Future Cops in the Hood examine Police & Legitimacy in high and low-crime neighborhoods in New York City.

• In Event: Strength in Numbers: A New Model for Undergraduate Research on Hot Topics in Criminal Justice and Public Health

Abstract

A significant body of research now demonstrates the important link between perceptions of police legitimacy and a willingness to support rules and laws. This article looks at the contextual and structural correlates of the perceived level of police legitimacy and important neighborhood contextual variables such as race, level of crime, respondent age, and other socio-economic factors. This presentation uses data from surveys and in-depth interviews collected by students in the criminal justice (Bachelor of Science) major at John Jay College of Criminal justice. The implications of these findings on our practical understanding of collective efficacy and community policing will be discussed.

Authors

• Heath John Grant, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Christopher Herrmann, CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Margaret Leland Smith, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Kimberly Hughes, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Ernest Drucker, John Jay College of Criminal Justice