NCJ Number
177867
Journal
Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice Volume: 15 Issue: 2 Dated: May 1999 Pages: 144-154
Date Published
1999
Length
11 pages
Annotation
A survey of the residents of a small rural town in eastern Illinois was conducted to help the local police department learn what the residents are concerned about, so as to obtain the information necessary to develop community-oriented programs that the residents will appreciate and support.
Abstract
The data were obtained in a 1997 mail survey of households with telephones. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select 360 residents from the 3,172 households available from census tracts. The questionnaire asked respondents how concerned they were about their personal safety and the safety of their families, homes, and property. These questions were posed to determine whether respondents were more concerned about safety during the day or at night. Respondents were also asked how concerned they were about their children's safety while they were at school and playing in their neighborhoods. Questions about concerns regarding city ordinance violations were included as well. Finally, respondents were asked about tactics the police department could use to better serve the community and ensure the safety of the citizenry. The survey showed that the residents favor proactive policing, but they were unaware of the proactive tactics then being used by the police department. Respondents also indicated they prefer to interact with officers as friends and partners in community safety efforts. The survey also found strong support for police community services. Respondents with children were concerned about their children's exposure to drugs and gangs. The police department is currently using the survey findings to refine its existing programs and develop new ones. 6 tables and 18 references