NCJ Number
208287
Journal
Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management Volume: 27 Issue: 4 Dated: 2004 Pages: 573-591
Editor(s)
Lawrence F. Travis III
Date Published
2004
Length
19 pages
Annotation
In order to advance the understanding of the relation between fear of crime and police visibility, this article presents a model for police visibility and people’s fear of crime in Finland.
Abstract
Police visibility in a well-defined and detailed form has rarely been studied as a potential factor affecting the fear of crime. In Finland, the connection between different types of police visibility and fear of crime is particularly interesting, in that the Finnish police do not adopt special strategies in order to reduce fear of crime. The intent of this study was to increase the understanding of the relation between fear of crime and police visibility in Finland through the development of a model which included the variables of fear of crime and visibility, as well as the variables of experiences of victimization and the background characteristics of respondents. A repeated survey questionnaire was utilized with two groups of participants: 3,245 adults and 977 teenagers. In both groups, it was found that the citizens who saw the police more on foot were less afraid of crimes against property than those who saw the police more often in a patrol car. In addition, seeing the police more often in patrol car-related activities was connected to increased fear of crimes against both persons and property in both groups. It’s noted that a simple act for the police, such as stepping out of the car every now and then, has a positive impact on the fear of crime. References