Social Control Police

Social control is essential to maintain the underlying social structure of society. Laws implemented by the police department are a form of social control established to keep peace and eliminate crime within communities. It is important to analyze how the public perceives their community police because it aids in helping to decipher which reforms should be enacted to improve the police and community relationship and effectively fight crime. It is not only policing behaviors that affect public attitudes, but other elements on the micro and mezzo levels which influence public perceptions of police officers.
This paper will analyze how the public currently perceives the police department, in addition to identifying specific elements that affect a person’s and community change in attitude towards police. The questions that will be addressed are: 1.) what level of confidence does the public currently have for police officers and the way they handle acts of crime?
2.) How does the social class of an individual act as a determinant towards perceptions of police?
3.) In what way do community characteristics promote its residents to have a positive or cynical attitude towards the police?
Until the mid 1990s the public has given positive feedback on the police preventing crime and protecting citizens. But there were specific sectors of society who tend to maintain a negative opinion toward police officials. According to the Department of Justice’ Studies reaching back to the 1960s have consistently found that black citizens evaluate the police more negatively than white citizens, that young people evaluate the police more negatively than older Americans, and that males evaluate the police more negatively than females.’ (Joel