Citation

Madero-Hernandez A, Lee YJ, Wilcox P, Fisher BS. Justice Q. 2022; 39(2): 327-353.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/07418825.2020.1713392

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study examines the effect that individuals' perceptions of police have on their adoption of crime prevention measures. Unlike past research that conceptualized police perceptions as inversely associated with crime prevention, we introduce a framework that distinguishes between the traditional policing and community policing/procedural justice models. We analyze multilevel data from Canada's General Social Survey for 13 crime prevention measures (e.g. locking doors, installing burglar alarms), and estimate Item Response Theory models to account for differing levels of difficulty in the implementation of these measures.

RESULTS show that the effect of police perceptions on the adoption of crime prevention measures varies by policing model. Residents who have favorable perceptions of the police as to the performance of traditional policing duties are less inclined to take measures against crime. In contrast, those with favorable perceptions of the police as engaging in community policing/procedural justice are more inclined to take such measures.

Language: en

Keywords

Canada’s General Social Survey; community policing; Crime prevention; Item Response Theory; police perceptions; procedural justice