K. Jack Riley

Race, Neighbourhood Context and Perceptions of Injustice by the Police in Cincinnati

Research has long identified racial differences in perceptions of criminal injustice. Given that race is confounded with neighbourhood context, it remains unclear the extent to which individual or neighbourhood attributes explain racial differences in these perceptions. This paper advances research on racial differences in perceptions of unjust police practices in the US by relying on a survey of 3000 residents in 53 Cincinnati neighbourhoods. A propensity score weighting approach is used to identify a model by which Whites and Blacks living in similar neighbourhood environments can be compared with each other. The results demonstrate that race remains a significant predictor of perceptions of unjust police practices, even after taking into account the ecological structuring of neighbourhoods and their perceived environmental context. These findings suggest that racial consciousness with regard to perceived injustices by the police is not purely a condition of personal or structural disadvantage. The implications of these findings for police reform efforts to mend minority relations in urban cities are discussed.

Police-Community Relations in Cincinnati

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Efforts to Improve Police-Community Relations in Cincinnati

I n 2002, the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD) entered into an agreement with local police and civil rights groups to collaborate to resolve social confl ict, improve police-community relations, and avoid litigation. Th e parties developed the agreement aft er a 2001 U.S. Department of Justice review of CPD use of force and a brief period of civil unrest, sparked partly by several police killings of black residents in a relatively short period. Th e parties asked the RAND Corporation to evaluate progress over a fi ve-year period, starting in 2004. Researchers used myriad approaches to measure progress, including analyzing Cincinnati crime and staff deployment patterns, reviewing motorist stop data and audio and video records from motorist stops, assessing CPD staffi ng patterns and problem-solving approaches, and surveying citizens and police offi cers about their interactions. RAND’s second annual report measures progress by comparing the most recent fi ndings to those from the fi rst year. It focuses on the progress made on one of the agreement’s key goals: “ensure fair, equitable, and courteous treatment for all” parties in police-community interactions.