Understaffed and Beleaguered: A National Survey of Chiefs of Police About the Post-George Floyd Era

• In Event: Media, Public Attitudes, and Police Legitimacy

Abstract

Background
The murder of George Floyd resulted in challenges to policing, but little is known about how police chiefs perceive them. At the same time, chiefs wield great influence over public perceptions of crime and disorder, the laws and policies that govern the conduct of police officers, and municipal public safety budgets. It is therefore critical to understand how they perceive the changes to their profession post-Floyd.

Methods
This study surveyed a randomly selected national sample of 276 municipal chiefs of police. Items probed resignations, recruitment, efforts to defund departments, community support, officer morale, suspects’ likelihood of obeying lawful orders, and career risks that could inhibit proactive police work.

Results
Chiefs overwhelmingly reported recruiting qualified candidates had become much harder, and the present risks of proactive police work encourage inaction. Chiefs of agencies in the Northeast perceived more challenges than those in the South. Respondents with more years of experience were less likely to perceive the current situation as dire. Approximately 13.5% reported an attempt to defund their department, 56.8% of which yielded some success.

Conclusion
This study suggests an increase in the challenges voiced by chiefs of police, although their extent varied by region and years of experience.

Authors

• Brandon del Pozo, Brown University

• Saba Rouhani, New York University School of Global Public Health

• M.H. Clark, University of Central Florida

• Barbara Andraka-Christou, University of Central Florida

• Danielle Atkins, Florida State University

• Kailtin Fatima Martins, Rhode Island Hospital