Examining variations in citizen complaint rates and dispositions among large US police departments

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

To date, little research has sought to explain variations in citizen complaint rates and their related dispositions across police departments, particularly why some departments might sustain a greater percentage of citizen complaints relative to others. Using data from a national survey of 198 Internal Affairs (IA) units from large police departments and their 2016 LEMAS data, our study seeks to address this issue by examining variations in both organizational (e.g.,IA unit staffing, training, and policies) and environmental (e.g., population size and demographics) features to determine if these relevant variables explain both the volume of citizen complaints filed as well as variations in rates of those complaints which are found to have merit. Results are presented and implications discussed.

Authors

• Christopher Harris, University of Massachusetts Lowell

• Sean Perry, University of Massachusetts Lowell