Procedural Justice and Community Policing-What Shapes Residents' Willingness to Participate in Crime Prevention Programs?

Citizen involvement is an essential component of community policing. This study identifies factors that shape citizens' willingness to participate in police programs designed to improve public safety. Two questions are addressed. Do citizens' procedural justice assessments influence their willingness to assist police in crime prevention efforts? Is the effect of procedural justice on participation willingness similar across local communities with different levels of property crime? Using mail survey data from 1,056 adult residents and police crime records, the results show that citizens who judge police practices to be fair and respectful are more willing to participate in crime prevention programs. The findings also show that the influence of procedural justice judgments on citizens' willingness to participate is relatively stable across local communities with low, moderate, and high levels of property crime.