POLICE POLICY AND CITIZEN SATISFACTION - EVIDENCE FROM URBAN AREAS

• NCJ Number: 61082
• Journal: Policy Studies Journal Volume: 7 Dated: SPECIAL ISSUE (1978) Pages: 480-486
• Author(s): R L SMITH; T M UHLMAN
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: Policy Studies Organization
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

BASED ON A LARGE URBAN DATA BASE, THIS STUDY TESTS THE IMPACT OF TWO POLICE-CITIZEN PROGRAMS UPON BLACK AND WHITE PERSONS' EVALUATIONS OF POLICE SERVICE.

Abstract

TWO TYPES OF DATA ARE COMBINED TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT ATTEMPTS BY POLICE TO FOSTER COMMUNITY SUPPORT WILL LEAD TO MORE FAVORABLE CITIZEN EVALUATIONS. INDIVIDUAL-LEVEL DATA ON CITIZEN PERCEPTIONS OF POLICE PRACTICES, ATTITUDES TOWARD GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, AND EVALUATIONS OF THE POLICE ARE DRAWN FROM A 1968 SURVEY BY CAMPBELL AND SCHUMAN OF BLACK AND WHITE RESIDENTS IN 14 CENTRAL CITIES. INTERVIEWS WERE WEIGHTED IN SUCH A WAY THAT SEPARATE SAMPLES REPRESENTATIVE OF BLACK (N=2,809) AND WHITE (N=2,950) ATTITUDES ACROSS THESE CITIES CAN BE ANALYZED. A CLUSTER OF AGGREGATE, CITY-LEVEL VARIABLES ALSO ARE COMBINED WITH THESE INDIVIDUAL RESPONSES. INDICATORS OF THE EXISTENCE AND NATURE OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE CITIZEN EVALUATIONS OF THE POLICE, THE LEVEL OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN EACH SURVEY CITY, AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF POLICE IN COMBATING CRIME ARE COLLECTED FOR 1967. TWO PROGRAMS INTENDED TO HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE WERE EXAMINED: (1) A 1967 POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM, AND (2) A CITIZEN-POLICE COMPLAINT REVIEW BOARD. ALTHOUGH RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE PROGRAMS EXAMINED AND PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE WERE FOUND TO BE WEAK, BLACK ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE IMPROVED MODESTLY AS A RESULT OF THE PROGRAMS. WHITE ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE WERE NOT AFFECTED. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT THE LACK OF INFLUENCE OF THESE PROGRAMS UPON PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE IS DUE TO THEIR SEPARATION FROM THE PERSONAL ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR OF THE OFFICERS EXPRESSED ON THEIR BEATS. A CHANGE IN ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE WOULD MOST LIKELY HAPPEN AS A RESULT OF POLICY CHANGES THAT MODIFY PATROL BEHAVIOR AND POLICE-CITIZEN INTERACTION ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS. TABULAR DATA AND NOTES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)