Group Representation of Police Officers and Citizen Perceptions of Criminal Injustice

• In Event: Perceptions of Injustice

Abstract

Drawing on the group-position thesis and using household survey data collected in Los Angeles in 2001 (N=1,250), we examine if residents report higher levels of perceived criminal injustice when their neighborhoods are patrolled by police officers of the same race and ethnicity. We further assess if the effect of same-race/ethnicity group representation of police officers on citizen perceptions of injustice is more pronounced for minority residents and residents living in minority neighborhoods. We discuss the findings and their implications for theory, research, and policy.

Authors

• Xia Wang, Arizona State University

• Justin Ready, Arizona State University

• Natalie Todak, Arizona State University