NCJ Number
91834
Journal
American Journal of Police Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (Spring 1983) Pages: 117-148
Date Published
1983
Length
30 pages
Annotation
The effects of sex, age, total family income, area of residence, victimization experience, and perception of crime on quality of law enforcement were examined in a victimization survey of 481 respondents in a midwestern area.
Abstract
A path analytic model was postulated to provide an examination of the direct and indirect effects of these variables upon perceived police performance. The questionnaires used in the survey were almost identical to those used in previous National Crime Panel surveys. The 481 respondents reported 148 victimizations -- 73 personal victimizations, 45 household victimizations, and 30 acts of vandalism. Results indicated that sex exerted the strongest direct effect on perception of crime, with females far more likely than males to perceive that crime in their community was increasing. Age emerged as the best predictor of evaluations of police performance. Detailed findings, previous research on rural crime, and a comparison of this study's results with past studies are included. Tabular data, 2 footnotes, and about 60 references are supplied.