This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 0011128707306689v1 55/3/339    most recent References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map 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 Citing Articles Citing Articles via Scopus 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

Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, jsprott{at}ryerson.ca

Anthony N. Doob

University of Toronto, Ontario

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.

Key Words: perceptions of police • perceptions of the courts • neighborhood disorder

This version was published on July 1, 2009

Crime & Delinquency, Vol. 55, No. 3, 339-362 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0011128707306689


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