How Broken Windows Are Fixed: The Role of Police Fairness and Police Effectiveness

• In Event: Factors that Predict or Explain Fear of Crime

Abstract

Building upon Broken Windows Theory, this study examines the relationship between social disorder and fear of crime using a representative sample of 1,000 Korean citizens. Additionally, it explores whether perceptions of police effectiveness and police fairness mediate this relationship, investigating possible mechanisms through which law enforcement shapes citizens' perceptions of visible signs of neighborhood degradation and their influence on fear of crime in the South Korean context. Our findings indicate that social disorder is significantly associated with increased fear of crime. Moreover, this relationship is partially mediated by citizens’ perceptions of police fairness. Surprisingly, unlike previous research conducted in Western contexts, police effectiveness does not appear to predict lower levels of fear of crime. These results highlight the importance of procedural justice and practices aimed at improving police-community relations in order to enhance trust in the police and mitigate fear of crime.

Authors

• Riccardo Ferraresso, Dongguk University

• Chang-Bae Lee, Dongguk University

• Ju-Eun Jung, Dongguk University

• Je-min Park, Dongguk University