Attitudes About the Police and Neighborhood Safety in Disadvantaged Neighborhoods

• Author: Brian K. Payne,Randy R. Gainey
• DOI: 10.1177/0734016807300500
• Published date: 01 June 2007
• Date: 01 June 2007
• Subject Matter: Articles

142

Attitudes About the Police and

Neighborhood Safety in

Disadvantaged Neighborhoods

The Influence of Criminal Victimization

and Perceptions of a Drug Problem

Brian K. Payne

Georgia State University, Atlanta

Randy R. Gainey

Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia

Building on past research, this study focuses on how the experience of victimization and being

approached by a drug dealer relate to individuals’ perceptions about neighborhood safety and

in turn affect perceptions of the police. Ordinal logistic regression analyses are conducted on

data from a sample of residents in socially and economically disadvantaged, high-crime neigh-

borhoods. Findings suggest that victimization leads to perceptions that one is not safe, but being

approached by a drug dealer has an even stronger effect. Being approached by a drug dealer and

perceptions of being unsafe are the strongest factors affecting negative attitudes toward the

police. Implications are provided.

Keywords: police perceptions; social disorganization; public attitudes

Anumber of researchers have considered how members of the public perceive police offi-

cers and the safety of their neighborhoods. Research fairly conclusively shows that cer-

tain factors influence citizens’ perceptions about police officers and their neighborhood

safety. For instance, research shows that younger individuals and minorities are more likely

than nonminorities to have negative attitudes toward the police (Ackerman et al., 2001;

Hagan & Albonetti, 1982; Halim & Stiles, 2001; Henderson, Cullen, Cao, Browning, &

Kopache, 1997; Hurst & Frank, 2000; Murdo, 1997; Taylor, Turner, Esbensen, & Winfree,

2001; Weitzer, 2000). Contact with law enforcement as a crime victim, offender, or com-

plainant has also been found to influence attitudes about law enforcement (Correia, Reisig,

& Lovrich, 1996; Frank, Smith, & Novak, 2005; Hurst & Frank, 2000; Priest & Carter, 1999;

Tewksbury & West, 2001; Weitzer & Tuch, 2004). Moreover, studies have also shown that

perceptions about neighborhood safety influence attitudes about police officers (Crank,

Giacomazzi, & Heck, 2003; Priest & Carter, 1999). This same body of research suggests that

perceptions about drug activity in a neighborhood are tied to perceptions about neighbor-

hood safety (Crank et al., 2003).

Although these relationships exist, the dynamics underlying the relationships are not

entirely clear. For example, attitudes toward the police may be differentially influenced by

Criminal Justice Review

Volume 32 Number 2

June 2007 142-155

© 2007 Georgia State University

Research Foundation, Inc.

10.1177/0734016807300500

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