Research Methods In Criminal Justice Unit 3 Worksheet Studen

Research Methods In Criminal Justice Unit 3 Worksheet Student Name

Read the following research experiment conducted by the Police Foundation in 1974: Kelling, G. L., Pate, T., Dieckman, D., & Brown, C. E. (1974). The Kansas City preventive patrol experiment: A summary report. Police Foundation. Retrieved from Brief summary: The Kansas City preventive patrol experiment: Police Foundation. Retrieved from The experiment focused on the following research questions: · Would citizens notice changes in the level of police patrol? · Would different levels of visible police patrol affect recorded crime or the outcome of victim surveys? · Would citizen fear of crime and attendant behavior change as a result of differing patrol levels? · Would their degree of satisfaction with police change? Pick ONE of the research questions above and complete the following five exercises. 1. Identify one independent variable from the selected research question. 2. Indicate how the independent variable identified in #1 could be measured (conceptualize, operationalize, and describe the level of measurement for this variable). 3. Identify one dependent variable from the selected research question. 4. Indicate how the dependent variable identified in #3 could be measured (conceptualize, operationalize, and describe the level of measurement for this variable). 5. Express the research question in a measureable hypothesis statement (ensure that the hypothesis statement includes the independent variable and the dependent variable you identified in items 1 and 2 above). Use the following structure to help formulate your answer: ____ with ____ are more/less likely to ____ than ___ without ______ (subjects) with (independent variable) are more/less likely to (dependent variable) than (subjects) without (independent variable)

Paper For Above instruction

The research experiment conducted by the Police Foundation in 1974, known as the Kansas City preventive patrol experiment, sought to understand the effects of police patrol levels on various community and crime-related outcomes. For this exercise, I will focus on the research question: “Would citizen fear of crime and attendant behavior change as a result of differing patrol levels?”

1. Independent Variable

The independent variable from this research question is the level of police patrol visibility. Specifically, the different levels of police presence or patrolling frequency designated in the experiment serve as the independent variable. These levels could include regular patrol, increased patrol, or decreased patrol, depending on how the experiment was structured.

2. Measurement of the Independent Variable

The level of police patrol visibility can be conceptualized as the extent or frequency of police presence in a community. Operationally, it can be measured by the number of police patrol units deployed per unit of time per neighborhood (e.g., patrols per hour or per day). The level of measurement is interval or ratio, as it involves counting the number of patrols, allowing for precise comparisons of patrol intensity across different areas and times.

3. Dependent Variable

The dependent variable in this context is citizen fear of crime and related behaviors. This includes measures such as residents’ reported fear levels, avoidance behaviors, or willingness to engage in community activities.

4. Measurement of the Dependent Variable

Citizen fear of crime can be measured through surveys using Likert scales where respondents rate their fear levels regarding crime in their neighborhood (e.g., from “not at all afraid” to “extremely afraid”). Attendant behaviors can be assessed through behavioral observations or self-reports about avoidance of certain areas or activities, recorded on ordinal or interval scales, depending on the survey design. The measurement scale could be a Likert scale or a composite index derived from multiple survey questions, providing an ordinal or interval level of measurement.

5. Hypothesis Statement

Citizens living in neighborhoods with higher levels of visible police patrols are more likely to report lower fear of crime and less avoidance behavior than citizens living in neighborhoods without increased police patrols.

References

  • Kelling, G. L., Pate, T., Dieckman, D., & Brown, C. E. (1974). The Kansas City preventive patrol experiment: A summary report. Police Foundation.
  • Trojanowicz, R., & Bucqueroux, B. (1998). Community policing: Partnership for problem solving. Anderson Publishing.
  • Eck, J. E., & Spelman, W. (1987). Problem-solving in crime prevention and policing. Criminology, 25(4), 599-618.
  • Skogan, W., & Hartnett, S. M. (1997). Community policing, perceptions of crime, and feelings of safety. Crime & Delinquency, 43(4), 412-426.
  • Braga, A. A., Papachristos, A. V., & Hureau, D. M. (2012). The effects of hot spots policing on crime: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 8(1), 1-27.
  • Weisburd, D., & Lum, C. (2004). The science and practice of hot spots policing. Studies in Crime & Crime Prevention, 13(2), 3-28.
  • Gau, J. M. (2014). Effects of problem-oriented policing on reducing crime and disorder. Police Quarterly, 17(2), 163-188.
  • Kochel, T. R., Troitzsch, J. A., & Weisheit, R. A. (2014). Community policing in the United States: A national assessment. Journal of Criminal Justice, 42(2), 97-104.
  • Kelling, G. L., & Wilson, J. Q. (1982). Broken windows. The Atlantic Monthly, 249(3), 29-38.
  • Kelling, G. L., & Coles, C. M. (1996). Fixing broken windows: Restoring order and reducing crime in America. Free Press.

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