Use of Public Attitude Surveys: What Can They Tell Police Managers?

• NCJ Number: 180099
• Journal: Policing Volume: 22 Issue: 2 Dated: 1999 Pages: 191-213
• Author(s): Karen Beck; Nadia Boni; Jeanette Packer
• Editor(s): Geoffrey P. Alpert, Lawrence F. Travis III
• Date Published: 1999
• Length: 23 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

A comprehensive list of police activities formed the basis of a survey used to examine public attitudes toward police priorities in Australia; comparisons were made between police and public understandings of the police role and between current and preferred priorities.

Abstract

In recent times, police policymakers have been encouraged to use public opinion surveys to identify and target the allocation of resources to activities the citizens believe are important; however, these surveys have focused on the types of problems that the public wants to be addressed, but they have not determined the types of activities they want police to perform. In an effort to remedy this, a comprehensive list of police activities or tasks was developed into a tool for surveying attitudes toward various police activities and tasks. Participants were random samples of police officers (n=1,456) and the general public (n=1,188) from the capital cities of two Australian States: Queensland and Western Australia. The survey focused on respondents' perceptions of present and preference for future police priorities. Survey results suggest that the public has an understanding of policing that differs from that of police officers; however, the main thrust of what the public wants police to be doing is similar to that of the police, albeit giving higher priorities to almost all of the activities. Police managers may need to educate the public about the functions of the police service, emphasizing functions other than investigating crime and providing advice. At the same time, the police may need to alter their resource allocation and modify organizational structure and reward system to encourage operational officers to be more involved in the activities that the public views as a high priority. This should result in better ties with the community, a better understanding of the police role within the community, and a more realistic expectation on both sides for the outcomes of policing. 2 tables, 1 figure, and 23 references