NCJ Number
95185
Journal
Law and Policy Volume: 6 Issue: 3 Dated: (July 1984) Pages: 329-338
Date Published
1984
Length
10 pages
Annotation
A 1979 telephone survey of residents of Evanston, Ill., suggested that citizen satisfaction with police has no influence on support for increases in police authority, but that views on police authority are related to political and social values.
Abstract
A total of 184 interviews were conducted with a random sample of Evanston household heads or their spouses which assessed 4 variables: experience, expectations, background attitudes, and demographic characteristics. Respondents were asked about calls to the police, instances of being stopped by the police, and other persons' accounts of contacts with the police during the past year. Two general attitudes were examined, liberalism and authoritarianism, along with the demographic variables of sex, race, age, education, and income. Respondents were asked to evaluate the police and the city government and give their opinions on policies granting more authority to the police. Analysis of the responses showed that positive evaluations which develop as a result of favorable treatment of citizens do not heighten support for increased police power. Instead, citizens comparmentalize such evaluations, distinguishing them from policy judgments which are related to political and social values. Future studies should examine urban areas where citizens experience a wide variety of police behaviors and the relationship between general feelings that police need more authority and support for specific practices such as wiretapping. Tables and 29 references are supplied. (Author abstract modified)