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Citation |
Kuhns JB, Maguire ER, Cox SM. Police Q. 2007; 10(4): 429-454. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2007, SAGE Publishing) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
unavailable |
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Abstract |
Contingency theory argues that the performance of an organization is contingent on how well it fits the context within which it is embedded. This study explores the public-safety concerns of nearly 6,000 law enforcement agencies serving populations less than 50,000. Property offenses, domestic violence, and drugs were the most frequently reported concerns, whereas gangs and violent crimes were often ranked lower. Rankings of public-safety concerns varied across agencies and were affected by population density, violent and property crime, type of agency, department size, and region. Findings suggest that the context in which police organizations are located plays a role in shaping public-safety concerns, which is an important step in broadening our knowledge about the priorities, goals, and behaviors of police organizations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract) |