Satisfaction with Police Services among Residents of Elizabethton, Tennessee.

Within the last forty years, numerous studies have been conducted to determine what variables affect citizens\u27 satisfaction with police services. The present study, using survey responses from 100 residents in one city in upper East Tennessee, measured citizens\u27 satisfaction with police services based on their own police-citizen contacts and neighborhood conditions and determined what types of police services the citizens desired or thought were important. A significant difference was found in satisfaction with police services when compared by race, polite and fair treatment by the police, the type of contact with police, and visibility of patrol cars in neighborhoods. However, no significant difference was found in satisfaction with police services when compared by socioeconomic status, night walking safety, and prior victimization. It was also found that citizens felt the greatest needs of their local police department were more officers and a police station open 24 hours a day