Using Citizen Surveys To Produce Information on the Police: The Present and Potential Uses of The National Crime Victimization Survey

• NCJ Number: 199112
• Journal: Justice Research and Policy Volume: 4 Dated: Fall 2002 Pages: 61-70
• Author(s): James P. Lynch
• Date Published: 2002
• Length: 10 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: This article is based on a paper prepared for the National Research Council, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Committee on Law and Justice, Meeting of the Committee to Review Research on Police Policy and Practices, Washington, DC, April 11, 2002.

Annotation

This article suggests how the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) could more fully realize its potential for obtaining citizens' views on police and policing.

Abstract

The NCVS currently asks respondents about their criminal victimization experiences and their subsequent contact with the police. The survey currently includes questions on whether the police found out about the victimization incident; and, if so, whether they responded when called, their response time, and the various activities police performed at the scene. These activities include taking a report, gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and notifying the victim about further processing of the case. The survey also collects a wealth of information on victimization incidents, victims, and the households in which they live. These data can be used to identify the subpopulations and situations involved when police mobilization and service, or the perceptions of police service, differ. To obtain more information on policing issues, the NCVS would either have to supplement its questions by adding more questions targeted to specific police topics or augment the survey sample in specific ways. One of the most beneficial expansions of the NCVS related to policing would be the collection of information on police/public contacts beyond that stemming from criminal victimization. Another way to supplement the NCVS is by adding to its sample to make data-based estimates of police responses to victimization for specific jurisdictions. Another form of supplementation could be considered in order to address the issue of police use of excessive force. If the NCVS is to achieve its potential as a source of information on policing, it must preserve its core content, provide for changes in information content, and be supplemented to offer more data on the police. Any supplementation for the NCVS must be done with input from the police industry and in a manner that improves rather than jeopardizes the infrastructure of the survey. 10 references