Abstract
In this paper, we examine use-of-force incidents as neighborhood processes to understand how rates and levels of use-of-force vary across New York City. We suggest that there are two distinct outcomes of force by the police: number of use-of-force incidents and level of force. Applying theories of racial threat, social disorganization, and Klinger’s ecological theory of policing, we conceptualize use-of-force as a neighborhood phenomenon rather than individual events. Our results suggest that rates and levels of force operate in some distinct ways. In particular, while we find that use-of-force is concentrated in Black neighborhoods, and is also more severe in Black neighborhoods, neighborhoods with higher racial and ethnic heterogeneity have decreasing force incidents, but with increasing severity. This may reflect different types of policing, with high rates of low-level police harassment occurring in primarily poorer, Black neighborhoods, and more isolated but severe incidents occurring in middle-income and wealthier mixed neighborhoods.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Journal | Justice Quarterly |
| DOIs | |
| State | Accepted/In press - Jan 1 2018 |
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Keywords
- criminological theory
- neighborhoods
- Police
- use-of-force
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pathology and Forensic Medicine
- Law
Cite this
Racial Threat, Social (Dis)organization, and the Ecology of Police : Towards a Macro-level Understanding of Police Use-of-force in Communities of Color. / Lautenschlager, Rachel; Omori, Marisa.
In: Justice Quarterly, 01.01.2018.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Racial Threat, Social (Dis)organization, and the Ecology of Police
T2 - Towards a Macro-level Understanding of Police Use-of-force in Communities of Color
AU - Lautenschlager, Rachel
AU - Omori, Marisa
PY - 2018/1/1
Y1 - 2018/1/1
N2 - In this paper, we examine use-of-force incidents as neighborhood processes to understand how rates and levels of use-of-force vary across New York City. We suggest that there are two distinct outcomes of force by the police: number of use-of-force incidents and level of force. Applying theories of racial threat, social disorganization, and Klinger’s ecological theory of policing, we conceptualize use-of-force as a neighborhood phenomenon rather than individual events. Our results suggest that rates and levels of force operate in some distinct ways. In particular, while we find that use-of-force is concentrated in Black neighborhoods, and is also more severe in Black neighborhoods, neighborhoods with higher racial and ethnic heterogeneity have decreasing force incidents, but with increasing severity. This may reflect different types of policing, with high rates of low-level police harassment occurring in primarily poorer, Black neighborhoods, and more isolated but severe incidents occurring in middle-income and wealthier mixed neighborhoods.
AB - In this paper, we examine use-of-force incidents as neighborhood processes to understand how rates and levels of use-of-force vary across New York City. We suggest that there are two distinct outcomes of force by the police: number of use-of-force incidents and level of force. Applying theories of racial threat, social disorganization, and Klinger’s ecological theory of policing, we conceptualize use-of-force as a neighborhood phenomenon rather than individual events. Our results suggest that rates and levels of force operate in some distinct ways. In particular, while we find that use-of-force is concentrated in Black neighborhoods, and is also more severe in Black neighborhoods, neighborhoods with higher racial and ethnic heterogeneity have decreasing force incidents, but with increasing severity. This may reflect different types of policing, with high rates of low-level police harassment occurring in primarily poorer, Black neighborhoods, and more isolated but severe incidents occurring in middle-income and wealthier mixed neighborhoods.
KW - criminological theory
KW - neighborhoods
KW - Police
KW - use-of-force
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U2 - 10.1080/07418825.2018.1480792
DO - 10.1080/07418825.2018.1480792
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85052056720
JO - Justice Quarterly
JF - Justice Quarterly
SN - 0741-8825
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