Joshua Garlick, Steve Tate, Clint Urick, and Austin Jones

2/27/15
United States Police Force Perception (Part 1):
Step 1:
Problem: The perception of the Police Force within the United States is constantly changing. Perception
can be influenced through various mediums, but what influences opinion concerning the police force
within the ten largest cities in the United States?
1. The subject is not too broad because the research is seeking preliminary data from BYU-I
students, followed by surveys sent out through social media, email, and other online mediums.
Each individual will have had different experiences with the police force, but their individual
perspectives and the roots of their perceptions will provide depth without being too broad.
2. Yes, the problem can be investigated through surveys of citizens and qualitative information can
be gathered through content analysis.
3. Yes, after receiving the quantitative data from the online audience, analysis will be possible. It
will be critical that as much data as possible is gathered from people with different backgrounds,
home residences, throughout the United States.
4. The problem is extremely significant especially today. With the presence of social media
contributing highly to the perception of the police force through videos and discussion via
Youtube, Facebook, etc. this issue is more highly debated than ever.
5. The results will have to come from a diverse enough audience to be generalized. Unfortunately,
we are only able to connect to respondents through convenient means. This means that we are
using a convenience sample from populations convenient to our group of researchers. The survey
population includes Facebook community, Twitter community, and specified emails sent to
acquaintances and a random selection of Brigham Young University - Idaho students.
6. Time will include developing a survey to distribute, content analysis, and compiling of project.
Estimated to take around 391 hours and $5,632.

7. The planned approach is appropriate to the project. The survey will provide the quantitative
information needed to analyze and support conclusions. The survey will provide data from as
many US citizens as can be contacted.
8. There is no potential harm to the subjects. The research will find out about their personal
experiences and what has influenced their perception of the police. Those taking the survey will
remain anonymous.

Step 2:
Annotated Bibliography:

1. An exploratory examination of the sources of socialisation influencing juvenile perceptions of the

police.

By: Danielle M. Romain and Kimberly D. Hassell

This study focuses on juvenile perceptions of the police and how they have been shaped by socialization.
This will be used as a secondary source to see how opinions are shaped and that information will be
compared with the results of our study.

2. Public perceptions of the legitimacy of the law and legal authorities: evidence from the
Caribbean.

By: Devon Johnson, Edward R. Maguire, Joseph B. Kuhns

This study focuses on the public perceptions of the legal authorities in the Caribbean.

Hypothesis: An individuals personal experience with the police force in the U.S. is the primary
contributor to perception of the police force. Personal experience is defined as having an interaction with
a police officer verbally, physically, emotionally, socially, etc.

POTENTIAL INFLUENCERS
a. Family
b. Religion
c. Friend Cop
i. Male/Female
d. Family Cop
i. Male/Female
e. Positive Experience
f. Negative Experience
g. Co-Workers
h. Social Upbringing
i. Hometown
j. Social Media
k. News Media
l. Word of Mouth
m. Public Schools
n. Other
o. Race
p. Gender
q. Entertainment
i. Music
ii. TV/Film

In 2014 the public set their sights upon the police force throughout the nation. Cases like the
shooting death of juvenile Michael Brown by a police officer and the excessive force by means of a
chokehold resulting in the death of Eric Garner by law enforcement have been the cause of much
speculation of the police force. The public perception of the police force in the United States is often
critiqued aside from cases brought to court. With the presence of social media contributing highly to the
perception of the police force the concept of how police are perceived by the public eye is more highly
debated than ever. As of late, the issue of where this perception is created or influenced is of interest.
Perception can be influenced through various media. The objective of this research is to discover
what influences an individuals perception or opinion of the police force most. An individual may or may
not have had personal experiences with the police force, but an individuals perspective and the roots of
his/her perception will provide depth without being too broad. The survey will be distributed to as many
US citizens as possible in order to evaluate influencers dealing with various police forces.
The approach to gathering diversified data will include creating surveys to distribute to the
general population. Once the quantitative information is obtained, it will be used to contrast with
qualitative YouTube content analysis. Once data is gathered from the distributed surveys, analysis of
quantitative information from said surveys will lead to further analysis and conclusions.
There is no potential harm to participants in this study. Surveys will be designed to know about
their personal experience and what has influenced their perception of the police force. A total of 4-6
weeks is estimated to bring about this study. Time will include developing surveys to distribute, creating,
analysis of surveys, and compiling data. Possibility of cost is expected in creating and distributing surveys
to a broader audience.

Part 2:
(1) Three Secondary Sources:
1. Previous class research project about Idaho Falls Police Department. This is soon to be analyzed and
recorded.
2. An exploratory examination of the sources of socialisation influencing juvenile perceptions of the
police.
By: Danielle M. Romain and Kimberly D. Hassell
This study focuses on juvenile perceptions of the police and how they have been shaped by socialization.
This will be used as a secondary source to see how opinions are shaped and that information will be
compared with the results of our study.
3. Public perceptions of the legitimacy of the law and legal authorities: evidence from the
Caribbean.
By: Devon Johnson, Edward R. Maguire, Joseph B. Kuhns
This study focuses on the public perceptions of the legal authorities in the Caribbean.

(2)
1. The target population for this research project is men and women, ages 18-65 living in
the United States. Social media, email, and other online means will be used to reach this
population. Demographic information will be gathered through the survey in order to
relay analysis according to ethnicity, gender, geographical location, etc. Because this
survey will be distributed to the population most accessible to the research group, a
convenience sampling method will be adopted.
2. This research project will use information from similar studies conducted previously, a
survey sent out to the specific population, and content analysis of random YouTube
videos dealing with the local police within the 10 most populated cities in the United
States. This study will use both qualitative and quantitative research at a ratio of about
25 percent and 75 percent respectively.
3. The study will ensure internal validity by seeking approval from Brigham Young
University Research professionals, Scott Bergstrom and Beth Hendricks. Questions will
be non-invasive, submission will be anonymous, and bias will be avoided in order to
provide accurate information that is accurate.
4. The study will ensure external validity by sampling as many United States citizens as
possible. This sample will not make it reflective of populous areas throughout the U.S.,
but will provide the basis for further analytical research to be conducted by those able to
afford such research projects.
5. No experiment will be used within the research project.
6. Measurement levels within the survey will be a combination of ratio level results and
interval level. All intervals will be treated as having the same difference in distance.
Choices will include disagree, somewhat disagree, neither agree nor disagree ,

somewhat agree, agree, and N/A. Participants will need to indicate how frequently and
how prominently various stimuli affect their perception of the police force. True zero will
also be included in some of the response fields as to be completely exhaustive in
choice. These will be included within the survey in order to analyze the level of influence
specific influencers have on the individual.
7. Ethical problems will be avoided by thoroughly expressing the purposes of the research
project to those who may be participating in the gathering of results. There are no
foreseeable ethical challenges with the research project. We have avoided including any
questions that will prompt a personal response that would be unprofessional to ask.
8. Research done within this project will not include any longitudinal research, but will be
cross sectional research. Information gathered through the survey will be gathered and
the content analysis of YouTube transcripts will take place. Content analysis will be used
within the study. Transcript of YouTube videos will be recorded for analysis. The
YouTube videos will be found through YouTubes search engine and will include the text,
for example, NYPD Police, given that videos of the New York Police Department are
the subject of analysis. The top twenty most viewed videos will be randomly selected by
inserting them into Excel and using a randomizing generator to select which videos are
analyzed for each search. These videos will then be transcribed and analyzed. All ten
police departments will be researched in like manner. Analysis of the transcripts will be
broken into important information such as whether the overall message was positively or
negatively addressing the police force, whether or not violence was included in the film,
and what language was used in the video. This information will provide qualitative
information about the online social perception of major police departments throughout
the United States. (see YouTube Video Analysis Key below) Personal experiences will

be evaluated through the YouTube Video Analysis Key. This will include contact with
police force, testimonials and opinions of police force, and other interactions with the
police force. Police forces to be analyzed are as follows: New York City 8,175,133, Los
Angeles 3,792,621, Chicago 2,695,598, Houston 2,099,451, Philadelphia 1,526,006,
Phoenix 1,445,632, San Antonio 1,327,407, San Diego 1,307,402, Dallas 1,197,81, and
San Jose - 954,942.
9. Stratified results will be included in the final analysis. The randomization of content
analysis and convenience survey results will provide a useful evaluation.

(3) Survey
This survey is designed to discover and understand how your perception of the local police force in your
area is developed. Your identity will remain anonymous. This survey will take 2-3 minutes of your time.
Thank you for your time and response.
Are you a member of the local Police force?
-Yes (If yes, directed to end of survey and thanked for time and response.)
-No (Directs to next question.)
When you think of Police in your city, what 3 words come to mind to describe your local police?

Using the following scale, please state the degree to which each category influences your perception of
the local police.
My family influences my perception of my local police force
My religious affiliation influences my perception of my local police force
Friends influence my perception of my local police force
Personal experience influences my perception of my local police force (Personal experience can be
interactions with on-duty police officers or personal relationships with an officer(s) like a family member
or friend)
Co-workers influence my perception of my local police force
My social upbringing influences my perception of my local police force
My neighborhood/hometown influences the perception of my local police force
Social Media influences my perception of my local police force
My local news media influence my perception of my local police force.
National news media influence my perception of my local police force.
Statements I hear by word of mouth influence my perception of my local police force
Education I receive in school influences my perception of my local police force
Television shows that I watch influence my perception of my local police force
Movies that I watch influence my perception of the my police force
Video games I play influence my perception of the my police force
Music I listen to influences my perception of the my police force

Category

Family
Religious
Affiliation
Friends
Personal
Experience
Co-Workers
Social
Upbringing
Hometown
(Neighborhood)
Social Media
News Media
Word of Mouth
Public Schools
Television
Shows
Movies
Video Games
Music
Other (Specify):

Disagree

Somewhat
Disagree

Neither
Agree nor
Disagree

Somewhat
Agree

Agree

N/A

[For every category marked with Agree or Somewhat Agree the following questions will appear]
You have selected that you agree that [Category] influences your perception of your local police force.
In a sentence or two, explain how [Category] has influenced your perception of your local police force:

Using the following scale (SLIDER), 0 meaning [Category] does not affect your perception at all and 100
meaning that [Category] has profoundly influenced your perception of your local police force, please
determine the degree to which that [Category] has on your perception of your local police force.
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Using the following scale, please rate how often you are exposed to messages about your local police
force:
Example: Family, How often do you hear messages of the police force in your family?
Never
Family
Religion
Friends
Personal
Experience
Co-Workers
Social
Upbringing
Hometown
(Neighborhood)
Social Media
News Media
Word of Mouth
Public Schools
Television Shows
Movies
Video Games
Music
Other ( Please
specify):

Daily

Weekly

Monthly

Yearly

[For every category marked with often and frequently, the following questions will appear]
You selected that you (often or frequently) hear the subject of police:
Using the following scale, how often would you say you are exposed to messages about your local police:
-Daily
-Every other day
-Weekly
-Other: Please Specify
When you hear about the police force is it usually positive or negative?
-Positive
-Negative
What is your gender?
-Male
-Female
We thank you for your time and cooperation in this study.

Survey data will be gathered through surveymonkey.com, an online survey software. This software
enables this study to be sent to thousands of respondents within custom parameters as needed. In this
study, it can be designated that the survey be sent to the sample population; in this study that is people
ages 18-65 in the ten most populated cities in the United States.
To secure a higher response rate this survey will be reviewed by advisors and faculty mentors to ensure
that the survey is written well and is effective to test the proposed hypothesis. To further ensure a
higher response rate a pretest will be sent out to several close friends that will ensure that the survey is
effective. If any weaknesses are found within the survey, adjustments will be made to ensure accuracy
and effectivity.

Demographic breakdown by city:

New York City
White 44.3%
Hispanic 28.7%
Black 24.9%
Asian 13%
Other 14.4%
Los Angeles
White 52.4%
Hispanic 48.6%
Black 9.4%
Asian 11.4%
Other 22.8%
Chicago
White 47.8%
Hispanic 28.7%
Black 32.3%
Asian 4.7%
Other 11.8%
Houston
White 57.9%
Hispanic 43.6%
Black 23.5%
Asian 6.2%
Other 10.1%
Philadelphia
White 41.5%
Hispanic 12.7%
Black 43.3%
Asian 6.5%
Other 5.8%
Phoenix
White 77.3%
Hispanic 40.3%
Black 6.8%
Asian 3.2%
Other 7.8%
San Antonio
White 75.7%
Hispanic 63.2%
Black 6.8%

Asian 2.4%
Other 11.6%
San Diego
White 64.8%
Hispanic 29.3%
Black 6.7%
Asian 16.4%
Other 6.4%
Dallas
White 56.2%
Hispanic 41.9%
Black 24.5%
Asian 3%
Other 13.8%
San Jose
White 45.9%
Hispanic 33.2%
Black 3.1%
Asian 32.8%
Other 12.4%

YouTube Video Analysis Key

1. Search YouTube using NYPD Police as an example. (NYPD, LAPD, CPD, HPD, PPD,
PHXPD, SAPD, SDPD, DPD, or SJPD)
a. Take first 20 Most Viewed Videos and insert titles into RANDOM.ORG.
b. First five videos mentioned after randomization will be used in analysis.
2. Watch video and transcribe.
3. Create Wordle for each individual city using transcript.
a. Set aside for later analysis.
4. Rate Video according to following Key.
a. What is the source of the video?
i.
Pedestrian recorder
ii.
Police cam
iii.
News Reporter cam
iv.
Compilation of videos
v.
Security camera
vi.
other:
b. Is this video endorsed by a specific group?
i.
Yes
ii.
No
c. What is the group that endorsed the video?
i.
d. Did the video, overall, present a positive image of the police force?
i.
Yes
ii.
No
e. Did the video, overall, present a negative image of the police force?
i.
Yes
ii.
No
f. Was violence present in the video?
i.
Yes
ii.
No
g. What type of violence was present? (Check all that apply)
i.
Physical
ii.
Verbal
iii.
Emotional
iv.
N/A
h. What degree of physical violence was present?
i.
No physical violence present
ii.
Very Minor (slight resistance and physical contact)
iii.
Minor (some aggressive contact and some resistance ex: pushing and
shoving)
iv.
Major (damage inflicting contact ex: punching, kicking, throwing an object,
tazing, pepper spray, wrestling to the ground)
v.
Very Major (discharged guns, K9 engagement, wielded knives, night stick
wacking )
i. List elements of physical violence involved? (N/A, if none)
i.

j.

What degree of Verbal violence is present?

i.
Very Minor (Fewer than 5 instances)
ii.
Minor (Between 6-10 instances)
iii.
Major (Between 11-15 instances)
iv.
Very Major (Between 16+ instances)
v.
N/A
k. Was positive service provided?
i.
l. What type of service was provided?
i.

(4) Step 6, Explain how you will analyze and interpret your results.
We will analyze and interpret the results via Surveymonkey. Results will be broken into
demographics based on stratified ethnic groups and gender. Each city will have own stratified results.
These results will be compared with the other cities. Also, content analysis of the YouTube videos will be
done using the attached Rating Key. That information will be analyzed using Wordle graphics and will be
compared with the survey results.

1. Can you utilize a computer file for entering your data? How will that be done?
Part of our research includes content analysis of videos that have been posted and we will use
Excel to catalog the data.

(5) Step 7, Explain how you will present the results in an appropriate form.
1. Indicate how you will present the results. Will you use charts or graphs?
We will use charts and graphs that will tell us the results from the survey. They will tell us what
makes up peoples perceptions of the police. We will also use Wordle graphics to show commonalities.

2. Will you publish your results? If you publish, where will the report be published?
We will not be publishing our results.

3. If using scales, what type of scale(s) will you use?

We will be using likert scales within the survey.

(6) Step 8, Will the study need to be replicated? Why or why not?

In terms of validity, this would not need to be replicated, but this type of research will vary in
results if it were replicated in the future.

1. Explain how this research will benefit other professionals in your field of study.
It will help others have a better understanding of the many things that can influence opinions of
the police.

2. Could other professionals utilize your research to assist them in future research projects?
Other professionals could definitely utilize this research, especially law enforcement.

(7) Please have a detailed estimate of how much this research project will cost. See pages 34-38 for CPI
to
help you determine some of the costs. Compute CPI, if appropriate.
Predicted Expenses
Hours Needed

Rate

Cost

Research Manager

320

$14 per hour

$4,480

Survey Design

10

12$ per hour

$120

Survey Analysis

12$ per hour

$60

Content Analysis

16

$12 per hour

$192

Case Writer

40

$12 per hour

$480

$300 flat rate

$300

Total Cost

$5,632

SurveyMonkey
391

Link to Idaho Falls PD Report: http://www.idahofallspolice.com/survey-results-laud-safe-community/

LINK TO TEST SURVEY
https://byui.az1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_2hMvSsVAxbhXqYZ