Chinese Immigrants' Perceptions of the Police in New York City

• NCJ Number: 212690
• Journal: International Criminal Justice Review Volume: 15 Issue: 2 Dated: November 2005 Pages: 101-114
• Author(s): Doris Chu; John Huey-Long Song; John Dombrink
• Date Published: November 2005
• Length: 14 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined three hypotheses of Chinese immigrants’ perceptions of the police in New York City.

Abstract

Most current studies that examine citizens’ perceptions of legal authority have focused on Whites, African-Americans, and Hispanics. With the influx of Chinese immigrants in New York City over recent years, it is imperative that the police administration understand their perceptions of the police. This study examined whether the predictors on citizens’ perceptions toward police among Whites and other ethnic minority groups found in the previous studies, such as police-citizen contact, fear of crime, and experience of victimization, could be applicable to an ethnic group with a different language and culture. The study tested three hypotheses: (1) people who had been victimized in the past would express less satisfaction toward police performance; (2) people who were fearful of crime would rate police as less-effective; and (3) previous experience of self-initiating contact with police would affect the individual’s perception of the police. The study included 151 Chinese immigrants in New Your City with 43 percent male and 57 female completing a questionnaire. The study findings were consistent with previous findings which found that previous contact with police might not necessarily enhance the perception toward police. However, the services they received during the course of police-citizen contact affected citizens’ satisfaction with the police. Those Chinese immigrants who rated police as helpful while calling for assistance expressed greater satisfaction with police. Individuals who were fearful of crime rated police as less effective. Steps that can be taken to enhance immigrants’ satisfaction with the police include improving the quality of police services, recruiting more bilingual officers, and deepening understanding of cultural differences. Table, references