NCJ Number
234167
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice Volume: 53 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2011 Pages: 1-26
Date Published
January 2011
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This article examines racial relations in Canada.
Abstract
Few studies have been conducted about differential public perceptions of the police in Canada. Based on the 2004 General Social Survey of Canada, this article examines the impact of belonging to the category visible minorities on citizens' confidence in the police. Consistent with the theoretical prediction, results of multivariate analyses show that members of visible minorities had lower levels of confidence than non-members of visible minorities, even after the effects of perceptions, community contexts, and crime-related variables were controlled for. The small but persistent effect of visible minorities raises questions about race relations in Canada. Other interesting significant predictors of confidence in the police are community context, perceptions, and crime experiences. The findings indicate that equal racial confidence in the police is yet to be achieved and continued reform measures are needed if the police force is to win the hearts and minds of visible minorities in Canada. (Published Abstract)