NCJ Number
16124
Journal
LAW IN AMERICAN SOCIETY Volume: 2 Issue: 4 Dated: (DECEMBER 1973) Pages: 2-10
Date Published
1973
Length
9 pages
Annotation
CITIZEN EVALUATION OF POLICE PERFORMANCE BASED ON FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEWS WITH PERSONS WHO HAD CONTACTED THE POLICE IS SUGGESTED AND A STUDY OF CITIZEN EVALUATIONS IN BALTIMORE IS REPORTED.
Abstract
COOPERATION FROM RESIDENTS IN THIS STUDY WAS GENERALLY EXCELLENT, AND RESPONDENTS SEEMED MORE THAN WILLING TO VOLUNTEER THEIR IMPRESSIONS. IT WOULD SEEM PREFERABLE TO USE TRAINED CIVILIAN INTERVIEWERS RATHER THAN POLICE. BLACK RESPONDENTS IN PARTICULAR ARE UNWILLING TO CRITICIZE POLICE PERFORMANCE UNLESS INTERVIEWED BY CIVILIANS. WHITES ARE LESS HESITANT IN THIS REGARD, PERHAPS ONLY BECAUSE THEY ARE GENERALLY LESS CRITICAL OF THE POLICE. THE MAJORITY OF THE CITIZENS WHO CALL POLICE FOR SERVICE ARE SATISFIED WITH THE QUALITY OF SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE POLICE. HOWEVER, BLACKS WERE CONSISTENTLY MORE CRITICAL THAN WHITES OF THE QUALITY OF POLICE SERVICE. WHILE THERE IS SOME EVIDENCE THAT BLACKS EXPERIENCED A SLIGHTLY LONGER DELAY IN WAITING FOR THE POLICE TO ARRIVE, IN MOST OTHER RESPECTS THE SERVICE THEY RECEIVED WAS COMPARABLE TO THAT PROVIDED TO WHITES. THE DISSATISFACTION OF BLACKS SEEMS TO DERIVE, AT LEAST IN PART, FROM THEIR GENERALLY LOWER OPINION OF THE POLICE. HOWEVER, THE OBSERVATION THAT GENERAL SATISFACTION CAN ONLY BE MINIMALLY INFLUENCED BY SATISFACTION WITH SPECIFIC ACTS OF SERVICE OFFERS LITTLE DIRECTION FOR CHANGE. WE SUSPECT THAT A MORE RIGOROUS AND RESPONSIVE ATTEMPT AT EVALUATION OF POLICE SERVICE MIGHT PRODUCE AS POSITIVE AN EFFECT ON COMMUNITY PERCEPTION OF POLICE AS ANY CHANGES THAT ARE LIKELY TO OCCUR IN THE NEAR FUTURE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)