Degrees of Urbanism and Police Orientations: Testing Preferences for Different Policing Approaches Across Urban, Suburban, and Rural Areas

Abstract

Citizen preferences for different police orientations have seldom been studied as a variable that is affected by degrees of urbanism. Although actual police styles are perceived to reflect preferences of local residents, there is no empirical evidence that suggests this is true. The data for this study was collected by surveying residents living in areas with various levels of urbanism to understand whether degrees of urbanism explain differences in preferences for different policing approaches across urban, suburban, and rural areas. The results indicated that urban residents have a stronger preference for community policing, suburban residents have a greater preference for police professionalism, and rural residents have a stronger interest in problem-oriented policing. The findings are explained with various personal, social, and contextual predictors, and their implications for policing are discussed.

Policy, Place, and Perpetrators: Using NIBRS to Explain Arrest Practices in Intimate Partner Violence

“…Other community factors identified in the literature that may also be important to understanding the dynamics of intimate partner violence and the law enforcement response include socioeconomic measures and service availability (Gallup- Black, 2005;Hochstein & Thurman, 2006). Finally, victim preferences for police responses have been found to vary across communities (Jiao, 2001) and may influence the likelihood of arrest. These are important areas for further investigation.…”

“…Researchers examining this topic address how organizations have evolved as a result of the social organization and politics associated with particular agencies. For example, Jiao (2001) found that residents in urban areas prefer community policing, suburban residents favor police professionalism, and inhabitants of rural areas a problem-oriented police style. Despite the attention that has been given to community context, little systematic research has been conducted to empirically determine the effects of police organizational characteristics in general and community context in particular on arrest practices in domestic violence incidents.…”

“…However, there remain important questions about the use of arrest as a uniform response. A major concern is that police practices are influenced by characteristics of the communities where victims live (Jiao, 2001).…”

An Integrated Contextual Model of Confidence in Local Police

“…Rural residents seriously expect police to solve noncrime problems (Jiao, 2001). Perhaps because crime is generally lower in these locations, solving such problems looms larger in residents' expectations of what police routinely can address.…”

The Routine of Mass Murder in China

“…In the United States, problem-oriented policing is preferred in rural areas (Jiao, 2001), and the perception of safety is more heavily influenced by the quality of police contact in rural areas (Nofziger & Williams, 2005). But in China, especially in the rural areas, police officers often display a very high tolerance of interpersonal violence (Chu & Sun, 2010).…”