ANALYSIS OF ASSAULTS ON MUNICIPAL POLICE OFFICERS IN 46 SOUTH CENTRAL CITIES

• NCJ Number: 27932
• Author(s): J L REGENS; C K MEYER; C G SWANSON; S G CHAPMAN
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 23 pages
• Grant Number(s): 73-TA-06-0004; 73-DF-06-0053
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: University of Oklahoma
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; University of Oklahoma
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AS PART OF A LARGER STUDY OF ASSAULTS ON POLICE CONDUCTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA, THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLICE ASSAULTS AND 31 ENVIRONMENTAL AND POLICE ACTIVITY CHARACTERISTICS FOR 46 CITIES.

Abstract

CORRELATION AND MULTIPLE REGRESSION TECHNIQUES WERE USED. THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLAIN THE VARIATION IN ASSAULT FREQUENCY AMONG SOUTH CENTRAL CITIES. ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES STUDIED INCLUDE CENSUS ESTIMATES OF INCOME, POPULATION STABILITY, EDUCATION, MEDIAN AGE OF POPULATION, NUMBER OF POLICE PERSONNEL, AND MEDIAN POLICE SALARIES. POLICE ACTIVITY VARIABLES WERE THE ARREST RATES FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF OFFENSES. THOSE INDICATORS WHICH PROVIDE THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF EXPLANATION OF THE VARIATION IN TOTAL ASSAULTS, ASSAULTS WITH INJURY, AND NON-INJURY ASSAULTS WERE ISOLATED. FOR TOTAL ASSAULTS AND NONINJURY ASSAULTS, THE HIGHEST CORRELATION COEFFICIENT WAS FOUND TO BE WITH THE NUMBER OF TRAFFIC CITATIONS. THE INJURY ASSAULT VARIABLE WAS MOST HIGHLY CORRELATED WITH ARRESTS FOR NARCOTICS. OVERALL, INDICATORS OF POLICE ASSAULTS WERE MORE STRONGLY CORRELATED WITH MEASURES OF POLICE ACTIVITIES THAN WITH MEASURES OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT IN EACH CITY. FOR OTHER REPORTS OF THE POLICE ASSAULTS STUDY, SEE NCJ-27926, 27927, 27929, 27930, 27862, 27863, NCJ-27864, AND 27867. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)