Perceptions of Police and Public Safety: Baselines for Policy Response

Pine Bluff, Arkansas is a small town located approximately one hour southeast of the state capital, Little Rock. While the town has fewer than 50,000 residents, it is perennially listed as one of the poorest and most dangerous U. S. cities. In 2012, there were 18 murders (a per capita rate seven times the national average). These figures are especially troubling, given the town’s small population. The local police administration has expressed a desire to adopt new and innovative policing strategies to help address citizen concerns and reduce the crime rate. This presentation will report preliminary findings from a survey of Pine Bluff residents that measures perceptions of public safety, satisfaction with current police services and other salient local issues, prior to the implementation of wide scale problem-oriented and other data-driven policing strategies.