NCJ Number
162108
Journal
American Journal of Police Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Dated: (1995) Pages: 67-88
Date Published
1995
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This article presents the methodology and findings of a survey of Santa Ana (California) residents to determine their attitudes toward their neighborhoods and the police.
Abstract
In early 1990, a 538-household sample was obtained by using a list of grids that covered streets the police department patrols regularly. A total of 480 residents were interviewed by phone, and an additional 58 residents were interviewed face-to- face. The sample consisted of 358 women and 173 men; 39 percent were Hispanic, 5 percent Asian, and 3 percent African-American. A comparison of this sample to the 1990 census figures showed that whites were overrepresented and Hispanics and Asians were underrepresented. In addition to the subject's age, gender, and ethnicity, data were obtained on education and the type of neighborhood in which the subject lived (working class or residential). Residents were also asked what they liked best and least about where they lived; subjects were asked if they were actively involved in trying to improve their neighborhoods and, if yes, how. Residents were then asked what they liked and disliked about the police. Findings show that the primary indicator of attitudes toward the police is how people feel about where they live. If they see problems that they believe the police might address, they make negative statements about the police. The association of age with public attitudes toward the police is of little practical value except to confirm that the young tend to be more critical of authority than older adults. Sample members who belonged to organizations that had input to the police reported significantly more positive items about the police. In contrast to other studies, this survey did not find that ethnicity was a good predictor of attitudes toward the police. 4 tables and 26 references