• Criminal Justice
• WSICOP
• WRICOPS

Executive abstract & highlights

An Assessment of Citizen Perceptions of Police, Crime and Victimization in the Crossroads Area.

• Seventy-six percent of focus group participants were found to have "positive" overall perceptions of the Bellevue Police Department and the services they provide.

• Nearly all of the interviewees had interacted with the Bellevue Police Department. Although the capacity of their interactions varied considerably, eighty-five percent characterized their experience as "positive."

• One hundred percent of those asked believed that the Bellevue Police are usually fair and courteous.

• Focus groups participants reported that they believed that the Crossroads area did have a crime problem when compared to the rest of the City of Bellevue.

• Nearly all participants indicated that they feel safe walking alone in their neighborhood during the day. As for walking alone at night, the number drops significantly to only twenty-seven percent.

• Seventy-four percent of those individuals who participated in the study indicated that they were interested in assisting the Bellevue Police Department improve the quality of life in the Crossroads area.

• When asked what they believed could help make the Crossroads area a safer place to live, thirty-eight percent advocated increased use of bike patrol officers.

• The majority of focus group participants reported to believe that approaches consistent with Community Oriented Policing offer some promise for making the Crossroads area a safer place to live. A minority of participants advocated increased law enforcement measures.