Perceptions of Proper Policing: Who Initiates Contact and Citizens’ Views of Police Behavior

• In Event: Poster Session 2

Abstract

Previous literature demonstrates that the nature of interactions between police and the public serve as an important component in the quality of community relations and police efficacy. There is limited research available, however, on how police-initiated and citizen-initiated interactions affect citizens’ perceptions of police behavior. Based on the prior literature, we expect to find demographic factors to be significant determinants of the public’s view. We also hypothesize that citizens will be more likely to perceive police behavior during a contact as appropriate when the contact was initiated by the citizen rather than by an officer. This study uses the 2020 Police-Public Contact Survey (PPCS) to examine the factors that influence citizens’ perceptions of whether officers behaved properly during an encounter, with a particular focus on police-initiated versus citizen-initiated interactions. We anticipate that our results will expand insight into the consequences of police-citizen interactions for relationships between law enforcement and the community.

Authors

• Savanna Maria Bizzarro, University of South Carolina

• Brandon Applegate, University of South Carolina