Police Images of a City

• NCJ Number: 93683
• Author(s): P McGahan
• Date Published: 1984
• Length: 222 pages
• Sale Source: Peter Lang Publishing Co
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: American University Studies, Series 11, Anthropology/Sociology, Volume 4

Annotation

Using St. John's, Newfoundland, as a specific case, this study explores how the police interpret the physical and social aspects of a city, how they perceive crime patterns, how their urban images evolve, and what trends in the community's evolution they identify as significant for their own organization.

Abstract

Indepth interviews were conducted with 37 members of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary from June through December of 1982. The sample which included 20-year veterans and new recruits, was selected to permit the examination of the perceptions of those involved in different areas of policing. The interview schedule consisted of sets of open-ended questions. In general, the officers' cognitive representations of the environment reflected sensitivity to a wide range of changes occurring in the city, from the erosion of commercial activities downtown to the increase in traffic on major arterials. These changes became particularly meaningful to the officers when translated into increased calls. Police perceived the greatest increases in crime to be in theft, shoplifting, vandalism, breaking and entering, and traffic offenses. They identified specific sections of the community as the sources of calls, as the location of known and suspected criminals, and as repeatedly causing problems for the police. Awareness of trouble areas, the physical structure of neighborhoods, street networks, population characteristics, and land-use patterns was derived from various sources, notably through answering calls and routine patrol assignments. Other sources of perception were images of the community prior to entering the force, the police academy, interaction with senior officers, and observation. The officers recognized the need for public relations, especially to modify the community's image of the force and to secure greater public support for their activities. They perceived an increase in the number of calls and in the overall crime rate as well as a qualitative change in the nature of crime -- a rise in violence, in armed robberies, and in more sophisticated crimes. Still, the officers were basically confident in their ability to maintain an acceptable level of control over criminal activities. Forty-five bibliographic entries are provided.