NCJ Number
114659
Journal
Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume: 79 Issue: 2 Dated: (Summer 1988) Pages: 504-523
Date Published
1988
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study examines differences in attitudes toward various police practices among the residents of ethnically distinct neighborhoods in Miami, Fla.
Abstract
With the assistance of police officials, officials of the Dade County Planning Department, and the 1980 census data, five neighborhoods, each representing a meaningful geographic unit to the police units operating in these areas, were chosen. Thirty questions were selected from a variety of relevant attitude scales proven reliable and valid over time. The survey was administered to samples of 451 high school students, 296 Dade County police officers, and 250 Dade County residents. A separate factor analysis was completed for each of the samples. Regarding police behaviors, the survey measured respondents' opinions on the general demeanor of officers, the roles of police and citizens in controlling crime, the use of police discretion, patrol strategies, and the belief that certain ethnic groups are more crime prone. There was more variation on attitudes toward police practices among neighborhoods than within the neighborhoods. Apparently, neighborhood differences in attitudes toward the police go beyond traditional ethnic distinctions. The analysis of differences among general ethnic groups, as opposed to analysis of specific neighborhoods, reveals very little. The combinations of ethnicity and socioeconomic status generate specific neighborhood climates or cultures that influence attitudes toward policing practices. Police strategies and practices incongruent with the basic culture and values of a neighborhood are likely to be counterproductive. 5 tables, 25 footnotes.