Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2005

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Criminology & Criminal Justice

First Advisor

Amy Craddock

Second Advisor

Robert G. Huckabee

Third Advisor

DeVere D. Woods

Abstract

This paper presents data concerning the effect uniformed police officers have on attitudes towards the police and fear of crime within the high school setting. Two identical surveys were administered to 522 high school students at two periods during a school year. The primary purpose was to determine whether placing uniformed police officers, called School Resource Officers, in high schools would improve attitudes towards the police and reduce the fear of crime. Although opinions towards the police were positively affected and the fear of crime was reduced, neither was affected significantly. The primary implication drawn from this research is that the police did not have enough contact with the students in the high schools to have an effect on these measures.

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