Understanding Community Policing and Legitimacy-Seeking Behavior in Virtual Reality: A National Study of Municipal Police Websites

• NCJ Number: 234469
• Journal: Police Quarterly Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Dated: March 2011 Pages: 25-47
• Author(s): Dennis P. Rosenbaum Ph.D.; Lisa M. Graziano Ph.D.; Cody D. Stephens; Amie M. Schuck Ph.D.
• Date Published: March 2011
• Length: 23 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study evaluates police Web sites.

Abstract

Using a national probability sample of municipal police departments, this study provides the first systematic look at the prevalence, predictors, and content of municipal police Web sites in the United States. A content analysis revealed that police agencies with Web sites (42 percent of all police agencies nationwide in 2008) were more inclined to use Web sites to "push out" information rather than "pull in" information from the community. The results support the hypothesis that departments with a greater emphasis on community policing (defined by Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics [LEMAS] data) would be more likely to have a Web site, exhibit greater transparency in the display of data and provide more opportunities for citizen input. Crime rate and population size were also important determinants of Web site creation and content, respectively. This study concludes that Web sites are underutilized by both the police and research communities. (Published Abstract)