A Potential Ferguson Effect? Perceptions of FBI National Academy Participants Regarding the State of Policing in the US

• In Event: Varieties of Policing Research

Abstract

US policing has entered an era of heightened controversy and scrutiny. There is noticeable discourse concerning the possibility that officers might be ‘depolicing’ or that there could be a ‘Ferguson effect’ reducing the vigor or vigilance officers display in the performance of their duties. Students of the FBI National Academy were surveyed regarding their perceptions of any perceived shifts in officer morale or productivity, or police-community relations and interactions, in the current climate of US law enforcement. Specifically, perceptions of changes in outcomes such as arrests, citations, traffic stops, or other self-initiated activities were measured. In addition, respondents were asked whether officers in their respective jurisdictions were experiencing more verbal resistance, violent resistance, if they perceived that officers were second guessing actions and decisions, or if they perceived that officers were intentionally slowing down or ceasing to engage in self-initiated activities as an act of contempt or rebellion. Measures of respondent perceptions of a potential “Ferguson effect” are compared with their perceptions of organizational justice within their respective agencies and their attitudes regarding body-worn cameras.

Authors

• Michael Kyle, Southern Illinois University

• David R. White, Southern Illinois University

• David Ayeni, Southern Illinois University

• Joseph Schafer, Southern Illinois University