Neighborhood Disorganization, Atmosphere for Citizen Involvement and Satisfaction with Police Services

Abstract

Previous research on satisfaction with police services has shown a variety of factors can be significant such as race, neighborhood disorganization, and fear of crime. Furthermore, policing that is visible can help community residents feel higher levels of security and order. Some cities have more fractured community-police relations in comparison to others nationwide. Recently, The City of Dallas Police Department has had several race-based incidents in the national media, and they have been working to increase citizen satisfaction with public safety and obtain community cooperation. Residents of Dallas were given surveys regarding satisfaction with police services, contact with police, fear of crime, atmosphere for citizen involvement, and neighborhood disorganization. Findings support some conclusions from previous research on satisfaction with police services. Namely, respondents who felt “listened to” reported greater satisfaction with police services. Results also revealed respondent’s perceptions of crime were significant predictors of satisfaction with police services. Finally, consistent with other research, level of neighborhood disorganization was also a significant predictor of satisfaction with police services. Our results indicate a respondent’s perception of the neighborhood and community they live in are more important factors than actual contact with law enforcement officials.