The Effects of Bias on Law Enforcement Perceptions

Research shows that citizens’ experiences with police officers strongly influence citizens’ attitudes towards the police (Weitzer & Tuch, 2004). The purpose of this study was to determine if perceptions and prejudices towards law enforcement officers sway attitudes depending on ethnicity. Past research shows that young people of minority groups hold negative attitudes towards law enforcement officers (Sivasubramaniam & Goodman-Delahunty, 2008). This study also sought to examine if the public has confidence in the job that police officers are doing. Results revealed that the majority of the participants do not feel they are targeted by law enforcement due to their ethnicity. It was also found that most of the participants feel that law enforcement agencies do a good job patrolling their communities and are not concerned over safety or security within their neighborhoods. The findings will be discussed in further detail.