Neighbourhood Watch Programmes in Taiwan: Police Attitudes, Crime Rate and Community Support

International Journal of Police Science & Management

2008

This study examines attitudinal differences between Taiwanese and American police officers. Data used in this research were collected from two Taiwanese cities, Taipei and Kaohsiung, and two American cities, Indianapolis and St Petersburg. Occupational attitudes are assessed along four dimensions: order maintenance, community building, selective enforcement and distrust of citizens. The results indicate that, compared with their American counterparts, Taiwanese officers are more likely to support community building and distrust of citizens and less likely to favour selective enforcement. Taiwanese and American officers, however, do not differ much in their attitudes toward order maintenance. Implications for future research and policy are discussed.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comparison of Occupational Attitudes between Taiwanese and American Police Officers

Sun

International Journal of Police Science & Management

2008

“…Unfortunately, with the exception of Lee et al (1998) and Cheurprakobkit et al (2001), who investigated neighborhood watch programs in Taipei, there are no empirical studies describing the depth or other aspects of community policing in Taiwan. Consequently, the current study's measure of attitudinal and behavioral involvement in COP activities by Taiwanese line officers in the city of Tainan is an attempt to begin filling that void.…”

Section: The Emergence Of Cop In Taiwanmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…By 2000 it had dropped to approximately 9.9%, and by 2004 it declined to 5.9% (National Police Agency 2006b). We might assume, although it is only speculative, that the collective influences of police strategies (see Lee, Cheurprakobkit, & Denq, 1998) and organizational reforms coupled with a new police service philosophy that embraced the tenets of COP had begun to have some positive affects on crime, at least on juvenile crime. 2 However, as might be expected with any innovation to address social problems of this nature, there were growing pains.…”

Section: The Emergence Of Cop In Taiwanmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Two studies conducted about 10 years after the introduction of neighborhood watch programs in Taipei, by Lee et al (1998) and a follow-on study by Cheurprakobkit, Denq and Lee (2001) found that Taiwanese police officers believed that neighborhood watch programs helped to reduce crime, that participating in neighborhood watch programs was an important and positive aspect of their job, that maintaining good police-community relation was important, and that they were willing to implement innovative crime prevention strategies in their daily work routines. A third study, which surveyed 12,418 victims in Taipei in 2000, and the police responses to their victimization, also found that 69.6% of victims were satisfied with the police services they received (Mon, 2003).…”

Section: The Emergence Of Cop In Taiwanmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Comparative Perspective of Community Policing in Taiwan and Washington State

Gingerich

2007

Asian Criminology

This study explores the attitudes and behaviors of Taiwanese police officers regarding community oriented policing (COP) by comparing their attitudes and behaviors with those of officers in Washington State. Data used in the study were collected from 375 Taiwanese line officers assigned to the city of Tainan and 167 American line officers from various police and sheriffs' departments in Washington State. The study finds that (1) Taiwanese and American officers hold similar opinions of COP's potential to reduce crime;(2) both groups are similarly involved in implementing the various strategies of COP; yet (3) American officers are more involved in formulating (planning/devising) COP strategies; and (4) are more receptive to citizen involvement in COP; while (5) Taiwanese officers are more receptive to civilian oversight, and (6) are more amenable to applying COP outcomes for evaluative purposes than are their American counterparts. Policy implications and areas for future research are discussed.

“…By the 1980s, in response to public demands for better government (Hsiao, 1990) and concern about rising crime rates (Cheurprakobkit, Denq, & Lee, 2001; Lee, Cheurprakobkit, & Denq, 1999; Mon, 2003) including organized crime (Chin, 2003), senior officials of the NPA accelerated the process of modernization (Yen, 1987). By the 1990s, they were moving the NPA toward a community policing model of service (Cao & Dai, 2006; Chang, 1995; Chang & Wang, 2006; Gingerich & Chu, 2006a, 2006b; Lee et al., 1999). Importantly, the NPA also became very transparent, communicating their accomplishments, long‐term plans, policies, procedures, and related information to the public in both print and electronic reports (see, e.g., Ministry of the Interior, National Police Administration, 2005).…”

Section: Policing During the Post‐chiang Era (1987–present)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Public Perceptions of Police Performance in Taiwan: A Historical Review (1945–2009)

Gingerich

Asian Politics and Policy

Chang

2011

This study offers a historical review and analysis of public perceptions of police performance in Taiwan spanning the 64‐year history of Taiwan's National Police Agency (NPA). Data for the study were drawn from several sources, including selected waves of the Taiwan Social Change Survey, Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index, the World Values Survey, the Taiwan Public Safety and Police Service Survey, a Gallup survey, and a survey conducted by the authors. The findings indicate that there has been a gradual but steady improvement in public perceptions of police performance in three perceptual areas: perceptions of police officers in general, perceptions of police service, and perceptions of police corruption. Additionally, the increasingly positive opinion of the police parallels Taiwan's political transition from authoritarian rule to full democracy and the subsequent professionalization of the NPA. However, despite the positive trend, three issues continue to concern the public: service attitudes, investigative effectiveness, and police corruption. Policy implications for law enforcement administration are discussed.