POLICE AND THE PUBLIC - THREE NORWEIGIAN INVESTIGATIONS (FROM POLICE AND SOCIAL ORDER, 1979, BY JOHANNES KNUTSSON, ET AL - SEE NCJ-60476)

• NCJ Number: 60480
• Author(s): R HAUGE
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 17 pages
• Corporate Author: Brottsforebyggande Radet
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: Sweden

Annotation

RESULTS ARE REPORTED FROM THREE NORDIC STUDIES DESIGNED TO COMPARE CITIZEN- AND PATROL-INITIATED POLICE INTERVENTIONS, EXAMINE CITIZEN DISCRETION IN CRIME REPORTING, AND DETERMINE PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE.

Abstract

USING POLICE RECORDS FROM A MEDIUM-SIZED POLICE DISTRICT WITH 65,000 INHABITANTS NEAR OSLO, NORWAY, PATTERNS OF CITIZEN- AND PATROL-INITIATED POLICE INTERVENTION WERE COMPARED. RESULTS SHOWED THAT POLICE ACTIVITY WAS MORE HEAVILY RESPONSIVE TO CITIZEN REQUESTS FOR POLICE SERVICE THAN TO PATROL OBSERVATIONS. FURTHER, IT WAS FOUND THAT OFFICER CHOICE OF INTERVENTION BASED ON PATROL OBSERVATION GAVE PRIORITY TO PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS AND DRUNKEN DRIVING (74 PERCENT), WHILE ONLY 24 PERCENT OF THE REPORTS FROM THE PUBLIC CONCERNED THESE VIOLATIONS. CRIMES OF VIOLENCE, THEFT AND BURGLARY, SEX CRIMES, AND DAMAGE TO PROPERTY MADE UP 49 PERCENT OF THE PUBLIC'S REPORTS AND ONLY 11 PERCENT OF PATROL REPORTS. THE PUBLIC'S REPORTS DEALING WITH JUVENILES AMOUNTED TO 37 PERCENT, WHILE 59 PERCENT OF THE PATROL INTERVENTIONS CONCERNED JUVENILES. THE PUBLIC'S INVOLVEMENT IN REPORTING CRIME IS CRUCIAL TO POLICE INVOLVEMENT IN CONTROLLING CRIMINAL ACTIVITY; SOME ATTENTION, HOWEVER, SHOULD BE GIVEN TO BRINGING POLICE ENFORCEMENT PRIORITIES MORE IN LINE WITH THOSE CONCERNS REFLECTED IN THE PUBLIC'S REPORTING OF CRIME. IN 1974, A SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED OF A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THE NORWEGIAN POPULATION CONCERNING THEIR USE OF DISCRETION IN REPORTING CRIME; CITIZEN CRIME REPORTING IS APPARENTLY BASED ON A CITIZEN'S WEIGHING OF THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES THAT COULD RESULT FROM REPORTING A PARTICULAR OFFENSE, WITHOUT REGARD TO THE MORAL OR LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF 'GOOD CITIZENSHIP.' THE SAME REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE WAS ALSO INTERVIEWED ABOUT ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE. RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE POPULATION OVERALL HAS STRONG CONFIDENCE IN THE POLICE, WITH THE MAJORITY OF THOSE CONTACTING THE POLICE BEING SATISFIED WITH ATTENDANT POLICE CONDUCT. THERE WAS SOME FEELING THAT THE POLICE GAVE TOO MUCH ATTENTION TO MINOR MATTERS WHILE NEGLECTING THE PRIMARY CONCERNS AND NEEDS OF THE PUBLIC. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)