“Oh Hell No, We Don't Talk to Police:” Insights on the Lack of Cooperation in Police Investigations of Urban Gun Violence

• In Event: Rutgers at 50: The Evolution and Impact of Police and Community Research

Abstract

This study used semi-structured interviews with 50 young Black men (ages 18-30) from high-crime areas in Brooklyn and the Bronx, NY, who had insights into illegal gun markets and associated community violence. The findings reveal difficulties securing cooperative witnesses in these neighborhoods due to entrenched issues such as anti-snitching norms, fear of retaliation, legal cynicism, and high-risk residents' normative views toward self-help. These factors contribute to low clearance rates for shootings, reinforcing minority communities' perceptions of law enforcement's apathy toward their safety. The research proposes three public policy improvements: reducing gun violence to enhance community safety, launching community-led campaigns to counteract pro-violence and anti-snitching attitudes, and improving police-community relations in minority neighborhoods. Implementing these strategies could foster safer, more collaborative environments and bolster community-based policing.

Author

• Brian Wade, University of Pennsylvania