Final answer:
Citizen delays in calling the police are commonly attributed to diffusion of responsibility, changes in communication technologies, media influence on crime perception, strained community-police relationships, and logistical challenges in contacting authorities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Citizen delays in calling the police can be attributed to various factors. One psychological explanation is diffusion of responsibility, a term coined by Bandura in 1999, which states that individuals in a group are less likely to take action as the responsibility is spread across the group.
This was evident in the case analyzed by Kassin (2017), where the presence of multiple witnesses to a crime led to the assumption that someone else must have already called the police. Additionally, there are practical considerations such as the heterogeneity of schedules and the increased reliance on communication technologies like caller ID, voicemail, and privacy managers, which can impede immediate reporting to authorities.
Moreover, the influence of media can shape public perception of crime, as studies by Warr (2008) and others have shown. Intense media coverage can create an inflated sense of risk, leading to hesitancy in reporting incidents for fear of getting involved or misjudging a situation.
Also, the problematic relationship between law enforcement and minority communities can discourage reporting, especially when the latter feel that police may not act in their favor. Biases in police response can also arise from logistical challenges such as unavailability due to mobile users or unlisted numbers, as described in source issue number 25.
Lastly, the U.S. Criminal Justice System plays a role in shaping citizens' interactions with police, and the authority vested in law enforcement officials often dictates how individuals respond in everyday situations, as exemplified by the response to a police car's flashing lights. The legitimacy of authority and understanding of official duties influence the decision to report a crime.
However, this legitimacy can be undercut by issues of trust and perceived bias, affecting a person's willingness to engage with the system.