NCJ Number
174796
Journal
Public Opinion Quarterly Volume: 61 (1997) Issue: Dated: Pages: 642-663
Date Published
1997
Length
22 pages
Annotation
Public attitudes toward police were studied using time-series data on trends nationally and in Los Angeles from the late 1970s to 1996.
Abstract
Results revealed that attitudes are strongly affected by celebrated and well-publicized incidents of police brutality. Such events are followed by an erosion of support for the police at both the local and national level. This change applies not only to specific questions such as police brutality or racism but also to global questions such as confidence in the police and the way police handle their job. In addition, black and white persons differ somewhat in their reactions to incidents of police brutality. The magnitude of the negative effects of these incidents on attitudes is greater for black persons than for white persons. The more limited data on Hispanic persons also reveal them to be more affected than white persons by such incidents but less affected than black persons. Moreover, well-publicized brutality incidents have greater staying power for black and Hispanic persons than for white persons. Findings indicated that well-publicized incidents of police brutality have a role in shaping attitudes toward the police immediately after the incident; in many cases, they have longer-term effects as well. Footnotes, appended tables, and 10 references