Hiding in Plain Sight: Ghosted Police Vehicles and the Perception of Police Presence on College Campuses

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

Police presence is often related to perceptions of individual safety and behavior. This is because of how the public views law enforcement and the way they treat citizens. The current study explores student and law enforcement officials’ perceptions of safety through the use of ghosted cop cars at a Southern University. The study was conducted in two phases, the first phase of this project measured student awareness and visibility of “ghosted” police vehicles as compared to visible police vehicles on campus, and the second phase measured law enforcement perceptions of safety on campus while using ghosted vehicles. Survey and interview data were used to explore if the use of ghosted law enforcement vehicles impacts perceptions of safety and crime detection among law enforcement officials and students. Overall, results indicate that law enforcement officials like the concept of ghosted vehicles; however, once in use, the ghosted vehicles did not seem to fit the needs of a college campus. Students did not seem to notice the ghosted vehicles as much as the traditionally marked ones. The findings would suggest that the ghosted vehicles did not make the campus feel safer and or provide effective police presence.

Author

• MacKenzie Kibler, Old Dominion University