Measuring Influences on Public Opinion of the Police Using Time-Series Data: Results of a Pilot Study

Abstract

This article reports on the outcome of a pilot study that used time-series data to examine both the indirect effects on community opinion of police-public contacts as citizens recount their experiences to friends and family and the effects of negative news coverage of the police on public opinion. In the 9-month period of data collection, there was sufficient variation neither in customer satisfaction with voluntary police contacts nor in public opinion, providing strong clues about the relationship between the two. There was, however, notable variation in negative news coverage of the police in the face of stable public opinion, suggesting some resistance among the public to its influence. This article concludes with reflections and ideas for future research efforts to measure changes to public opinion and satisfaction using surveys.