Police Use of Deadly Force in Large U.S. Cities

• In Event: Police Brutality and Use of Deadly Force

Abstract

This paper analyzes the determinants of deadly force used by the police in large U.S. cities. Specifically, the 170 U.S. cities with populations over 100,000 in 1980 are observed at 10 year intervals from 1980-2010. We use negative binomial fixed effects models to test the effects of various demographic and political determinants. Demographic factors include percent black, median income, city population, divorce rates, murder rates, and the ratio between black and white mean incomes. Political determinants include the presence of a black mayor, the presence of a city manager, and conceal carry laws. Minority threat theory is assessed with percent black, residential segregation, and the gini index. Other theories are also assessed including the potential for police reciprocity by including the number of police officers killed in the previous year as a control variable. Preliminary results find some evidence for minority threat theory as well as several other theoretical arguments.

Author

• Jonathan Dirlam, Ohio State University