Date of Award
Fall 12-2017
Degree Type
Honors College Thesis
Department
Management and International Business
First Advisor
Jacob W. Breland
Advisor Department
Management and International Business
Abstract
Currently, there is an outcry to Mississippi legislators from law enforcement professionals and citizens to address the spike in violent crime levels observed since 2015. The Great Recession of 2008 reduced community policing programs in the United States, resulting in fewer police officers patrolling the residential communities and minor criminal offenses going unreported. This effect has been especially prevalent in the “South Region” of the United States. In 2014, this region reported the largest increase of all regions at 1.9%. Because the public act on their perceptions and legislators react to strong public opinion by creating or changing policies, one potential avenue for understanding and addressing this issue is through the analysis of public opinion. Using a qualitative method, 11 residents of the Mississippi Gulf Coast were interviewed regarding their views on the increase of violent crimes in the region. Results were categorized and implications discussed.
Copyright
Copyright for this thesis is owned by the author. It may be freely accessed by all users. However, any reuse or reproduction not covered by the exceptions of the Fair Use or Educational Use clauses of U.S. Copyright Law or without permission of the copyright holder may be a violation of federal law. Contact the administrator if you have additional questions.
Recommended Citation
Smith, Michael R., "Public Opinion of Violence in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Region" (2017). Honors Theses. 541.
https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/541