Police visibility as an influencing factor on citizens' perception of safety

Krunoslav Borovec (Author), Iva Balgač (Author), Irena Cajner Mraović (Author)

Abstract

Purpose: The objective of this research was to determine to what extent tactics based on police visibility can influence one of the important segments of safety, i.e. citizens’ subjective feeling of safety. The research was conducted in order to determine the connection among various aspects of police visibility, being predictor variables, with sense of safety. Design/Methods/Approach: The data for this research were collected on a sample containing 1,096 respondents, which can be considered representative of the Republic of Croatia based on socio-demographic characteristics. Beside seven socio-demgraphic variables, the questionnaire used in the research contained 34 variables found in following sub-scales for: perception of crime victimization risk and frequency; perception of feeling of safety and assessment of self-protection ability; perception of incivilities that disrupt the public order; perception of the presence of problematic categories of persons; perception of police visibility. The data were processed by using multivariate regression and multivariate quasi-canonical analyses. Findings: The research results point to a statistically significant, yet relatively weak connection between the components of police visibility and the sense of safety. On the one hand, police foot patrols and dealings towards persons disrupting public order in the neighbourhood have a positive effect on citizens’ feeling of safety; on the other hand, police car patrols have an opposite effect. Practical Implications: This research is important not only due to providing scientific evidence for the connection between police visibility and citizens’ sense of safety, but also due to significant practical implications on police dealings. When planning police fieldwork, negative aspects of car patrols on the perception of safety have to be taken into account. What should be considered are new, alternative forms of fieldwork, which enable the intervention ability of police, as well as which allow for foot patrols and contacts between citizens and the police in non-incident situations. Originality/Value: This research is the first research focusing on the influence of police visibility on the feeling of safety of citizens in Croatia. Considering the used metodology the research is an original scientifical contribution to the understanding of the impact of police field work to citizens’ safety.

Keywords

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Data

Language:	English
Year of publishing:	2019
Typology:	1.01 - Original Scientific Article
Organization:	UM FVV - Faculty of Criminal Justice
UDC:	351.741
COBISS:	3788778
ISSN:	1580-0253
Parent publication:	Varstvoslovje
Views:	380
Downloads:	51
Average score:	0 (0 votes)
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Other data

Secondary language:	Slovenian
Secondary title:	Vidnost policije kot dejavnik vpliva na občutek varnosti državljanov
Secondary abstract:	Namen prispevka: Cilj te raziskave je bil ugotoviti, v kolikšni meri lahko taktike, ki temeljijo na vidnosti oz. prisotnosti policije, vplivajo na enega od pomembnih segmentov varnosti, torej na subjektivni občutek varnosti državljanov. Raziskava je bila izvedena z namenom, da se ugotovi povezava med različnimi vidiki vidnosti oz. prisotnosti policije, na podlagi katere lahko poskušamo napovedati občutke varnosti pri prebivalcih. Metode: V raziskavo je bil vključen vzorec 1.096 anketirancev iz Republike Hrvaške, katerega reprezentativnost temelji na sociodemografskih značilnostih. Poleg sedmih sociodemografskih spremenljivk je anketni vprašalnik vseboval 34 spremenljivk, ki so razvrščene v naslednje sklope: zaznavanje tveganja za kriminalitetno viktimizacijo in njena pogostost; zaznavanje občutka varnosti in ocenjevanje sposobnosti samozaščite; zaznavanje nespoštljivosti, ki moti javni red; zaznavanje prisotnosti spornih kategorij oseb; zaznavanje vidnosti oz. prisotnosti policije. Pri obdelavi podatkov je bila uporabljena metoda multivariatne regresije in multivariatne kvazikanonične analize. Ugotovitve: Rezultati raziskave kažejo na statistično pomembno, a razmeroma šibko povezavo med vidnostjo policije in občutkom varnosti. Po eni strani imajo policijske peš patrulje in ukvarjanje z osebami, ki motijo javni red v soseščini, pozitiven učinek na občutek varnosti državljanov, po drugi strani pa imajo policijske patrulje z avtomobili ravno nasproten učinek. Praktična uporabnost: Raziskava je pomembna ne le zaradi zagotavljanja znanstvenih dokazov o povezavi med vidnostjo oz. prisotnostjo policije in občutkom varnosti državljanov, temveč tudi zaradi pomembnih praktičnih posledic za policijsko delo. Pri načrtovanju policijskega terenskega dela je treba upoštevati negativne vidike avtomobilskih patrulj glede zaznavanja varnosti. Upoštevati je treba nove, alternativne oblike terenskega dela, ki omogočajo intervencijo policije in stike med državljani in policijo v nekriznih situacijah. Izvirnost/pomembnost prispevka: Gre za prvo raziskavo, ki se osredotoča na vpliv vidnosti oz. prisotnosti policije na občutek varnosti hrvaških državljanov. Glede na uporabljene metode je raziskava izvirni znanstveni prispevek k razumevanju vpliva policijskega terenskega dela na zaznavanje varnosti državljanov.
Secondary keywords:	vidnost policije;avtomobilska policijska patrulja;policijske peš patrulje;občutek varnosti;strah pred kriminaliteto;zaznavanje kriminalitete;
Type (COBISS):	Scientific work
Pages:	str. 135-160
Volume:	ǂLetn. ǂ21
Issue:	ǂšt. ǂ2
Chronology:	2019
ID:	11506413