Good Cop, Bad Cop, Black Cop, White Cop

• In Event: Attitudes about Race, Racism, & Police

Abstract

One commonly supported approach to police reform is diversifying police departments. Although research has examined the effect of diversification on police behavior, less research examines the consequences for public opinion. That is, how does the race of a police officer affect attitudes about when police use force and the punishments police should face when improperly using force? To address this question, the current study assesses public opinion about a police-citizen interaction involving force while varying the race of the officer as well as his prior conduct with the community. Findings show that while varying the race of a police officer does not affect participant judgments about the officer’s behavior, his redeemability, nor his punishment, a significant interaction exists for officer race and his conduct record; a Black officer with a history of commendations was viewed more favorably and a White officer with a history of misconduct was viewed less favorably. However, a White officer having a positive record or a Black officer with a negative record did not affect participant judgments. Overall, this study highlights the implications of diversifying police departments for public attitudes about police use of force.

Authors

• Adam Dunbar, University of Nevada, Reno

• Peter A. Hanink, Cal Poly Pomona