The Impact of Traffic Stops on Calling the Police for Non-Crime Problems

• In Event: Legitimacy and Attitudes Toward the Police

Abstract

There is evidence to support the argument that the degree to which people trust police officers is based to a certain extent on how they perceive their encounters with the police. Citizens who perceive unfairness during an encounter with a police officer are generally more likely to develop distrust for police officers. Indeed, studies find that issues of respect or fair procedures seem to be of particular importance to residents living in areas of concentrated disadvantage. However, few studies have examined the extent to which traffic stops may have an impact on whether citizens contact the police for non-crime problems. Using data from the 2008 Police-Public Contact Survey (PPCS), the current study will examine how traffic stops affect the odds that White, Black, and Hispanic citizens will contact the police for help (i.e., non-crime problems). And, whether gender and age matter when it comes to contacting the police for non-crime problems for people who have previously had a traffic stop encounter. In this study, I hypothesize that citizens are less likely to contact police for assistance if they had previously experienced at least one traffic stop in the past year.

Author

• Joselyne Luseno Chenane, University of Nebraska at Omaha