Perceptions of police performance in a rapid-growth community
| Author | Carol M Huynh |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/14613557221089559 |
| Published date | 01 December 2022 |
| Date | 01 December 2022 |
| Subject Matter | Original Research Articles |
Perceptions of police performance
in a rapid-growth community
Carol M Huynh
Department of Criminal Justice, North Carolina Central University, USA
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess citizens’perceptions of police performance in a small, rural community that is
experiencing rapid population growth. This unique setting differs from other cities and towns because of the pressure that
it places on local police to respond quickly and effectively to rapid social changes. A multi-stage random sampling tech-
nique was used to gather 380 surveys completed by residents living in Williston, North Dakota during the fall of 2015.
The findings revealed that, in general, residents believed that the police were doing a good job addressing community
concerns; however, the analysis also revealed that such views were impacted by previous victimization experiences
and fear of victimization. In addition, the results indicated that participant sex was significantly related to the perceived
ability of police to maintain order on the streets, whereas marital status and the frequency of reading the regional news-
paper were significantly related to the perceived ability of police to control crime in the neighborhood.
Keywords
Perceptions of police, police functions, rapid population growth
Submitted 17 Dec 2020, Revise received 10 Aug 2021, accepted 3 Mar 2022
Perceptions of police performance in a
rapid-growth community
In the United States,the police perform a variety of functions
(Bittner, 1970; Kelling and Moore, 1988; S Walker, 1977).
Traditionally, police are expected to control crime, maintain
order, enforcethe law, and provide service to the community
(Bittner, 1970; Trojanowicz and Bucqueroux, 1990; S
Walker, 1977).Although this list can vary and/or encompass
other responsibilities with shifts in the policing paradigm,
these core functions continue to be regarded with the
utmost importance by policing officials (Ortiz et al., 200 7;
Zhao et al., 2003).
To determine whether the police are meeting expecta-
tions, researchers have utilized surveys to assess citizens’
perceptions of police performance. However, many of
these studies have been conducted in large, urban settings;
thereby, telling us little about this topic in the context of
smaller communities (Fyfe, 2010; Pelfrey, 2007; Prine
et al., 2001). It is unfortunate that more research is not avail-
able on non-urban places given that approximately half of
police departments in the United States employ only 10
or fewer sworn police officers (Banks et al., 2016).
There are clear differences between police departments
in large cities and departments located in small, rural
towns. For instance, urban police agencies have greater
access to financial support compared with rural police
departments, which are often underfunded (Ashcroft
et al., 2004; Falcone et al., 2002; Oliver and Meier,
2004). This means that urban agencies are more likely
than small agencies to have access to new technology,
equipment, computers, vehicles, and cameras for improving
their efficiency and outcomes (Ashcroft et al., 2004;
Corresponding author:
Carol M Huynh, Department of Criminal Justice, North Carolina Central
University, 1801 Fayetteville Street, Durham, NC 27705, USA.
Email: chuynh@nccu.edu
Original Research Article
International Journal of
Police Science & Management
2022, Vol. 24(4) 356–368
© The Author(s) 2022
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DOI: 10.1177/14613557221089559
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