Kan polisnärvaro skapa trygghetskänslor hos människor? Studien har undersökt förhållandet mellan människors upplevda trygghet och tre olika typer av polispatrullering i en relativt trygg och relativt otrygg stadsmiljö. För att besvara frågeställningarna genomfördes en enkätundersökning där respondenterna, 112 män och 131 kvinnor (M=30 år, SD=12.98), fick skatta sin upplevda trygghet utifrån bilder med de tre olika typerna av polispatrullering. Resultatet indikerade att alla typer av polisnärvaro ingett trygghet i den relativt otrygga stadsmiljön. Polispatrullering till fots frambringade mer trygghetskänslor än polisbilspatrullering. Resultaten var giltiga för både män och kvinnor. Slutsatsen är att polisnärvaro kan inge trygghet i relativt otrygga stadsmiljöer men i relativt trygga stadmiljöer är inte någon av de tre undersökta typerna av polispatrullering effektiva. / Can police presence make people feel safe? This study explored the relationship between people’s experience of feeling safe and three different kinds of police patrolling in a relatively safe and a relatively unsafe urban area. A survey was distributed, 112 men and 131 women (M=30 years, SD=12.98), to estimate the perception of feeling safe by looking at photos with three different kinds of police patrolling. The result indicated that all kinds of police patrolling had positive effect on the respondent’s feelings of safety in the relatively unsafe urban area. Police foot patrol tended to increase the respondents feelings of safety more than police patrolling by car. Similar results were found for both men and women. Police presence may increase people’s feelings of safety in relatively unsafe urban areas, but in relatively safe urban areas none of the three types of police patrol were effective.

This study investigates changes in rates of property crime in the United States from 1958 to 1993. Predictor variables include changes in rates of economic factors (inflation, technological/cyclical/frictional unemployment), arrest rates for property crimes disaggregated by race (ARPCDR), interaction of ARPCDR and technological unemployment, alcohol offenses, interaction of alcohol offenses and poverty, drug abuse violations, and interaction of drug abuse violations and poverty. Changes in poverty, population growth, and police presence are employed as control variables. The Beach-McKinnon Full Maximum- Likelihood EGLS AR1 Method (accompanied by residual analysis) is used to test seven hypotheses. Significant positive effects upon changes in aggregate property crime rates are found for five predictors: (a) inflation, (b) cyclical unemployment, (c) frictional unemployment, (d) the interaction of white arrest rates and technological unemployment, and (e) the interaction of rates of alcohol offenses and poverty. To explain changes in property crime rates, further research should decompose aggregate rates particularly those pertaining to the economy. Also, the relationship between the interaction of poverty and drug abuse violations, at the aggregate level, and changes in property crime rates should be clarified. This research has important policy implications related to the impact of social, economic, and educational issues on mainstream society and its criminal elements. Law makers should consider this type of research in all macro and micro-oriented policies.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur polisiär närvaro påverkar allmänhetens upplevelse av trygghet, samt om den upplevda tryggheten påverkas av polisens synliga utrustning. Fokus har riktats mot platser som generellt upplevs som trygga, men som även kan upplevas otrygga av allmänheten ur ett terrorhot-perspektiv. Studien har undersökt allmänhetens upplevelse av polisiär närvaro ur ett trygghetsskapande perspektiv, med utgångspunkt i Ulrich Becks teori om risksamhället. Datamaterial samlades in genom strukturerade intervjuer med 148 personer i Stockholm och Uppsala och analyserades genom univariata analyser och korstabulering. Resultatet visade att polisiär närvaro kan öka allmänhetens upplevelse av trygghet. Det framkom även att utrustning är av betydelse för hur polisiär närvaro upplevs och att polisiär närvaro kan verka trygghetsskapande på de platser som undersöktes. / The study has examined how the presence of the police affect people's feelings of safety and the way the public perceives exposed police equipment. The study, based on Ulrich Becks theory about Risk Society, has primarily been focused on sites that are generally considered safe, but could also be perceived as potentially vulnerable to terrorism. Structured interviews of 148 people in Stockholm and Uppsala has collected data for the study. The data source was analysed by descriptive statistics and by correlation. Results of the interviews suggest police presence can increase the public’s feelings of safety in the examined places. From the data collected, it also emerged that police equipment is instrumental in the perception of police presence and public’s feelings of safety.

The purpose of this study has been to investigate how the police presence in a district located in central Sweden affects youths and what their general perception is about the police in the area. We have conducted semi-structured interviews with seven young people, aged 18 to 21, and a police officer from the city's police force. The results showed that the majority of youths initially had positive opinions about the police, however, the majority also felt that the ability of the police to communicate with the general public could be improved. Almost all participants felt that police presence in the area was high. Half of the participants felt that the presence increased their feelings of security, while the rest felt that police presence either decreased or did not affect their feelings of security.