Neighborhood Differences in Attitudes toward Policing: Evidence for a Mixed-Strategy Model of Policing in a Multi-Ethnic Setting

Abstract

There are prevalent in society two general conceptions of the duties of the police officer. Middle class people feel that he should enforce the law without fear or favor. Cornerville people and many of the officers themselves believe that the policeman should have the confidence of the people in his area so that he can settle many difficulties in a personal manner without making arrests. These two conceptions are in a large measure contradictory.' William Foote Whyte made these general observations more than forty years ago in Street Corner Society. The sharply contrasting social pressures that existed in different neighborhoods were important consequences of urban life. Whyte noted, more specifically, that the police must adapt to these different standards of acceptable conduct prevalent in different neighborhoods.2 His observations have been echoed by many,3 but tested by few. Other researchers have continued Whyte's theme that in the context of community policing, effective policing requires an understanding of the different citizens' expectations and values toward police practices.4

Race, Class or Neighborhood Context: Which Matters More in Measuring Satisfaction with Police?

“…However, the impact of individual class does not persist when neighborhood class level is included in the analysis, suggesting that it is neighborhood class status, rather than individual class status, that matters more in measuring satisfaction with police. This finding echoes the results from a handful of previous studies (i.e., Dunham & Alpert, 1988;Weitzer, 1999Weitzer, , 2000. Moreover, neighborhood class level is also pivotal in conditioning the effect of individual racial background on satisfaction with police.…”

“…For instance, Dunham and Alpert (1988) found that residents of one middle-class and one lower-class predominantly Black neighborhood generally held more negative attitudes toward police than those who lived in the White neighborhood, but there were attitudinal variations between Blacks in the two Black neighborhoods. They thus concluded that neighborhood differences in attitudes toward police went beyond traditional racial distinctions and that the main factors defining neighborhoods included both racial make-up and socioeconomic status.…”

“…Some research went further to incorporate individuals' personal or vicarious experiences, such as victimization and contact with police, into the analysis (e.g., Cao, Frank, & Cullen, 1996;Correia, Reisig, & Lovrich, 1996;Dean, 1980;Homant, Kennedy, & Fleming, 1984;Koenig, 1980;Priest & Carter, 1999;Tewksbury & West, 2001;Weitzer & Tuch, 2002). Recently interest in studying the impact of neighborhood contexts on residents' perceptions of police has emerged (e.g., Cao et al, 1996;Dunham & Alpert, 1988;Reisig & Parks, 2000Sampson & Jeglum-Bartusch, 1998;Weitzer, 1999Weitzer, , 2000Weitzer & Tuch, 2004a, 2005a, 2005b.…”

“…Some researchers find that the effect of race or ethnicity is not significant when neighborhood contextual variables are simultaneously considered (e.g., Cao et al, 1996;Jesilow, Meyer, & Namazzi, 1995;Sampson & Jeglum-Bartusch, 1998;Schuman & Gruenberg, 1972). Others specifically suggest that neighborhood class status plays an equally important, if not greater, role in determining satisfaction with police (Dunham & Alpert, 1988;Weitzer, 1999Weitzer, , 2000. Although studies continue to report a significant racial effect even after introducing contextual variables (e.g., Garcia & Cao, 2005;Reisig & Parks, 2000;Webb & Marshall, 1995), more research clearly is needed to clarify the influences of race and class on citizens' attitudes toward police.…”

Police-Community Relations in Cincinnati

“…Dunham and Alpert (1988), studying five ethnic and racially distinct neighborhoods in Miami, found a high degree of consensus within each neighborhood about the police and police practices. Residents of two distinctly different black neighborhoods (lower income versus middle income) held less favorable views on the issues of police use of discretion (whom the police would stop or arrest) and the police department's overall demeanor (respectful versus disrespectful) than did residents of white and Cuban neighborhoods.…”