Deck 8: Survey and Interview Methods

Question 1

Many police departments encourage citizen ridealongs as a component of community policing. If this is the case for a police or sheriff's department near you, take advantage of this excellent opportunity to test your observation and unstructured interviewing skills

Answer 1

Citizen Ride along:
Ride along is a privilege given to the citizens to go along with the police officers, occupying the passenger seat of their duty vehicle, in a particular shift. Many police departments offer this service to the citizens to make them more aware about the law enforcement.
Most often people pursuing legal profession, journalists or people who are interested to choose a career of law enforcement prefer ride along. There is an age limit for participating in the ride along which comes between fourteen to eighteen years. The age limit varies depending on the departments.
Advantages of ride along:
Ride along is a good opportunity for the citizens to gather more knowledge and information about the social life. During the time of ride along, people will have to witness many crimes or illegal activities and the tactical way by which the police officers are resolving them. Such experiences enhance the skill of observation and spontaneity of the citizens.
During the ride along, people will be keen to know about the law enforcement procedures. They often get chances to interact with people in different sections of the society, which helps them to improve their skills of interview and communication.
Conclusion:
Ride along provides the citizens an opportunity to participate in the law enforcement process. Though it is a risky practice for the citizens, it enhances their knowledge and skills in various fields of their social life.

Question 2

Think of some group or activity you participate in or are familiar with. In two or three paragraphs, describe how an outsider might effectively go about studying that group or activity. What should he or she read, what contacts should be made, and so on?

Answer 2

Process involved in studying a group or activity:
Mr. R could get to know about the social service activities undertaken by a group of college students through direct observation and collecting reports of their activities. The group mentioned here conducts various awareness camps and study classes. Mr. X could collect information about the group and the impact of their activities from the general public also.
Since it is a college level group, reports of this would be available in the college or public libraries. There might be newspaper and media reports on the activities conducted by this group which will also provide relevant details regarding the same.
Mr. X would find it more effective if he directly meets the members of the group and interact with them. Through interviews or questionnaires, more reliable information can be collected directly from the members. In order to know more about the group, he can directly observe and analyze the activities involved in by the group.
Conclusion:
The process of studying about a group or activity involves various methods such as direct interaction, collecting information through reports, and observations. Choosing the best method depends on the nature of the group or activity and its functional areas.

Question 3

Review the box titled "Conducting a Safety Audit" by Gisela Bichler-Robertson on page 207. Try conducting a safety audit on your campus or in an area near your campus.

Answer 3

Safety audit:
Safety audit is the detailed analysis of situational factors and particular environmental factors, which contributes towards the feelings of fear and discomfort of the people. By conducting safety audit, the areas which need to be improved in order to reduce the discomforts and crimes can be identified.
Safety audit conducted inside a college campus:
The safety audit conducted inside the college campus has taken small group of students comprising both boys and girls, as participants. They were asked to go around the campus without talking to anyone else. A set of questions were given to them on various factors and situations which creates fear and discomfort in their mind.
The information collected from the participants of the safety audit precisely shows that every one of them is scared to walk alone through the isolated places near the library. The thickly grown trees and bushes create an unsecured feeling while passing through.
The majority of girls feel uncomfortable inside the campus due to the presence of drunken students. Boys find the improper functioning of street lights and issues created by the outside people as the most disturbing factors. However, the security system prevailing in the campus, round the clock, provides a feeling of safety and security to the students.
Conclusion:
The safety audit conducted in the campus helped the college administration as well as the security officials to identify the areas where more safety measures have to be adopted.