Do Patterns of Zero-Tolerance Policing Impact an Agency’s Legitimacy? A Study of 105 U.S. Agencies

• In Event: Police Legitimacy: Causes and Consequences

Abstract

Zero-tolerance policing (defined here as the increased use of arrests for minor or misdemeanor crimes) proliferated in the 1990s and was adopted by many agencies nationwide during that period. Some have suggested that this policing strategy left a deep and lasting impression on communities, in particular, reducing police legitimacy in these communities in the 2000s. However, little research has formally tested these claims. This project explores the impact of long-term misdemeanor arrest practices on police legitimacy using trajectories of misdemeanor arrests developed by Lum and Vovak (2018) and comparing them on proxy measures of legitimacy at the jurisdiction level. Findings and limitations are discussed.

Authors

• Hailey Khatchatourian, George Mason University

• Cynthia Lum, George Mason University