Community Policing Against Guns: Public Opinion of the Kansas City Gun Experiment

Two police beats were compared, and police conduct was observed during about 50 percent of door-to-door visits. Police practices occurred in two phases. The first phase from March through May 1992 involved 1,410 police attempts to make home visits on regular duty time. The second phase from July 1992 through January 1993 consisted of two-officer police patrols emphasizing the recovery of firearms. Resident opinions of police encounters and the impact of police efforts on community quality of life were measured. Findings showed the community was aware of enhanced policing. Proactive police practices generally received strong support, and community residents perceived an improved quality of life in the experimental neighborhood. Although findings did not address the views of persons stopped by police patrolling hot spots of gun crime, they suggested residents of communities suffering high gun crime rates welcomed intensive police efforts against guns. 21 references, 1 footnote, and 5 tables