Police Perceptions of Computer Crimes in Two Southeastern Cities: An Examination from the Viewpoint of Patrol Officers

Although scholars and law enforcement administrators have provided input on how local law enforcement is responding to various
forms of computer crime and how officers perceive of it, patrol officers have been rarely surveyed to understand their perceptions
of computer crime. Examining officer perceptions is vital considering that patrol officers are being asked to be more effective
first responders to digital forensic crime scenes as a critical step in combating computer crimes at the local level. This
study therefore addressed this gap by surveying patrol officers in two southeastern cities regarding their perceptions of
computer crime, specifically regarding its uniqueness, offenders and targets, and seriousness and frequency in comparison
to traditional forms of crime. Results indicated that many officers do not have strong opinions on several aspects of computer
crime. However, they perceive it to be a serious problem and consider some computer crimes to be as serious as traditional
forms of crime.