NCJ Number
82580
Journal
Police Studies Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1982) Pages: 18-30
Date Published
1982
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Findings and implications are presented from survey research designed to provide a broader base of opinion for guiding police policy and practice in a bicultural community.
Abstract
The survey was conducted in El Monte, Calif., a bicultural community of about 70,000 population. The survey involved a random sample of 324 adulty community residents, 1,397 high school students, 83 regular police officers, and an auxiliary complement of 33 reserve officers, civilian jailers, dispatchers, and police cadets. The students and adults rated five aspects of police performance and five neighborhood services. All groups evaluated 11 potential sources of local crime and expressed priorities for law enforcement. The police group evaluated potential benefits from 22 community interventions. All groups agreed that the police should devote more resources to the control of heroin traffic, gang violence, and gang graffiti. A majority of police and adults expressed a willingness to work together in such collaborative crime control programs as Neighborhood Watch and block parents. Age, rather than ethnicity, was found to be the most powerful determinant of opinions. Older persons were inclined to give more positive evaluations of police performance and take a tougher stand on the need for police control of offenses generally involving youth. Officers with longer service were less committed to involvement in police-community programs and were less likely to feel the need for training in crisis management. Hispanic and Anglo police officers shared a common perspective on law enforcement issues; however, there were some ethnic differences in the student and adult samples, partricularly on the 'hard crime' factor. While a clear majority of both ethnic groups wanted stronger police efforts to control this cluster of crimes, the emphasis was stronger among Anglos. Tabular data and 19 notes are provided.