By Leonard Sipes Source: Law Enforcement Today
Originally written for Crime in America. Republished with permission.
It’s safe to say, based on polling data, that the great majority of the 54 million yearly police-citizen contacts, interactions were mostly positive which almost seems almost impossible considering the nature of the job.
85% say they were treated fairly, and 84% say they were treated with respect.
With the overall use “or” threat of force (all encounters) at 2 percent, and with positive polling data, it seems that the vast majority of police officers are respectfully interacting with the American public.
When paying attention to survey data of all American institutions, you’re surprised by the level of mistrust. Few American institutions are held in high regard. This especially applies to Congress, the media, and just about everyone else, including religious organizations.
It’s not that way with law enforcement. Cops are highly regarded in almost every poll with differences based on demographics and political affiliations. When considering that some rate law enforcement higher and some less, in just about every poll, regardless of background, American law enforcement is rated highly.
The surprising reaction from some in law enforcement when reading this (or similar articles I’ve written in the past) is pushback. Many in law enforcement believe that they have taken years of public abuse since the beginning of controversies regarding use of force issues leading to thousands of cops leaving or retiring.
Police employees seem to believe that the actions of a few have judged them all. Cops leaving is referred to as a crisis by US Department of Justice agencies. Cities are losing a ton of cops leading to long wait times for officers to arrive.
If social media responses to similar articles in the past are a guide, cops are angry.
Gallup Data (direct, rearranged quotes)
Despite what news reports may suggest, most Americans report that their dealings with police were relatively pleasant. Overall, 77% of Americans say that their most recent interaction with a member of their local police force was a positive experience, 85% say they were treated fairly, and 84% say they were treated with respect.
Black Americans Report Less Positive Experiences With Police Encounters
However, racial and ethnic groups do not have equally positive experiences with the police. Specifically, Black (68%) and Hispanic (70%) Americans are less likely than White Americans (82%) to report an overall positive experience in their encounters with police in the past 12 months. Similarly, Black and Hispanic Americans are less likely than their White counterparts to say they were treated fairly or with respect in their dealings with the police.
Feeling a sense of trust that local police will fulfill their role — to serve and protect — is a crucial indicator of community wellbeing. Gallup’s Center on Black Voices finds that recent interactions with police are a key differentiator of Americans’ confidence in their local police force. 78% of those reporting positive police interactions feel confident, compared with 26% of those with negative interactions.
Bottom Line
Day-to-day interactions between police and individuals are important to how people see and experience life in their communities. These data from Gallup’s Center on Black Voices show that most people (77%) who interact with police walk away with a positive perception, one that engenders confidence in their local police force and a sense of security in their community.
But Americans who experience negative interactions with the police have a very different perception of policing in their local communities. These perceptions factor into feelings about their own safety and wellbeing.
Every interface between police and the public is meaningful. Even seemingly routine interactions can exemplify the ideals of safety and protection, or they can raise a sense of mistrust and suspicion. Moving the needle on more of these experiences from negative to positive could change conversations around policing entirely.
Additional Research on Police-Community Relations
An account of additional data on police-community relations is available at Confidence In The Police Compared To Other Institutions.
Per a separate report from the US Department of Justice, 88 percent reported that they were satisfied with their police response, with 93 percent saying they would be more or as likely to contact police again in the future.
Approximately 4% of residents experienced some type of police action during their most recent police-initiated or traffic accident-related contact, with 3% experiencing the threat or use of force. Overall use or threat of force (all encounters) or threat of force was 2 percent.
About 1% of U.S. residents experienced misconduct during their most recent contact with police.
White persons (89%) were the most likely racial or ethnic group to report being satisfied with the police response. A higher percentage of white persons (94%) said they would be more or as likely to contact police in the future than black persons (89%) or persons who are American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, or of two or more races (87%).
We are constantly being told that police are overly aggressive when it comes to traffic stops and African Americans. Per the data, “White persons (63%) were as likely as black persons (62%) but less likely than Asian persons (65%) to be the driver in a traffic stop during their most recent police contact.”
This is the third replication of this USDOJ report with similar results.
Conclusions
No one is trying to downplay problems within law enforcement. Yes, some officers have engaged in illegal or unethical use of force. Law enforcement accepts accountability; we must strive to do better.
There will always be controversy as to interactions with law enforcement. From my years in policing, it’s literally impossible to say and do the right things in every interaction.
There are groups with less positive feelings towards law enforcement but when polled, it’s clear that there is widespread apprehension towards most institutions. The data on the medical profession or the media suggests considerable mistrust. Yes, per this poll, law enforcement declined along with just about everyone else while still ranking higher than most.
But it’s safe to say, based on polling data, that most police interactions are positive which seems almost impossible considering the nature of the job. All polls state that groups, regardless of demographics, want police in their communities. Per Gallup, North American law enforcement is near the top of worldwide rankings.
With the overall use “or” threat of force (all encounters) at 2 percent, and with positive polling data, it seems that most police officers are trying to respectfully interact with the American public.
