Abstract
This study in Kidapawan City explored how the perception of police mediates the relationship between crime prevention and community safety. It adapted a descriptive-correlation methodology, surveying 382 respondents from various local residents of Kidapawan City through face-to-face surveys. The study used Mean, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, Medgraph using the Sobel z-test, Regressions, and Mediation Test Technique. The findings reveal that study participants reported a high level of engagement in crime prevention activities and generally held a high sense of community safety, alongside a high level of perception of police. The analysis unveiled significant relationships among crime prevention, community safety, and perception of police. Notably, it revealed that while crime prevention has a direct effect on community safety, a significant portion of its influence operates indirectly through its impact on the perception of police. The immediate impact was statistically significant when mediated by the perception of police. In the mediation analysis, although the partial mediation regression coefficient significantly decreased, it remained significant in the final stage. These findings indicate that while the perception of police mediates some of the impact of crime prevention on community safety, other portions are either direct or mediated by other variables outside the model's scope. This suggests important implications for policy and practice, highlighting the critical role of police perception in enhancing community safety through crime prevention efforts. By understanding and improving community perceptions of police (MV), stakeholders can bolster the overall effectiveness of crime prevention(IV) strategies and foster a safer community environment.
