Police-Community Relations in Cincinnati

• NCJ Number: 222603
• Author(s): K. Jack Riley; Susan Turner; John MacDonald; Greg Ridgeway; Terry Schell; Jeremy Wilson; Travis L. Dixon; Terry Fain; Dionne Barnes-Proby; Brent Fulton
• Date Published: 2005
• Length: 400 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Cincinnati City Manager's Office
• Corporate Author: Rand Corporation
• Sale Source: Rand Corporation
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Downloaded May 7, 2008; for related documents in this series, see NCJ-222605 and NCJ-222606.

Annotation

This is the first of three annual reports on the evaluation of Cincinnati's (Ohio) progress in meeting the goals of a collaborative agreement that binds the signatories ("the parties") to a series of reforms and initiatives designed to improve police-community relations.

Abstract

This first-year evaluation establishes the baseline from which future progress toward the goals of the collaborative agreement can be measured. The complexity and difficulty of the tasks facing the parties can be summarized by two findings from this initial evaluation. First, substantial majorities of Black survey respondents believe race is a factor in their perceived poorer treatment by police. Second, evaluation researchers found no systemic pattern of Cincinnati police officers targeting Blacks for more and harsher encounters compared with non-Blacks. Community Problem-Oriented Policing (CPOP) has permeated the Cincinnati Police Department and its interactions with the community to a considerable degree; however, the evaluation found little evidence that problem-solving procedures were being used to address community problems. Police-community relations may be improved by encouraging those with the most critical view of the police (Blacks) to participate in community and CPOP meetings. The surveys show community support for the police; however, significantly less support was evident in certain parts of the city. Differences in the quality of neighborhood conditions and the policing style in these neighborhoods apparently influenced the different perceptions of police. The city must find ways to conduct effective policing in Black neighborhoods while maintaining cooperative and positive relationships with the majority of residents. Some general suggestions are to improve the education, oversight, monitoring, hiring practices, and accountability of the Cincinnati Police Department; ensure the fair, equitable, and courteous treatment of all city residents by police; and development of methods for fostering support of the police. 11 figures, 155 tables, 128 references, and appended evaluation instruments and methodology