NCJ Number
47232
Journal
POLICE LAW QUARTERLY Volume: 7 Issue: 3 Dated: (APRIL 1978) Pages: 26-40
Date Published
1978
Length
15 pages
Annotation
TO EXAMINE THE STATUS OF COMMUNITY-POLICE RELATIONS AND FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO CITIZEN ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE AND CRIME, QUESTIONNAIRES WERE MAILED TO A 1-PERCENT RANDOM MULTICOUNTY SAMPLE.
Abstract
THE AREA CHOSEN FOR STUDY HAD A POPULATION OVER 330,000 IN URBAN/RURAL AREAS AND IN MEDIUM-SIZED AND LARGE URBAN AREAS. OF THE 330 QUESTIONNAIRES MAILED, 167 WERE RETURNED (FOR A 50.6-PERCENT RETURN RATE). QUESTIONNAIRE ITEMS PERTAINED TO NATURE OF CONTACT WITH POLICE, ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE, BASIS OF CITIZEN CRIME ATTITUDES, CITIZEN FEAR OF CRIME, AND INTENSITY OF FEAR. ANALYSIS OF RESPONSES TO A 13-ITEM LIST COVERING ALL TYPES OF POSSIBLE CITIZEN/POLICE CONTACT INDICATED THAT EVERY TYPE OF CONTACT WAS EXPERIENCED BY AT LEAST 1 RESPONDENT. OVER 50 OF THE RESPONDENTS HAD REQUESTED A POLICE SERVICE OR SPOKEN WITH POLICE OVER THE TELEPHONE; 77 PERCENT OF THOSE WITH POLICE CONTACTS REPORTED BEING TREATED WITH COURTESY AND RESPECT. RURAL RESIDENTS HAD THE LEAST AMOUNT OF POLICE CONTACT, AND RESIDENTS OF MEDIUM-SIZED CITIES HAD THE MOST. PAST PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, RATHER THAN MEDIA COVERAGE, PROVIDED THE BASIS OF ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE FOR 62 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS. A LARGE MAJORITY OF RESPONDENTS BELIEVED THAT ALMOST ALL POLICE ARE HONEST, AND 48 PERCENT FELT THAT POLICE DO AN EXCELLENT JOB. OVERALL RESPONSES IN THIS SAMPLE WERE MORE POSITIVE THAN RESULTS OF A SIMILAR NATIONAL SURVEY. AS POPULATION INCREASES, THE PERCENTAGE OF CITIZENS FEELING THAT POLICE DO AN EXCELLENT JOB INCREASES. IN GENERAL, A MAJORITY OF RESPONDENTS BASED OPINIONS OF CRIME LESS ON NEWS MEDIA COVERAGE THAN ON PERSONAL OR PEER EXPERIENCES. RESIDENTS OF MEDIUM-SIZED CITIES REPORTED FEAR OF CRIME LESS OFTEN THAN LARGE-CITY RESIDENTS. A DIVISION OF RESPONSES INTO LESS FEARFUL AND MORE FEARFUL OF CRIME INDICATED THAT 75.8 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS FELL INTO THE LESSER CATEGORY. RESULTS INDICATE THAT CITIZEN CONTACT WITH POLICE IS MOST INFLUENTIAL IN DETERMINING ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE AND SUGGEST THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERPERSONAL CONTACT FOR SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY-POLICE RELATIONS. COMMUNITY SUPPORT IS SEEN AS A PREREQUISITE OF EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT LAW ENFORCEMENT. POSITIVE POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS CAN FACILITATE PROMPT CRIME REPORTING AND HIGHER CRIME CLEARANCE RATES. PUBLIC SERVICE AND OTHER NONENFORCEMENT DUTIES PROVIDE EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVING RELATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND ENHANCING PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE. SUBSTANTIAL TABULAR DATA COMPARING QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES AMONG TYPES OF AREAS SAMPLED ARE PRESENTED, AND QUESTIONNAIRES ARE REPRODUCED. (JAP)