REDUCING CRIME THROUGH POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS EVIDENCE OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS TRAINING FROM A STUDY OF 161 CITIES

• NCJ Number: 61086
• Journal: Policy Studies Journal Volume: 7 Dated: SPECIAL ISSUE (1978) Pages: 505-512
• Author(s): N P LOVRICH
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: Policy Studies Organization
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE VALUE OF POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAMS IN REDUCING CRIME IS EXAMINED FOR 161 AMERICAN CITIES.

Abstract

URBAN DISORDERS DURING THE PERIOD 1964-1967 GAVE RISE TO A NUMBER OF STUDIES, BOTH GOVERNMENTAL AND ACADEMIC, OF POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS IN AMERICAN CITIES. A UNIFORM FINDING OF THE STUDIES WAS THAT IN MANY CITIES THE LEVEL OF PUBLIC HOSTILITY TOWARD THE POLICE WAS VERY HIGH, PARTICULARLY AMONG MINORITY AND/OR POORER CITIZENS. IN RESPONSE TO THESE FINDINGS, THE OMNIBUS CRIME CONTROL AND SAFE STREETS ACT OF 1968 PROVIDED FEDERAL MONEY FOR THE CREATION OF POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS (PCR) TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR POLICE AGENCIES. THE ASSUMPTION UNDERLYING THE FUNDING FOR PCR TRAINING PROGRAMS WAS THAT THEY WOULD RESULT IN LESS OFFENSIVE POLICING PRACTICES AND THIS IN TURN WOULD REDUCE HOSTILITY TOWARD THE POLICE. LOWER COMMUNITY HOSTILITY WOULD ALLOW MORE COOPERATION BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE COMMUNITY TO REDUCE CRIME. THE INTERNATIONAL CITY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION CONDUCTED A SURVEY IN LATE 1969 OF 2,072 CITIES OVER 10,000 POPULATION ON THE QUESTION OF PCR TRAINING AND RELATED PROGRAMS. THIS STUDY EXAMINES 161 RESPONDING CITIES OF OVER 25,000 POPULATION ON THEIR DEGREE OF COMMITMENT TO PCR TRAINING. A STUDY OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HIGH AND LOW PCR CITIES SHOWED THEM TO BE SIMILAR. RESULTS SHOW THAT CITIES WITH HIGH PCR COMMITMENT IN 1969 EXPERIENCED A LOWER RATE OF CRIME THAN THOSE WHICH DID NOT INVEST AS FULLY IN PCR TRAINING. A REVIEW OF THE PERIOD BEFORE 1969 SHOWS THAT HIGH PCR CITIES (BEFORE THE INTRODUCTION OF PCR) REPORTED EITHER SLIGHTLY HIGHER OR NEARLY IDENTICAL RATES OF REPORTED CRIME AS THE LOW PCR CITIES. THE PERIOD AFTER 1969 SHOW THAT THE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW PCR CITIES IS SMALL BUT PERSISTANT AND OF SLOWLY INCREASING SIZE. THE RESEARCH REPORTED IS FAR FROM COMPLETE, BUT IT SUGGESTS THAT PCR TRAINING IS VALUABLE IN PREVENTING CRIME. TABULAR DATA AND NOTES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)