POLICE RESPONSE TO VICTIMIZATION - EFFECTS ON CITIZEN ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS (FROM SAMPLE SURVEYS OF THE VICTIMS OF CRIME, 1976, BY WESLEY G SKOGAN - SEE NCJ-38961)

• NCJ Number: 46907
• Author(s): R B PARKS
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 16 pages
• Grant Number(s): GI-43949
• Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation
• Corporate Author: Ballinger Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VICTIMIZATION, EITHER PERSONAL OR THAT OF A HOUSEHOLD MEMBER, AND CITIZEN EVALUATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS OF THE POLICE SERVICE THAT FOLLOWED ARE EXPLORED.

Abstract

THERE ARE TWO PREVALENT ARGUMENTS REGARDING VICTIMIZATION AND CITIZEN PERCEPTIONS OF POLICE EFFECTIVENESS: THAT CITIZENS DO NOT BELIEVE POLICE CAN ALTER THE PROBABILITY OF VICTIMIZATION SO THE RATINGS OF POLICE SERVICE BY VICTIMS ARE ON THE AVERAGE NO LOWER THAN THE RATINGS OF NONVICTIMS; ALTERNATIVELY, THAT POLICE ACTIONS TAKEN IN RESPONSE TO VICTIMIZATION SUPPRESS RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN VICTIMIZATION AND EVALUATIONS OF POLICE EFFECTIVENESS AND THAT CITIZENS RECEIVING SATISFACTORY POLICE RESPONSE MAY RATE POLICE SERVICE AS THE SAME OR BETTER, WHILE UNSATISFACTORY RESPONSE MAY PRODUCE NEGATIVE RATINGS. RESEARCH SURVEYS REGARDING THESE ARGUMENTS ARE EXAMINED. PREVIOUS FINDINGS BY GOVERNMENT COMMISSIONS ON LAW ENFORCEMENT AND A STUDY IN ST. LOUIS (MO.) BY AN INDIANA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH TEAM ARE REVIEWED. THE ST. LOUIS STUDY FOCUSES ON DATA COLLECTED IN INTERVIEWS WITH A SAMPLE OF 4,000 CITIZENS RESIDING IN 44 NEIGHBORHOODS. OF THE RESPONDENTS, 20 PERCENT REPORTED THAT THEY OR A MEMBER OF THEIR HOUSEHOLD HAD BEEN A VICTIM OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. THE RESULTS OF AN ANALYSIS OF STATISTICAL DATA ON HOUSEHOLD VICTIMIZATION AND PERCEPTIONS OF POLICE SERVICE IS REVIEWED. THE ANALYSIS FOCUSES ON RESPONDENTS WHO WERE VICTIMIZED IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD AND IN TURN REPORTED THIS VICTIMIZATIONN TO THE POLICE. VICTIMIZATION WITHIN ONE'S OWN NEIGHBORHOOD WAS RELATED TO LOWER EVALUATIONS OF THE LOCAL POLICE. RESPONDENTS WHO WERE SATISFIED WITH THE POLICE RESPONSE GAVE VIRTUALLY THE SAME RESPONSES AS DID THOSE WHO ELSEWHERE REPORTED NO VICTIMIZATION OR VICTIMIZATION OUTSIDE THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS; I.E., POLICE SERVICE WAS THE SAME OR BETTER. HOWEVER, RESONDENTS WHO WERE DISSATISFIED WITH THE RESULTING POLICE SERVICE WERE MUCH MORE NEGATIVE IN THEIR EVALUATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS. BLACK RESPONDENTS' EVALUATIONS OF POLICE WERE MORE NEGATIVE THAN THAT OF WHITES. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE CHARACTER OF POLICE RESPONSES TO VICTIMIZATION -- THE SPEED OF RESPONSE AND ACTIONS TAKEN AFTER ARRIVAL -- IS SUBSTANTIALLY RELATED TO CITIZEN SATISFACTION, AND THAT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SIGNIFICANT PAYOFFS IN CITIZEN SATISFACTION IN RETURN FOR RELATIVELY LITTLE ADDITIONAL COMMITMENT OF POLICE TIME. TABULAR DATA RESULTING FROM THE ST. LOUIS STUDY IS PROVIDED. REFERENCE NOTES ARE INCLUDED. (KBL)