Residential Stability Versus Residents’ Interactions: The Determinants of Voluntary Participation in Police Block Activity

Abstract

Abstract This research examines the influence of residential stability and resident’s interactions on participation in police block activity. Community engagement is one approach used by the police to increase the co-production of crime prevention by providing opportunities and engaging the community in group-level informal and voluntary activities. These optional activities are designed to promote a working relationship between the residents and the police. Multilevel ordinal logistic regression was run to estimate participation in police block activity, using the Seattle Neighborhood and Crime Survey data. The results demonstrate two things. First, this study extends the standard variables, used in examining voluntary involvement, to the frequency of participation in police block activity. Secondly, using interaction terms between residential stability and between residents’ interactions, the results suggest that between residents’ interaction may be a better predictor of frequent participation in police block activity than homeownership or length of residency. Finally, policy implications and future research avenues are discussed.