The Impact of Race, Police Experience, and Feeling of Safety on Attitude Toward the Police
Department
Sociology and Criminal Justice
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Fall 2006
Abstract
This study surveyed 393 citizens who were either crime victims or complainants in the jurisdiction of the Marietta, GA Police Department in 2004, In addition to examining their local attitudes toward police demeanor and police performance, the study also evaluated the impact of race, police experience, and perceived neighborhood safety. Important findings included that overall (1) the majority of respondents felt safe in their neighborhood and were satisfied with the police who handled their case; (2) the same amount of blacks and whites reported negative experiences with the police; and (3) although all three factors greatly affected attitudes, contact experience with the police was the most influential.
Journal Title
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology
Journal ISSN
0882-0783
Volume
21
Issue
2
First Page
55
Last Page
67
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1007/BF02855684