Satisfaction with the Police: Perceptions and Related Variables from an Urban Community Sample

A study in Porto's Historic Centre reveals that community satisfaction with police performance is primarily driven by perceptions of rising criminality and the belief that security measures need improvement. While residents generally approve of police efforts to ensure safety, dissatisfaction correlates with personal victimization experiences and environmental factors such as perceived incivilities. Sociodemographic variables like length of residency or attachment to the area did not influence satisfaction levels. The research highlights critical areas for intervention to strengthen community-police relations and enhance security perceptions in urban heritage contexts.

Sani, A. I., Azevedo, V., Paulo, D., Magalhães, M., & Nunes, L. M. (2022). Satisfaction with the Police: Perceptions and Related Variables from an Urban Community Sample. Social Sciences, 11(2), 79. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11020079