Case Studies with Questions and Answers
Chapter 04: The Police and Community Perception
The police department for the City of Los Angeles, California is having a problem with its image. Specifically, the perception that the public has of the police department is extremely negative. This is due in part to recent history and its much publicized examples of police brutality. The Beating of Rodney King on March 31, 1991 by police officers of the Los Angeles Police Department has strained the relationship between the African American community and the police department. Thus negatively affecting that the public has of the police department.
In theory the City of Los Angeles Police Department understands that all individuals should be treated the same. However, in practice that has not always happened. Relationships are built up over time, interactions with the community and the media will have an impact on those relations.
Although the City of Los Angeles Police Department is using a combination of a traditional policing strategy and a community policing strategy it is still not viewed positively by the community that it services. The City of Los Angeles police department would like to better understand what demographic factors affect the public's perception of the police department and why? Additionally, the city of Los Angeles police department would also like to understand what they need to do better to improve the perception that the public has of them.
In order to accomplish their task the Los Angeles Police Department will utilize a community policing strategy to get citizen input about their performance from a number of sources.