This Article Full Text (OnlineFirst[PDF]) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Google Scholar Articles by Sprott, J. B. Articles by Doob, A. N. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

The Effect of Urban Neighborhood Disorder on Evaluations of the Police and Courts

¹ Ryerson University
² University of Toronto

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jsprott{at}ryerson.ca.

	Abstract

Are people dissatisfied with the courts as well as the police when they perceive high levels of disorder in their neighborhoods? Consistent with previous research, this study, using a representative sample of Canadian adults, demonstrates that people are significantly more negative about the police when they perceive high levels of disorder. They are not, however, more negative toward the courts when confronted with these social problems. It is possible that they have heard the police rhetoric—namely, that the police form the "thin blue line" between order and chaos. Although the public holds the police and the courts responsible for increasing rates of crime, victimization, and fear, they do not see the courts as being responsible for neighborhood disorder, which they see as being the sole responsibility of the police.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?