Community Policing and the Public's Perception of Police Misconduct

The influence of sociodemographic characteristics, level of contact with the police, perceptions of police effectiveness, willingness to partner with police and community engagement on a citizen's perceptions of police fairness, police professionalism, police legitimacy, and police satisfaction were investigated in this study. A quantitative, nonexperimental, correlational design was used for this research study. The sample (n = 152) consisted of adults within a large metropolitan city located in the Northeast section of the United States and was determined by using a multistage cluster sample. Data was collected over a three-month period using a 42-question Likert-type survey that was distributed via door-to-door canvassing. This took place across two police zones, each encompassing 13-15 socially-diverse neighborhoods of the Northeastern city. The data was analyzed using a multiple linear regression, which indicated a significant positive relationship between the public’s perception of police effectiveness and their perception of fairness, professionalism, legitimacy, and satisfaction. However, for police contact, there was a significant negative relationship between when an individual’s immediate family member had indirect police contact and an individual’s perception of professionalism and satisfaction