NCJ Number
134739
Journal
American Journal of Police Volume: 10 Issue: 3 Dated: (1991) Pages: 69-81
Date Published
1991
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article reports on the results of a survey of police chiefs nationwide regarding police attitudes toward rewards posted by businesses for information on crimes against the businesses or their employees.
Abstract
Questionnaires were sent to the chiefs of the 250 largest police departments in the Nation. Three crime vignettes, followed by four questions on each, constituted the core items in the survey. The four questions that followed each vignette dealt with the likelihood of a reward being offered by the firm, the belief of the police regarding whether or not a reward should be offered, the perceived effectiveness of such a reward, and the amount of reward that should be offered. Other questions in the survey pertained to methods of publicizing rewards, the basis upon which the reward should be issued, and conditions for receiving the reward. The major finding of the survey is the existence of the general belief among the responding police agencies that business firms should post rewards in serious crimes, such as rape and murder, that involve employees or their relatives. There was less support, however, for a reward in an internal embezzling case, most likely because the offense did not involve violence and would not come within the purview of the police. The strong support for setting the reward for the two violent episodes at the $1,001 to $5,000 category seems to indicate a police belief that there is not necessarily a relationship between the amount of the award, to the extent that it is "excessive," and the likelihood that the amount offered will be helpful in securing the desired information. The low rate of support for allowing police personnel to collect a reward for their work reflects the police view that this would be politically and ethically inappropriate. 1 table and 13 references