In the Philadelphia neighborhoods of Cedar Grove, El Barrio, and Plymouth, where a high number of crimes are recorded, the study compares young people who are criminals and non-criminals. The high rates of crime and poverty in the regions led to their selection. The young people were selected for the study using a purposive sampling approach (Carr, Napolitano, & Keating, 2007). In addition to subject observation in each neighborhood and chain referral, the respondents were gathered from community-based groups and other sources. The study employed the use of a qualitative method of research where the respondents were asked interview questions also the use of
self-administered questioners. The respondents were given $25 each as the honorarium for the interviews and self-administered questionnaire. The study ensured strict confidentiality among the respondents. (Carr, Napolitano & Keating, 2007).
Findings of the study
The study included series of questions that the respondents were asked. On the qualitative self-report questionnaire the youths were asked whether they could call the police if they saw a group of other young people committing an offense. Most of the interviewees responded that they would not call the police with only less than 10% indicating that they would perhaps or sometimes call the police. The respondents were also to give their responses about the police in general in their neighborhoods and also to talk about their encounters and experiences they have had with the police. The study team ordered instances in which respondents indicated reaction toward the police. From the responses, a significant number of 61.8% of all the reactions of youth gave negative responses while the positive reactions were 26.3 % followed by 11.8% of the mixed results (Carr, Napolitano & Keating, 2007). Overall, the young people who gave their responses about the police were negative.
The study further sort to know the actual negative disposition indicated by the respondents. The youth reported that many of them had had bad interactions with the police; the respondents also stated that most police are ineffective in carrying out their duties. Some of the subjects also reported that the police harassed people and at the same time use excessive force and also some of the police were said to be crooks. The negative responses were maybe influenced because the respondent lives in high crime neighborhoods and with this, the people can easily say that the police are ineffective. The respondents also indicated the overall infectiveness of police to stop crime and also the poor response to reported crime.
In summary, the subjects gave their answers based their daily experiences and interactions with the police in their surroundings.
The respondents were also asked to give suggestions on how to reduce crime. Most youths suggested law enforcement should be improved in the area. They also indicated that more police should be added in their neighborhoods so that they can fight more crime effectively (Carr, Napolitano & Keating, 2007). The other main way of reducing crime, the subjects indicated that they should be the enhancement of the existing criminal justice system and also impose stringent measures on the current law.
The respondents also gave non-criminal justice solutions such as youth-centered solutions which are the provision of facilities and activities for the youth to take part. Others indicated that they wanted parents to be involved in the lives of their children especially the youths and also the need for the youths not to engage in crime or things that will make them get in trouble with the police. Some of the respondents also indicated that providing better opportunities and jobs will help the youths avoid crimes.
I am in agreement with this study because the youth in the many parts of the world face the same challenges with the subjects in the study when it comes to dealing with police and reduction of crime. Also, the youths who live in high-crime neighborhoods interact with police and the legal system more often than their peers in areas where few crimes are reported. Even though the study was not random sampling, there are no variations regarding race, gender and even age meaning none of the above influences the responses of the subjects. Even though the youths have negative encounters and responses about the police, they also believe that crime can be reduced in their neighborhoods and can be achieved if the youths changed their attitudes and perception about the police. By also having non-criminal justice solutions the youth will be able to engage in meaningful activities in their communities, and this will reduce crime to a greater extent. Young people with bad attitudes and perceptions toward the police should identify an important role they can engage in that will contribute to reducing crime.
Limitations
This study has a few limitations, it centered more on the youths from high crime neighborhood and with this, the study was biased because there was no comparison between the young people living in low crime areas. In future studies, it will be good to include respondents' middle and low crime prone areas also to get their experiences on police. The bigger comparative edge can help examine exactly how different environmental settings influence the stories of young people.
A study used on only self-reporting as a way of collecting data on the various issues which in one way or another gave a limitation of obtaining data using other forms of data collection. Researchers should find ways of combining the different ways of data collection this will help to get better ways of analyzing data and also get the young people to give as many responses as they can on police crime reduction and law enforcement. Another limitation of the study is the sample chosen is not a representative, and this gives results that can be generalized. Therefore the findings of this study cannot be used in other studies in the criminal justice system.
Way forward
The lessons learnt from this study regarding public policy is that there is hope because youths living in high crime neighborhoods are not all certain that they will be estranged from the police and the legal system. This is because most of the youths interviewed indicated that they want the police and other people involved in law enforcement and in the legal system to be professional, quick to respond to emergency or call, trustworthy, and a sincere in dealing with crimes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the youths have complex and a more conflicting way of seeing the formal social control that is based on the impressions of cultural dilution and procedural justice than with subcultural debates. For crimes to reduce in their communities the youths think that the police should be unbiased and also be fair in enforcing the law at all times and also non- criminal justice solutions should be employed in crime reduction.
References
Carr J. P., Napolitano L. & Keating J. (2007). We Never Call the Cops and Here is Why:
A Qualitative Examination of Legal Cynicism in three Philadelphia Neighborhoods. Criminology 45,445-480.
