Perception of safety and cooperativeness among police officers serving in public areas, and identification of public security problems in Fejér County

Abstract

Aim: As part of Árpád Budavári’s doctoral research entitled “Chances of police reform and community-based” policing, the authors conducted a survey in 2020–2021 among the police officers serving in the public areas of the Fejér County Police Headquarters, to investigate the policemen’s understanding of security, their cooperativeness, and to identify of public security problems in Fejér county. Methodology: The hypothesis of the survey is that the police show signs of cooperative problem solving with communities in society, and it is also possible to identify intervention needs that can improve the problem sensitivity and cooperative competences of the police. The results of the survey on a sample 310 policemen were compared with the results of a survey on a sample of 500 citizens in Székesfehérvár conducted in 2016, which was used to assess the extent to which the understanding of security and the perception of security actors are the same and the extent to which they differ between the two target groups. Findings: The results of the survey clearly show the recognition of the importance of cooperation with the public and the demand for cooperation. It is observed, however, that this is hindered by several factors. It can also be concluded that members of police do not currently recognise the importance and effectiveness of public security institutions other than the police. Further research is needed to reveal the reasons behind this phenomenon. Value: By comparing the opinions of the police with those of the public, and by revealing the willingness of police officers to cooperate, the research results will contribute to the diagnosis of the state of the police and to the identification of the needs for change.