The Impact of Perceived Police Effectiveness on Fear of Crime: The Moderating Role of CCTV Effectiveness Perception

In modern society, rapid urbanization, industrialization, and the expansion of individualism have weakened social cohesion, leading to a decline in social control functions. As a result, crime and fear of crime have emerged as critical social issues. Effective policing plays a crucial role in alleviating citizens' fear of crime and contributes not only to crime prevention but also to enhancing perceived safety. Moreover, while existing studies suggest that the crime prevention effects of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) are maximized when integrated with police operations, excessive reliance on CCTV as a substitute for active policing may diminish public perception of police presence. This study examines the impact of perceived police effectiveness on fear of crime and investigates whether CCTV effectiveness perception moderates this relationship. Using data from the Public Perception Survey on Crime Prevention-Oriented Public CCTV conducted by the Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice (KICJ), the analysis reveals that perceived police effectiveness has a significant negative effect on fear of crime, and that this relationship is moderated by CCTV effectiveness perception. Specifically, the mitigating effect of perceived police effectiveness on fear of crime was more pronounced among individuals with lower levels of CCTV effectiveness perception. Regarding gender differences, the moderating effect of CCTV effectiveness perception was significant among the male sample but not among the female sample. Based on these findings, this study suggests policy implications for developing tailored crime prevention strategies that consider local community characteristics. By optimizing the complementary roles of police presence and CCTV surveillance, law enforcement agencies can effectively reduce public fear of crime and enhance public trust in policing.