Addressing the Racial Gap in Fear of Police: Impact of State Use-of-Force Policies

• In Event: Poster Session 1

Abstract

George Floyd’s murder in 2020 ignited national protests and heightened concerns about policing legitimacy. In response, police departments have reformed use of force policies to rebuild community trust. Previous failures to hold officers accountable for minority mistreatment have led to widespread dissatisfaction among people of color (De Angelis & Wolf, 2016; Brunson, 2007). Recent research has identified a persistent racial gap in police-related fear (Pickett et al., 2021). This study extends upon this work by examining the impact of enacting state-level use-of-force policies on personal and altruistic fear of police. This study re-imagines the meaning of altruistic fear, distinguishing between fear for close associates (family, friends, neighbors) and a broader societal fear for groups such as immigrants, Hispanics, Blacks, and protestors. We utilize two datasets in this study: a survey collected by Pickett et al. (2021) via YouGov (N=1146) and data from the 8 Can’t Wait campaign, which promotes eight specific use-of-force policies aimed at reducing officer-involved shootings and mistreatment. The findings indicate that implementing these policies does not significantly influence personal or altruistic fear in either group. Police mistreatment, race, and political affiliation are significant determinants of police-related fear, as highlighted in prior research (Pickett et al., 2021).

Author

• Cassidy Pereira, Northeastern University