Reactive to Proactive Police Practices: Examining Trends in Public Opinion

• In Event: Legitimacy and Attitudes Toward the Police

Abstract

Over the past 30 years, there have been significant changes in police practices within the United States. Police departments have abandoned more reactive practices for proactive methods in efforts to reduce crime. Consequently, innovative practices such as problem-orientated policing, hot-spots policing, and broken-windows policing became widely adopted by police agencies nationwide. Several criminologists have conducted cross-sectional studies in efforts to identify the public’s reaction to these recent modifications in policing. Currently, there is a lack of research that examines any possible trends in the public’s perception regarding police effectiveness prior to, during, and following the change in police practices. Thus, for the purpose of this exploratory study, we utilized data from the General Social Survey and UCR to conduct a longitudinal study in efforts to uncover any variation in police perception over a period of 30 years. The purpose of this study is to gain greater insight into the public's perception concerning procedural aspects of the criminal justice system. Through employing the analytical approach of time trend analysis, preliminary results of this study demonstrate that, overall, the public is more supportive of proactive measures in law enforcement practices.

Authors

• Jisun Choi, John Jay College of Criminal Justice / CUNY Graduate Center

• Cynthia-Lee Maragh, John Jay College of Criminal Justice / CUNY Graduate Center

• Eranga Fernando, CUNY Graduate Center / John Jay College of Criminal Justice