The Effect of Police Presence on Collective Efficacy: Baltimore, Maryland, 1986

• In Event: Policing Impact on Collective Efficacy and Well-being in Communities

Abstract

Since the 1980’s, there has been a large increase in arrests, and an increased focus on policing urban communities. According to racial threat theory, this increased police presence has been focused in low-income, minority communities. Though the majority of Americans have favorable opinions of police, residents of low-income urban communities, who are prone to police surveillance and abuse, may become fearful or mistrustful in the presence of police. This research seeks to identify if police presence in Baltimore, Maryland is associated with closeness among community members, or mistrust. Using a 1986 survey, this research asks the question: Does police presence affect collective efficacy? An OLS regression suggests at the 95% confidence level that police presence has a positive effect on collective efficacy. Regardless of other predictors of collective efficacy and individuals’ perceptions of police, individuals who reported seeing police in the last 24 hours tend to have higher collective efficacy than those who did not. This suggests that the presence of police causes individuals to feel safer, encouraging activities that allow individuals to form informal bonds with other community members. This research begins to establish that police presence is a neighborhood characteristic that influences the nature of interactions among individuals.

Author

• Riley Tucker, Temple University