USING CITIZEN SURVEYS TO EVALUATE THE ORGANIZATION OF POLICING

• NCJ Number: 53780
• Author(s): G P WHITAKER; E OSTROM; R B PARKS
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 16 pages
• Grant Number(s): G143949
• Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PRESENTED TO THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE EVALUATION, WASHINGTON, DC, FEBRUARY 1977 - PANEL 6 EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF POLICE

Annotation

STUDIES OF METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCIES ARE REVIEWED TO ILLUSTRATE THE USE OF CITIZEN SURVEY DATA IN EVALUATING POLICE POLICY AND ORGANIZATIONAL ALTERNATIVES.

Abstract

FOR SURVEY DATA ON CITIZENS' EXPERIENCES, PERCEPTIONS, AND EVALUATIONS REGARDING POLICE TO BE USEFUL, THEY MUST BE MERGED WITH DATA ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS SERVING THE CITIZENS SURVEYED. OFTEN CITIZEN SURVEYS RELATING TO VICTIMIZATION AND POLICE PERFORMANCE HAVE FAILED TO INCLUDE DATA ON POLICE DEPARTMENTS, AND THEIR UTILITY IN EVALUATING POLICING HAS BEEN LIMITED. IN OTHER INSTANCES, CITIZEN SURVEY DATA HAVE BEEN AUGMENTED WITH DATA DESCRIBING POLICE AGENCY ORGANIZATION AND JURISDICTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS. IN A SERIES OF COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF POLICE ORGANIZATION BEGUN IN 1970, POLICE PATROL AREAS WERE MATCHED BY HOUSING DENSITY, POPULATION AGE, INCOME, AND RACIAL DISTRIBUTION, EXTENT OF HOME OWNERSHIP, AND OTHER CONDITIONS. CITIZEN SURVEYS PROVIDED DATA FOR EVALUATIONS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS AND RESPONSIVENESS OF ALTERNATIVE POLICE ORGANIZATIONAL FORMS IN SIMILAR NEIGHBORHOODS. POLICE EXPENDITURE ESTIMATES FOR THE VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS, COMBINED WITH MEASURES OF POLICE PERFORMANCE OBTAINED THROUGH CITIZEN SURVEYS, MADE IT POSSIBLE TO ESTIMATE THE RELATIVE EFFICIENCY OF DIFFERENTLY ORGANIZED POLICE DEPARTMENTS. THESE STUDIES, WHICH WERE CARRIED OUT IN INDIANAPOLIS, IND., GRAND RAPIDS, MICH., NASHVILLE, TENN., AND ST. LOUIS, MO., INDICATED THAT LARGE POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE NO MORE EFFECTIVE, RESPONSIVE, OF EFFICIENT THAN SMALLER DEPARTMENTS. IN FACT, WHENEVER DIFFERENCES IN CITIZENS' EXPERIENCES, PERCEPTIONS, OR EVALUATIONS WERE REPORTED ACROSS SIMILAR NEIGHBORHOODS, SMALLER DEPARTMENTS COMPARED FAVORABLY WITH LARGER DEPARTMENTS. A STUDY IS PLANNED TO DETERMINE WHETHER DIFFERENCES IN SPECIFIC POLICE ACTIVITIES ACCOUNT FOR DIFFERENCES IN CITIZENS' PERCEPTIONS AND EVALUATIONS OF POLICING. THE METHODS AND FINDINGS OF THE INDIVIDUAL CITY STUDIES ARE REVIEWED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. (LKM)