Poster #69 - Exploring Racial and Ethnic Differences in Community Perceptions of Public Safety and Police Enforcement

• In Event: Poster Session I (posters 1 - 79)

Abstract

In light of high-profile events that have raised concerns about police-community relations, we sought to assess citizens’ perceptions of public safety and local police. A survey was administered to 128 residents of a predominantly non-White neighborhood in a mid-sized New England city. In general, residents had favorable views of the police but would like them to increase their engagement with the community and enforcement of certain crimes (e.g., drug and traffic-related offenses). In regard to group differences, there were few significant differences in ratings. However, Black residents wanted to see the police less often and rated their interactions with police officers more negatively than other residents. These findings have implications for improving police-community interactions and public perceptions of police.

Authors

• Jennifer Hedlund, Central Connecticut State University

• Reginald Simmons, Central Connecticut State University

• Eric Dlugolenski, Central Connecticut State University

• Stephen Cox, Central Connecticut State University