PUBLIC'S PERCEPTION OF CRIME, CRIME PREVENTION, AND POLICE PERFORMANCE IN CORPUS CHRISTI (TX), 1977

• NCJ Number: 52728
• Author(s): R R BEZDEK; K BENSON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 46 pages
• Corporate Author: University of Corpus Christi
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

CORPUS CHRISTI (TEX.) CITIZENS REGISTER COMPARATIVELY FAVORABLE ATTITUDES TOWARD THE CRIME SITUATION AND CRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS IN THEIR COMMUNITY, ACCORDING TO A COLLEGE TELEPHONE SURVEY.

Abstract

RANDOM TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS OF 559 CITIZENS WERE CONDUCTED BY POLITICAL SCIENCE STUDENTS FROM CORPUS CHRISTI STATE UNIVERSITY TO DETERMINE THE PERCEPTION OF CRIME AND THE CRIME RATE, EXTENT OF VICTIMIZATION, EVALUATION OF THE POLICE, AND CONTACT OF THE POLICE IF VICTIMIZED, EXTENT OF CRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS, AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SAMPLE. ALL INTERVIEWEES WERE CORPUS CHRISTI RESIDENTS. THE SAMPLE WAS EVENLY DIFFERENTIATED BY SEX, HALF HAD INCOMES BELOW $10,000, THREE-QUARTERS OF THE RESPONDENTS HAD AT LEAST A HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION, TWO-THIRDS WERE WHITE, ONE-QUARTER WERE MEXICAN AMERICAN, AND THE REST WERE BLACK. BASIC QUESTIONS DEALT WITH THE THREE ADVANTAGES TO LIVING IN CORPUS CHRISTI, THE THREE GREATEST PROBLEMS FACING THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY, PERCEPTION OF THE CRIME RATE IN THE RESPONDENT'S NEIGHBORHOOD, PERCEPTION OF THE CRIME RATE IN THE U.S., PERCEPTION OF SAFETY IN THE RESPONDENT'S NEIGHBORHOOD AT NIGHT, AND PERCEPTION OF SAFETY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD DURING THE DAY. TABLES INDICATE THAT THE RESPONDENTS, ON THE WHOLE ARE MORE SATISFIED THAN NATIONWIDE SAMPLES. RESIDENTS PERCEIVED THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AS SAFER THAN THE NATION AS A WHOLE. APPROXIMATELY HALF FELT JUDGES AND LAWS TOO LENIENT. ALMOST HALF, WITH LITTLE ETHNIC VARIANCE, GAVE POLICE A GOOD RATING, AND VERY FEW RATED POLICE AS POOR. OTHER RESPONSES ARE RELATED TO BREAK-INS, STOLEN ARTICLES, CRIMES REPORTED, AND POLICE CONTACTS. ONE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO GAUGE THE DEGREE OF PUBLIC CRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT IN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT CONSIDERS ITSELF RELATIVELY SAFE, CRIME PREVENTION TECHNIQUES ARE DIFFICULT 'TO SELL.' THE APPENDIX LISTS THE SURVEY TEAM OF OVER 50 STUDENTS, SUMMARIZES THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RESEARCH DESIGN, PROVIDES THE SURVEY INSTRUMENTS AND EXPLAINS THE CODING OF OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS. (FCW)