Untangling the role of interactions in police satisfaction: Examining direct and indirect contacts with the police

Effective policing requires the support of the communities being served, a guiding principle that has been adopted by law enforcement across the country and around the world. To this end, scholars and police executives have examined a variety of predictors that can impact upon perceptions of procedural justice and satisfaction with police. Grounded in an Experience with Police theoretical model, this paper examines the impact of procedural justice upon police satisfaction and untangles the influences of direct citizen contact versus indirect contact upon that interaction. Perceptions of procedural justice shaped by both direct and indirect contacts were shown to impact police satisfaction. Further, a secondary analysis indicated that regression weights were stronger for perceptions shaped by indirect contact. Finally, a procedurally just process was found to be a key predictor for satisfaction and equally essential as compared to the results of that encounter. Implications for further research and police policy are also addressed.

Factors affecting crime, fear of crime and satisfaction with police: focusing on policing and the neighborhood context

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore factors affecting police performance, such as violent crime, fear of crime and satisfaction with police, using objectively measured policing and neighborhood characteristics.Design/methodology/approachThis study combined four data sources, including police statistics, a crime victimization survey, local government statistics and a public service satisfaction survey. Negative binomial regression and ordinary least squares models were estimated using data from 135 city governments.FindingsViolent crime was negatively associated with arrest, while fear of crime was negatively associated with patrol and positively correlated with disorder and public places. In addition, satisfaction with police had a positive association with level of patrolling and disorder policing, whereas residents receiving public assistance, ethnic heterogeneity and entertainment establishments were negatively associated with it.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper identified the different factors that impact each type of police performance, indicating its unique characteristics. Further research should be conducted to analyze data from non-urban areas to improve external validity.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that police managers need to choose the means of policing carefully depending on which performance indicators they are focusing on improving in the region.Originality/valueFew studies to date have examined the correlation between objectively measured policing and neighborhood context factors and police performance at the macro level.

How satisfied are siblings of homicide victims with police?

Police personnel and services may have a tremendous impact on the psychological well-being of siblings who become victims of the murder of a brother or sister. Despite this, only one study has examined satisfaction with police from the perspective of siblings. The current study helps correct this paucity of research by studying a sample of 67 siblings aged 6–40 ( M = 20.4) years when a sibling was murdered. Satisfaction with police contact and service were quantitatively and qualitatively explored. Overall, almost 60% of the participants indicated satisfaction. Participants were satisfied when police were beacons of humanity and committed to justice.

Neighborhood by neighborhood: community policing in a rust belt city

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine citizen satisfaction with police services and perceived safety using survey research in two high crime neighborhoods. Problem-oriented crime deterrence strategies were used in one neighborhood, the other served as a control group. Design/methodology/approach Mixed-methods approach was used to measure the effectiveness of problem-oriented approaches in persistent high-crime areas. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were conducted by sampling addresses in both neighborhoods and analyzing results. Findings No between-neighborhood differences were reported regarding the satisfaction with police services or improvement in perceived safety. Originality/value These findings suggest that this deterrence strategy is a promising approach to reducing crime while not damaging community perceptions. However, departments must vary place-based strategies, and prevention is difficult given historical contexts, the absence of credible community partners and limited resources in a declining city.

Fear, victimization, and community characteristics on citizen satisfaction with the police

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between fear of victimization, actual victimization, and community-level characteristics on citizen satisfaction with police. This study attempts to clarify important factors in how citizens view the police, while accounting for contextual, neighborhood-level variables.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilized a representative victimization survey conducted in Saginaw, MI in 2015. Utilizing a sample of 824 individuals, an ordinary least-squares model was fit in order to determine the effects of reported victimization, fear of victimization, and neighborhood characteristics on satisfaction with police. The authors utilized interaction terms to model varying effects between the East and West sides of the city.FindingsThe study found that fear of victimization was related to lower satisfaction with police, while actual victimization had an inconsistent effect when community satisfaction and collective efficacy were accounted for. The authors found the effect was present only in the more affluent western portion of the city. Furthermore, the authors found that non-white residents reported much lower satisfaction with police than white residents.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors were unable to disaggregate respondents to smaller geographical units than an East\West measure, which limits the authors’ ability to discuss small-scale contexts at the block, or block-group level.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that concerted efforts to reduce fear of crime may increase satisfaction with police, but this effect may be based on neighborhood context. Improving collective efficacy and community satisfaction may provide additional ways to improve citizen satisfaction with police.Originality/valueThis paper adds to the literature examining the relationship between victimization, fear of crime, and satisfaction with police.

The influence of procedural justice on citizen satisfaction with state law enforcement

Purpose There are a number of individual and contextual variables that influence public opinion of the police but we know little about the public opinion regarding state law enforcement agencies. Prior studies involving municipal police and other criminal justice agencies indicate that the perceptions of procedural justice, or fair treatment, are important predictors of citizen satisfaction with police services. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether individuals who perceive procedurally just treatment during their contact with a state patrol officer improve the levels of satisfaction with the state patrol. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents the results of a public opinion study (n=846) regarding the Colorado State Patrol conducted in 2009. A subsample of 393 individuals who had contact with the state patrol and were further surveyed about their contact with the officer. Logistic regression models were used to examine individual- and contextual-level variables influence satisfaction with the state patrol and whether this relationship was mediated by the perceptions of procedural justice. Findings The authors found that individuals who perceive higher levels of procedural justice expressed higher satisfaction with the state patrol. Females, older respondents, and non-white respondents expressed greater satisfaction, as well as those who had voluntary contact or were not arrested. More importantly, procedural justice mediated the effect of involuntary contact and arrest on levels of satisfaction, and while non-white respondents were less likely to experience procedural justice, when levels of procedural justice are controlled for, they have higher levels of satisfaction. Originality/value The findings emphasize the significance of citizen perceptions of procedural justice during contacts with members of the state patrol. The current study contributes to our knowledge of procedural justice and citizen satisfaction with police encounters given previous research on citizen satisfaction with police focuses almost exclusively on local-level agencies, and research on procedural justice asks the respondents almost exclusively about the police in general.

Disentangling the Relationship Between Race and Attitudes Toward the Police: Police Contact, Perceptions of Safety, and Procedural Justice

Recent incidents involving police shootings of unarmed men of color have increased tensions between communities and police departments across the United States. In response, scholars have intensified efforts to understand the factors that shape attitudes toward the police. The current study examines individual and aggregate factors that influence satisfaction with the police. To this end, we address three research questions: (a) are there significant racial/ethnic differences in satisfaction with police; (b) do these differences persist after accounting for experiences with the police, perceptions of safety, and aggregate measures; and (c) can procedural justice help explain racial variation in attitudes toward the police? Study findings highlight the importance of perceptions of safety in explaining racial/ethnic variation in attitudes toward the police.

The impacts of neighborhood context on residents’ satisfaction with police services in metropolitan Taipei

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to add to the literature on Taiwanese policing in three regards: employing multiple measures of satisfaction with police services; including analysis of the effects of differing neighborhood contexts; and examining both individual and district-level measures simultaneously to deepen our understanding of influences on citizen satisfaction with police services. Design/methodology/approach Data for the study were obtained from a random-stratified sampling telephone survey of 1,806 residents in metropolitan Taipei, which is located in the Northern part of Taiwan Island, during May of 2014. Given the fact that these residents were nested in 41 districts in metropolitan Taipei, hierarchical linear modeling was employed to examine the effects of both individual and district-level factors on satisfaction with police services simultaneously. Findings Results indicate that, among neighborhood context variables, mean levels of victimization, fear of crime, and perceived disorder erode citizen satisfaction with police. In contrast, collective efficacy produces a positive effect on the perception of police performance after controlling for demographics. With respect to those district-level variables, citizen/police ratio, the total crime rate/100,000 habitants, and the average of household income significantly impact public assessment of police services. Originality/value Only limited empirical research has examined neighborhood context effects on residents’ satisfaction with policing services, and virtually no such research has been carried out by examining individual and contextual-level factors at play simultaneously in Taiwan. This research fills this gap.