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Neighborhood Organizations and Resident Assistance to Police 1
Author(s) -
Hawdon James,
Ryan John
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
sociological forum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.937
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1573-7861
pISSN - 0884-8971
DOI - 10.1111/j.1573-7861.2011.01289.x
Subject(s) - witness , criminology , crime control , legitimacy , social control , cohesion (chemistry) , control (management) , perception , law enforcement , sociology , public relations , police department , community policing , criminal justice , political science , psychology , law , management , social science , politics , chemistry , organic chemistry , neuroscience , economics
Police and scholars note that successful crime fighting requires police and residents to “co‐produce” public safety. However, residents are often reluctant to get involved in policing initiatives or even report crimes they witness. One possible means of stimulating resident involvement in crime‐control activities is through neighborhood organizations. This research, conducted on 1,313 residents of 42 neighborhoods in western South Carolina, investigates whether neighborhood organization participation increases the likelihood of assisting police in crime‐control efforts. Results indicate that organization participants are more likely to assist police than are nonparticipants, even after controlling for social cohesion, perceptions of police legitimacy, various policing strategies, fear of crime, and demographic factors.