Resident Perceptions of Police Behavior and Legitimacy

• In Event: Examining Public Perception, Body-worn Cameras, and Data Processing in Law Enforcement Agencies through Large National Data Collections

Abstract

Interactions between law enforcement and the public have been of increasing interest and a focus of media attention in recent years. This presentation will examine public perceptions of police behavior using data from the 2015 Police Public Contact Survey (PPCS) conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Characteristics of residents who experienced contact with the police and their perceptions of police behavior and legitimacy during their most recent contact will be discussed. Perceptions of proper behavior and legitimacy will be compared across different types of contact with police and demographic characteristics of residents. This presentation will also highlight police use of nonfatal force, presenting the characteristics of residents who reported experiencing force, the types of contact during which force was reported, and residents’ perceptions that the actions used or threatened against them by police were necessary or excessive. Particular attention will be paid to the types of contacts in which police initiate contact with residents, specifically traffic and street stops.

Authors

• Elizabeth Davis, Bureau of Justice Statistics

• Anthony Whyde, Bureau of Justice Statistics

• Lynn Langton, Bureau of Justice Statistics