POLICE OVERPERCEPTION OF GHETTO HOSTILITY

• NCJ Number: 12017
• Journal: Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1973) Pages: 168-174
• Author(s): T J CRAWFORD
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: Northwestern University
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

STUDY CONDUCTED TO COMPARE POLICEMEN'S PERCEPTION OF GHETTO HOSTILITY AND ACTUAL ATTITUDES OF GHETTO RESIDENTS.

Abstract

THE DATA FOR THE STUDY, CONDUCTED IN A SMALL INDUSTRIAL CITY IN CALIFORNIA WITH A HIGH PROPORTION OF MINORITY RESIDENTS, WERE OBTAINED FROM RESPONSES OF GHETTO RESIDENTS TO QUESTIONS CONCERNING THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE. THE RESPONSES OF THE GHETTO RESIDENTS WERE THEN COMPARED WITH THE RESPONSES POLICE OFFICERS PREDICTED GHETTO RESIDENTS WOULD MAKE. ON EACH OF THE QUESTIONS THE RESPONSES THE POLICE PREDICTED THE PUBLIC WOULD MAKE WERE MORE ANTI-POLICE THAN THE ACTUAL PUBLIC RESPONSE. THE POLICE UNDERESTIMATED THE AMOUNT OF RESPECT GHETTO RESPONDENTS WOULD HAVE FOR THE POLICE, AND THEY OVERESTIMATED NEGATIVE RESPONSES TO THE POLICE BRUTALITY QUESTION. WHEN FURTHER TESTS WERE PERFORMED ON THE DATA, RESULTS SHOWED THAT OFFICERS WITH LESS EDUCATION AND THOSE WITH IRRATIONALLY NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD MINORITY GROUPS WERE MOST PRONE TO EXAGGERATE ANTI-POLICE SENTIMENT.