Third-party crime reporting: examining the effects of perceived social cohesion and confidence in police effectiveness

Abstract

ABSTRACT While some research suggests perceptions of social cohesion and confidence in police effectiveness influence reporting decisions among victims of crime, no study has examined whether these influences predict reporting among third parties. This paper investigates reporting behaviors of third parties using survey data from Kentucky. Results indicate higher perceptions of neighborhood social cohesion are associated with a decreased likelihood of third-party crime reporting, but that confidence in police effectiveness is a non-significant predictor. These relationships stand partially in contrast to findings from the victim reporting literature, which has shown a positive relationship between perceptions of social cohesion and reporting. These results also challenge the argument that confidence in police effectiveness plays a central role in peoples’ crime reporting decisions.