NCJ Number
38656
Date Published
1975
Length
160 pages
Annotation
THESIS ILLUSTRATES THAT THE PROBLEMS FOUND IN THE POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP ARE PART OF THE PROBLEMS OF SOCIETY IN GENERAL, AND THAT DRASTIC CHANGES ARE NEEDED BOTH WITHIN SOCIETY AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
Abstract
USING ADOLESCENT YOUTH AS A MODEL, THE AUTHOR ATTEMPTS TO QUANTIFY THE PROBLEM OF POLICE-CITIZEN INTERACTION BY MEASURING THE ATTITUDE GAP BETWEEN YOUTH AND POLICE. YOUTHS' ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE ARE EVALUATED THROUGH QUESTIONNAIRES, AND THE RESULTS ARE EXPRESSED WITH STATISTICS AND EXPLICATED IN THE TEXT. ALSO EXAMINED IS THE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE POLICE OFFICERS' IDEA OF THE DEFINITION OF THEIR ROLE AND THE YOUTHS' INTERPRETATION OF THE ROLE OF THE POLICE. THE SECOND PART OF THE THESIS EXPLORES THE QUESTIONS OF TO WHAT EXTENT ARE POLICE OFFICERS GUILTY OF CREATING THE GAP AND WHAT IS BEING DONE TO BRIDGE THAT GAP. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)...KAP