NCJ Number
80968
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 9 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1981) Pages: 451-462
Date Published
1981
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Findings are presented from a survey of public attitudes before and during a 1975 police strike in Albuquerque, N. Mex.
Abstract
Based upon dissonance theory, the study's working hypothesis anticipated that overall evaluation of police performance would drop, and concern for public safety would increase during a police strike. A probability sample of 777 households was surveyed in the spring of 1975 to determine attitudes toward various elements of the criminal justice system, including the police. At that time, there was no indication of a police strike; however, a strike did occur in August 1975, during which respondents were reinterviewed using the same questions about police asked in the spring survey, as well as questions directly related to attitudes toward the strike. Surprisingly, results showed a more positive attitude toward the police during than before the strike, and respondents were somewhat less concerned about safety and crime during the strike than earlier. Overall, the majority of citizens seemed to resolve their dissonance by downplaying the importance of the 'fear' cluster of attitudes and by viewing the strike as simply another labor dispute which did not greatly inconvenience them. Also, their sympathies were substantially with the strikers. Still, public support for police during a strike is likely to exist only if the public feels secure enough to consider the claims of the police without worrying about its own safety. Tabular data and 36 references are provided.