCLUDING RESISTANT SUBJECTS IN THE SAMPLE WOULD NOT HAVE DRASTICALLY ALTERED THE FINDINGS. NO SINGLE FACTOR OF CITIZEN COOPERATION WITH THE POLICE EXPLAINED A LARGE PROPORTION OF THE VARIABILITY IN INCLINATION TO REPORT OBSERVED CRIMES. IT APPEARED, RATHER, THAT THE COMBINED EFFECT OF SEVERAL VARIABLES INFLUENCED REPORTING BEHAVIOR. OVERALL, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF FACTORS INFLUENCE SUBJECTS' INCLINATION TO REPORT, AND DIFFERENT SUBSETS OF THESE FACTORS ARE IMPORTANT TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES. VARIABLES MEASURING PERCEPTIONS OF COMMUNITY NORMS AND INTEGRATION IN COMMUNITY LIFE WERE SHOWN TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH INCLINATION TO REPORT IN THE PREDICTED MANNER. TABLES, FIGURES, DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (MLC)