Racially Biased Policing: Determinants of Citizen Perceptions*

Abstract

The current controversy surrounding racial profiling in America has focused renewed attention on the larger issue of racial bias by the police. Yet little is known about the extent of police racial bias and even less about public perceptions of the problem. This article analyzes recent national survey data on citizens' views of and reported personal experiences with, several forms of police bias—including differential treatment of individuals and neighborhoods, police prejudice, and racial profiling. We find that attitudes toward the prevalence and acceptability of these practices are largely shaped by citizens race, personal experiences with police discrimination, and exposure to news media reporting on incidents of police misconduct. The findings lend support to the group-position theory of race relations.

*

Research for this article was funded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, Grant 2001-IJ-CX-0016. We are also grateful for the support of the Columbian Research Fellows program at George Washington University.