Job Assignment and Police Perceptions of Engagement with the Public: Bicycle Patrol and the Community Response Unit

• In Event: Police-Community Relations and Engagement

Abstract

Research on police/community relations typically measures resident perceptions of the relationship. What is lacking in the literature is research which focuses on the perceptions of police officers. In addition, little research has systematically measured whether an officer’s patrol assignment (e.g. motor vehicle, bicycle, or foot patrol) influences their perceptions of the community. This paper helps to fill both gaps through a survey administered to officers of the Toronto Police Service. The study first compares community-based policing to traditional patrol with regard to officer perceptions of their engagement with the community. Second, this study determines when compared to motor vehicle patrol officers and foot patrol, how frequently bicycle patrol officers interact with the public during a typical shift, the nature of those interactions, and officer satisfaction with public contact.

Authors

• Victoria Sytsma, Queen's University

• Eric L. Piza, John Jay College of Criminal Justice