Drivers of perceived safety: do they differ in contexts where violence and police saturation feel ‘normal’?

ABSTRACT

Feelings of safety vary by context, with disordered, high-crime areas typically generating more fear among residents. However, scholars have suggested that when violence permeates the daily routines in an area, it can begin to feel ‘normal.’ Residents may become desensitized to the risky conditions and grow accustomed to a high police presence, more aggressive tactics, and being stopped by police. Thus, lived differences with crime and police may alter the lens through which residents interpret environmental cues about their safety. The current study draws on 820 household surveys of residents from high-, moderate- and low-violence areas in an effort to inform police and communities about strategies that promote feelings of safety within different contexts. Our findings demonstrate that collective efficacy is consistently important to residents’ feelings of safety, across all contexts. Hearing gunfire reduces feelings of safety most in the area with moderate levels of gun violence. The results imply a need to tailor safety strategies to what makes people feel safer in areas with different levels of violence.

KEYWORDS:

• Feelings of safety
• collective efficacy
• gun violence
• experiences with police
• police fairness

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical statement

The authors of this manuscript have complied with ethical principles in their treatment of individuals participating in the research described in the manuscript. The research has been reviewed and approved by the Southern Illinois University Carbondale Human Subjects Committee under protocol 17,130.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Grant # 2014-DJ-BX-1183, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. Southern Illinois University is a research partner subcontractor under the grant. Points of view or opinions contained within this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice or the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.

Notes on contributors

Tammy R. Kochel

Tammy Rinehart Kochel, PhD, is a Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice in the School of Justice and Public Safety at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She conducts applied research in partnership with police and communities, examining public perceptions of police and how policing strategies and behaviors may influence public views, crime, and community efficacy. She has given special consideration to marginalized populations, such as disadvantaged minority populations living in high-crime areas, with whom police most often interact, and their views about procedural justice, police legitimacy, and police effectiveness.

Seyvan Nouri, MS, is a Doctoral Candidate of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. His research interests include hot spot policing, police use of force, Geographic Information Systems and analysis, and advanced analyses in criminology.