Disentangling the Relationship Between Race and Attitudes Toward the Police: Police Contact, Perceptions of Safety, and Procedural Justice

Authors

Darren Wheelock, Marquette UniversityFollow
Meghan S. Stroshine, Marquette UniversityFollow
Michael M. O'Hear, Marquette University

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Publication Date

7-1-2019

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Source Publication

Crime and Delinquency

Source ISSN

0011-1287

Abstract

Recent incidents involving police shootings of unarmed men of color have increased tensions between communities and police departments across the United States. In response, scholars have intensified efforts to understand the factors that shape attitudes toward the police. The current study examines individual and aggregate factors that influence satisfaction with the police. To this end, we address three research questions: (a) are there significant racial/ethnic differences in satisfaction with police; (b) do these differences persist after accounting for experiences with the police, perceptions of safety, and aggregate measures; and (c) can procedural justice help explain racial variation in attitudes toward the police? Study findings highlight the importance of perceptions of safety in explaining racial/ethnic variation in attitudes toward the police.

Comments

Accepted version. Crime and Delinquency, Vol. 65, No. 7 (June 1, 2019): 941-968. DOI. © 2019 SAGE Publications . Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

Wheelock, Darren; Stroshine, Meghan S.; and O'Hear, Michael M., "Disentangling the Relationship Between Race and Attitudes Toward the Police: Police Contact, Perceptions of Safety, and Procedural Justice" (2019). Social and Cultural Sciences Faculty Research and Publications. 262.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/socs_fac/262