NCJ Number
101600
Date Published
1985
Length
56 pages
Annotation
The purpose of this study was threefold: to examine public attitudes toward police services in Thunderbay, Ontario, Canada, in 1984; to compare these findings with results of a 1981 survey; and to aid in the development of qualitative police performance measures.
Abstract
A questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 2,000 residents. A total of 964 surveys were returned, for a 53-percent response rate. Respondents who had called for police assistance during 1984 indicated that the complaint screener was polite and helpful and that they were satisfied or very satisfied at the way the call was handled. The most common police response was dispatching a patrol car. More than 91 percent of complainants were satisfied or very satisfied in police response to the incident. The majority of citizens, regardless of past experience with police, found the police to be fair, courteous, and doing a good job. While a majority of respondents felt crime in their neighborhoods had increased, they still felt the police were doing enough to prevent crime. Factors related to increased perceptions of personal safety included police visibility and neighborhood watch membership. Finally, police patrolling the neighborhoods were largely unknown to respondents: 82 percent indicated they never or very seldom spoke to police patrol officers. Results suggest a need for greater emphasis on proactive policing, including increased police-public involvement and continued emphasis on community crime prevention strategies.