Police Legitimacy, Trust, and Impartiality: Ethno-racial Disparities in Community Perceptions

• In Event: Race and Policing

Abstract

Community perceptions of trust and legitimacy in the police are integral for a functioning criminal justice system. However, communities of color have historically had strained relationships with local authorities. This analysis explores the association between trust in one’s local police and race or ethnicity. We use a nationally representative sample of approximately 3,000 respondents and a supplementary sample of over 10,000 respondents from selected urban sites in the United States. Respondents were asked a series questions regarding their perceptions of trust, legitimacy, and impartiality in their local police. We examine differences between communities of color and non-Hispanic white respondents controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. In addition, this analysis assesses ethno-racial disparities in police trust and legitimacy based on experience with the criminal justice system or victimization. We find persistent significant ethno-racial gaps in measures of trust, legitimacy, and impartiality across national and urban-site samples.

Authors

• Christopher Scott Inkpen, RTI International

• Matthew DeMichele, RTI International

• Samuel Scaggs, RTI International

• Alison Levin-Rector, RTI International

• Kelle Barrick, RTI International