U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.
        Here's how you know
      Here's how you know**Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
      **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** (
            A locked padlock
            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Menu

      
        close

            
            
                                              About NIJ
        
                    
  
          About NIJ
      
    
          The NIJ Director
          How NIJ Is Organized
          Mission and Guiding Principles
          Research and Development Process
          Strategic Framework
          Assessments of NIJ
          Annual Reports & Reports to Congress
          Staff Directory
          Funding & Awards
        
                    
  
          Funding & Awards
      
    
          Current Funding
          Forthcoming Funding
          Expired Funding
          Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
          Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
          Fellowship & Student Programs
          Travel Scholarships
          NIJ Challenge Program
          Library & Multimedia
        
                    
  
          Library & Multimedia
      
    
          NIJ Journal
          Podcasts
          Publications Listing
          Multimedia Listing
          Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
          Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
          Software & Databases
          Datasets
          Patents
          Topics
        
                    
  
          Topics
      
    
          Article Listing
          Corrections
          Courts
          Crime Prevention
          Crimes
          Drugs and Crime
          Equipment and Technology
          Forensic Sciences
          Youth Justice
          Justice System Reform
          Law Enforcement
          Tribal Crime and Justice
          Victims of Crime
          Events
        
                    
  
          Events
      
    
          NIJ 2024 Research Conference
          Scheduled Events
          On-Demand Events
          Research Meetings & Workshops
          NIJ-Hosted Online Training

                            
                                About
          Contact Us
          Subscribe
          Topics A-Z
                  Share
FacebookXLinkedInRedditPinterestEmail Home
                            Library & Multimedia
 National Survey of Municipal Police Departments on Urban Quality of Life Initiatives
NCJ Number
              167172

Author(s)
          C A Cosgrove;
                        A C Grant
Date Published

1997
Length
              104 pages
Annotation
              In surveying the largest municipal police departments in the United States in 1996, researchers attempted to determine how and to what extent these law enforcement agencies used local ordinances to deal with various street conditions and order maintenance problems.
Abstract
              A questionnaire was sent to 512 police departments in municipalities with a population of 50,000 or more. The response rate of 75.8 percent was high, with 388 of 512 police departments completing the questionnaire. The questionnaire sought information on panhandling, public incivilities and disorderly conduct, unauthorized camping in public places, and juvenile curfews. The analysis focused on the law enforcement response, law enforcement tactics, and the use of ordinances to prevent public disorder problems. Data suggested several interrelated factors affected the enforcement of local ordinances. Police officers had considerable discretion in dealing with order maintenance situations, and many local ordinances were frequently invoked but on an informal basis. Most States had statutes prohibiting disorderly conduct and public intoxication. Some of the people who caused street disturbances needed psychiatric or medical attention. In some cases, police departments lacked the necessary resources to enforce local ordinances aggressively, consistently, and fairly. Appendixes contain the survey questionnaire and cover letter, a list of the 388 agencies responding to the survey, written comments, and the survey codebook. 3 references and 13 endnotes
      
  
          Additional Details
Grant Number(s)
        95-IJ-CX-0050


  
  
        
  Agencies
        NIJ-Sponsored


  
  
        
  Publication Type
        Survey
    
  
  
Date Published: January 1, 1997
    
          Downloads
        
                      PDF

Related Datasets
        
                      http://dx.doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR02479
Side navigation
  

        

  
  
              NIJ Journal
    
      
            
            
            
      Podcasts
    
      
            
            
            
      Publications Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Multimedia Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Software & Databases
    
      
            
            
            
      Datasets
    
      
            
            
            
      PatentsRelated Topics
        
                Crime prevention measures
        Curfew
        Disorderly conduct
        Drunkenness
        Juvenile codes



  
Similar Publications
        
                      Racial Inequality in the Transition to Adulthood After Prison
                  Lessons of an Honor Code: A Consideration of Conflict-Related Processes and Interpersonal Violence
                  Comparison of the Novel Direct Analysis in Real Time time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (AccuTOF-DART) and Signature Analysis for the Identification of Constituents of Refined Illicit Cocaine
 Top

      National Institute of Justice

        
        
                        About NIJ
                    About NIJ
      
    
                  How NIJ Is Organized
      
    
                  NIJ Director
      
    
                  Research Disclaimer
      
    
                  Funding & Awards
                    Funding & Awards Home
      
    
                  Awards Listing
      
    
                  Current Funding
      
    
                  Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
      
    
                  Resources
                    Events
      
    
                  Podcasts
      
    
                  Publications
      
    
                  Topics
      
    
                  Multimedia
      
    
                  Reuse Policy
      
    
                  Contacts
                    Contact NIJ
      
    
                  Staff Directory
      
    
                  Submit a FOIA Request
      
    
                  File a Civil Rights ComplaintFacebook
          
                      X
          
                      YouTube
  

      810 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20531
      
              Secondary Footer link menu
            Accessibility
              Plain Language
              Privacy Policy
              Legal Policies and Disclaimer
              No FEAR Act
              Freedom of Information Act
              USA.gov
              Justice.gov