NCJ Number
84735
Date Published
1982
Length
16 pages
Annotation
An analysis of a sample of complaints against the police suggests that evaluations of the police vary by race because of different races' experience with the police and that racial minorities are victims of discriminatory practices.
Abstract
Data for this study came from the completed citizen complaint files of a police department in an urban city of about 500,000. In 1970, the population was 58 percent white and 41 percent black, but about 80 percent of the police officers were white. Blacks were disproportionately represented among complainants, and blacks were more likely to cross racial lines in making complaints. The nature of the complaints did not appear to differ between black and white complainants, and no differences in the outcomes of complaints by race were observed. Regardless of race, an insignificant number of citizens had their allegations supported. Overall, many more black complainants were injured, although no variation by officers' race could be determined. Blacks arrested were much more likely to file complaints than were their white counterparts, regardless of the arresting officer's race. Overall, blacks were more likely to have had negative encounters with police, supporting the contention in the literature that evaluations of the police vary by race because of different experiences. Since it could not be determined how many valid complaints were not filed or how many of those filed were not valid, the issue of discrimination could not be fully and accurately assessed, but the preponderance of evidence makes it difficult to discount race as a factor in how complainants were handled by the police. Twenty-seven references are provided.