Community Context, Citizen Perception of Police, and Support for Community Policing

• In Event: Community Policing I: Domestic Applications

Abstract

The extent to which community members are willing to cooperate with the police and become involved with various community crime prevention programs depends on citizen perceptions of the police and of the community in which they reside. Using community survey data collected from over 400 citizens in a small town in Idaho, this study explores the importance of demographic factors, judgments of crime and safety, community contexts and citizen perceptions of police in predicting citizens’ support for community policing. Findings and future research are discussed.

Author

• Heeuk Lee, Washington State University