Social Class and Use of Force: Examining Law Enforcement Decision Making

• In Event: Advancing Police Research

Abstract

Law enforcement officers can rely on use of force under certain circumstances. For example, officers can deploy a taser, when making an arrest to minimize harm and increase compliance. Although the extent of force used varies across situations, body worn camera footage has shown to be a common data source used to analyze officer's use of force. To better understand use of force predictors, the researchers conducted a content analysis of body worn camera and dashboard camera footage across a Southern police department to determine how the perception of a suspect's social class influenced the force applied.

Authors

• Alison Jarzombek-Torralva, Texas School Safety Center

• Scott Bowman, Texas State University