Citizen support for community policing in China
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine Chinese college students' support for community policing.
Design/methodology/approach
Ordinary least squares regression was used to investigate support for community policing based on survey data collected from over 400 college students.
Findings
Results showed that college students in general had positive attitudes toward the philosophy and practices of community policing. Support for community policing was significantly related to concerns of crime, perceptions of police, and attachment to conventional society. Individual background characteristics had no significant effect on support for community policing.
Research limitations/implications
The use of a college student sample has its weaknesses in that findings of this study have a limited generalizability, and some important predictors in explaining public perceptions, such as neighborhood characteristics, were not included. Future research should collect data from the general public and examine public attitudes toward different elements of community policing, and both perceptual and behavioral dimensions of support for community policing.
Originality/value
This study represents the first attempt to examine Chinese perceptions of community policing empirically. Uncovering factors that affect public support for community policing can provide useful references for police administrators to develop policies and practices that encourage more active community involvement in crime control.
Keywords
Citation
Wu, Y., Jiang, S. and Lambert, E. (2011), "Citizen support for community policing in China", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 34 No. 2, pp. 285-303. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639511111131094
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2011, Emerald Group Publishing Limited