NCJ Number
89715
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1983) Pages: 76-84
Date Published
1983
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Study findings show that an important source of variation in persons' evaluation of the performance of police is the interaction between their own racial background and the racial composition of their neighborhood.
Abstract
The study hypothesized that for black residents, an increase in the proportion of blacks in the neighborhood will have a direct negative effect on their evaluations of police, and it was also hypothesized that for white residents, an increase in the proportion of blacks in the neighborhood will have both positive and negative effects on their evaluations of the police. Neighborhoods were selected on the basis of their being defined as 'white,' 'mixed,' and 'black.' Three of each type of neighborhood were selected, and respondents were randomly selected from within each of the nine areas. The sample consisted of 507 persons, 184 blacks and 323 whites. Residents were surveyed on the quality of police protection, fear of victimization, actual victimization, and observed victimization. Multiple regression procedures measured the effect of racial composition on perception of neighborhood safety as well as the direct and indirect effects of neighborhood racial composition on residents' evaluation of the police through perception of neighborhood safety. The data support the predictions of the first hypothesis that an increase in the proportion of blacks in the neighborhood will have a negative effect on the manner in which individual blacks evaluate the police. The second hypothesis was also supported by the data. Explanations for the findings are discussed. Tabular data and 18 references are provided.