Police Response to Crime Suspects' Appearance: Results from an Observational Study

• In Event: Physical Appearance and Crime: Bias Imposed by the Police, Public, and Offenders Against Suspects and Victims"

Abstract

The study draws upon data gathered through systematic observation of police officer decision-making during nearly 1000 ride-along sessions. Using a structured code sheet designed to measure a range of suspect appearance traits (race, grooming, age, gender, attire, etc.), demeanor, suspected offense details, characteristics of the community in which the suspected offense took place, and officer-specific factors, the authors find that racialized appearance has an effect of police decisions to arrest. This effect persists in multivariate analyses when holding constant key variables known to predict police behavior, such as suspect demeanor, department priorities, and the officers' perceived seriousness of the offense. Implications for police-community relations are discussed.

Authors

• Dean Dabney, Georgia State University

• Brent Teasdale, Georgia State University

• Glen Ishoy, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

• Taylor Gann, Georiga State University