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9 Police Q. 3 (2006)

handle is hein.journals/policqurt9 and id is 1 raw text is: STRUCTURAL DETERMINANTS OF POLICE EFFECTIVENESS IN MARKET DEMOCRACIES HUNG-EN SUNG Columbia University This study examined structural correlates of police effectiveness in 28 market democracies. It found that perceptions of police effectiveness rose in coun- tries with low homicide rates, independent judiciaries, and high income. Greater political freedoms and a lower robbery rate were associated with low police effectiveness. The size of police forces and population and unem- ployment rates were largely irrelevant. Findings demonstrated the basic dependence of quality policing on good judicial governance and a healthy economy. Making the police more effective requires reform of more than the police. In postmodern democracies, effective policing will require improved media portrayal ofcrime and increased democratization ofpolice tactics and strategies. Keywords: police effectiveness; comparative policing; democracy; determinants Police effectiveness is becoming a paramount issue in democratic societies as the nature and quality of government is largely defined by public percep- tions of the state's ability to make good use of its coercive powers. A strong and legitimate state delivers security and justice to citizens' satisfaction; in contrast, rampant crime problems and state disrespect for civil liberties weaken public support and thus the legitimacy of the political system (Aydin, 1997; Ellison, 2000; Mawby, 2002; Sung, 2002). As the state organ that has the most face-to-face contacts with ordinary citizens and bran- dishes the most intrusive powers, the police are continuously negotiating their missions and goals with the society at large, and they are under POLICE QUARTERLY Vol. 9 No. 1, March 2006 3-19 DOI: 10.1177/1098611103257061 © 2006 Sage Publications

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