The Effects Of Police Satisfaction On Fear Of Crime In A Semirural Setting

This study examines the relationship between citizen's police satisfaction and fear of crime. Fear of crime and police satisfaction are often studied in major cities and in separate analyses. Our study contributes to and adds updated context to the existing literature by examining the impact of these variables in a small semirural city. Multivariate analyses revealed that police satisfaction and fear of crime were related and that lower levels of police satisfaction were associated with higher levels of fear. Results also indicated that women, older individuals, and those who perceive greater levels of physical disorder had greater levels of fear. The data used for this project were collected via telephone survey. The implications of these methods and findings are also discussed.