Public perceptions of police crime control in South Korea

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine public perceptions of police efforts to control crime in South Korea. Design/methodology/approach The data were gathered from surveys administered to college students in the Seoul-Gyeonggi Province metropolitan area. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the impact of gender, fear of crime and perceived risk of victimization on diffuse and specific perceptions of police performance. Findings The respondents did not view the police favorably. Fewer than half the respondents reported that the police do a good job of controlling drunk driving, approximately a quarter reported that the police do a good job of controlling burglary and investigating homicide and roughly a fifth reported believing that the police effectively control crime. Violent victimization and fear of violent victimization had a significant negative impact on confidence in the police. Practical implications The data suggest that informing the public about the low risk of violent victimization and other publicity campaigns designed to reduce fear of violence may foster confidence in the police. Originality/value This study identifies subtle similarities and differences in the structure of public perceptions of the police between Eastern and Western nations. Additionally, the data indicate there is a need for greater specificity in measures of public perceptions of the police.