Literature Review
Research by Rice et al. (2023) found a correlation between Black people’s opinions on enforcement practices and LEA support for anti-Black bigotry, as demonstrated by their endorsement of Trump. After Trump’s election, the study investigates racial tensions and harsh rhetoric. The study indicated that African Americans’ poor policing attitudes are associated with law enforcement support of anti-Black language. These findings show how law enforcement ideas and politics are intertwined. Political links that promote anti-Black discourse make Black people view law enforcement differently (Rice et al., 2023). The study indicated that law enforcement professionals’ endorsement of anti-black politicians erodes police-black trust. This trust crisis impacts Black law enforcement and must be addressed. African Americans’ perceptions of police are substantially influenced by law enforcement attitudes, particularly anti-Black ones, according to Rice et al. (2023). Black people perceive law enforcement as supporting anti-Black politicians. The study stresses the need to understand law enforcement agencies’ political affiliations and their effects on collaboration, confidence, and community relations. The authors advise LEAs against supporting a racist political candidate, especially in a prominent Black community. These endorsements may diminish community confidence and policing efficacy (Rice et al., 2023). The study uses social cognition theory to explain the “Trump effect.” Supporting anti-Black racism may harm politics, business, education, political science, the military, and religion, say experts.
Barthelemy et al. (2016) studied police-community relations. These interactions were studied for trustworthiness and perceptions. The study examines high-crime police to examine the enormous divide between law enforcement and the public. Regional organizations, strategies, and the image of community policing are examined for violent crime in inner cities. The report, which condemns the “War on Drugs,” asserts police brutality against Black communities may rise without reducing drug use. This projection fuels rising hostility and erodes public law enforcement trust. Police prejudices can affect their perspectives on crime and the people they protect, according to Barthelemy et al. (2016). The study indicated that high-crime police have preconceived notions that hurt community relations. This suggests that officers’ law enforcement views in these areas are shaped by their conscious or unconscious beliefs, complicating the encounter. The findings support law enforcement bias talks by demonstrating that officers’ preexisting attitudes may affect their judgment and decision-making. Hi-crime police may stereotype people. The study found that law enforcement prejudice reduction affects community and individual relations. Community antagonism and mistrust demonstrate law enforcement’s entrenched bias (Barthelemy et al., 2016). A study indicated law enforcement’s biases may make high-crime residents feel unfairly targeted or examined. Law enforcement and the community struggle to collaborate due to this perspective. Programs that foster officers’ cultural competence, sensitivity, and understanding build trust and community.
Price &Payton’s (2017) study examined how implicit racial bias in law enforcement affects deadly force, specifically against Black people. Police officers’ latent biases against African Americans may impair their policing, according to the study. Implicit biases and unintentional and spontaneous associations between race and characteristics influence officers’ opinions and choices regarding different ethnic groups. The study found that fair policing involves identifying and addressing these biases (Price & Payton, 2017). Unconscious biases cause racial inequity, research suggests. According to the report, these sentiments can lead police to kill more African Americans with more force. This tragic discovery reveals that law enforcement implicit biases must be addressed to end institutional racism. Price & Payton (2017) suggest unconscious bias doesn’t always discriminate. The disproportionate shooting and killing of African Americans by police are concerning. The study argues police agencies’ voluntary reporting rules make fatality statistics impossible to determine. A set of recommendations is put out in the article to address this problem. It first and primarily recommends that all police shootings be made mandatory, highlighting the significance of openness in comprehending the circumstances behind such occurrences. Furthermore, acknowledging that proper training might lessen the propensity for discriminatory deadly violence, the authors support counter-training initiatives to combat implicit bias among police officers.
Mihailovs (2023) examines the significance of intercultural competency in police officers’ training and day-to-day work, providing an in-depth look at a critical facet of law enforcement dynamics. The study advocates for a nuanced understanding of varied communities and strongly emphasizes the significance of cultural awareness as an essential component of effective policing. Law enforcement officers’ attitudes and behavior can be enhanced through improving intercultural competencies that may, in turn, foster positive interactions between Blacks and the police. The feelings or thoughts of law enforcement officers toward the black community might influence the decision-making during interactions (Mihailovs, 2023). These may arise due to prejudices and prejudgments that people have when dealing with Black people, causing increased suspicion, use of excessive force, or procedural unfairness. These variables erode public confidence in the enforcement of the law and give rise to strained relations between the Black communities and the police. Mihailovs (2023) admits that law enforcement officers and people of different origins encounter communication problems. As such, he stresses the need for police to be conversant with multiple cultural scenarios. Intercultural competency provides the awareness and flexibility to allow officers to build rapport and trust among diverse groups (Mihailovs, 2023). This is especially important when considering how it may affect black interactions. It is contended that police officers ought to develop a more sophisticated sensitivity toward the subtler forms of cultural differences that exist amongst Black people, including, but not limited to, their belief systems, experiences, and traditions. This knowledge should eliminate bias and discrimination for a fair and civil legal system. The study suggests that intercultural abilities may influence police opinions of black people. Cultural awareness and flexibility enable police personnel to work with diverse groups by being more understanding (Mihailovs, 2023). This mentality shift is crucial because it signifies the change from one-size-fits-all to localized, context-aware policing. Law enforcement training incorporates intercultural competency to influence attitudes and behaviors. Law enforcement agencies can help personnel navigate diverse contexts by teaching intercultural proficiency.
The complex interaction between the public, law enforcement, and the media depends on the media’s portrayal of minorities and their influence on public opinion, according to Mastro & Robinson (2000). This study reveals that press coverage affects public opinion, even among law enforcement. In this, media portrayal of minority people may further contribute to stereotyping, which could, in turn, affect the way officers perceive and treat black people, in particular. It does this by exposing bias in the representation of minorities. These results suggest that such models are not neutral; they may be prejudiced and could further affirm beliefs and preconditions about minority groups. These media representations extend far beyond public opinion and may influence the attitudes and behavior of persons with authority, such as law enforcement officers. Worrisome are these findings of the study about media representation bias towards minority groups, which may hurt law enforcement perceptions. The media plays a critical role in shaping the news stories that people, including law enforcement officers, consume at all times. Such portrayal can be biased or stereotyped, leading to implicit biases. Therefore, it directly impacts police interactions with minority populations, especially black people (Mastro & Robinson, 2000). This aligns with broader discussions on linkages between racial injustices in police procedures, institutional biases, and the media. The stereotyping leads to an increase in media portrayals that further create a conducive atmosphere in terms of targeting or exposing people of color to wrong enforcement approaches and practices. Such a connection between the mediated images and the potential inequalities in police shows that the need exists for scrutiny of the media images when discussing community relations and reforms within the police. Mastro & Robinson’s (2000) study suggests that media influences public and law enforcement opinion in the broader societal perspectives on police. Media literacy or awareness training becomes essential since biased representations affect officers’ attitudes and behaviors. Addressing these influences is vital to promoting an equal approach to the police, as the media perpetuate prejudices that necessitate confrontation and destruction.
Cobbina-Dungy & Jones-Brown (2023) examine modern policing practices, specifically “warrior-style” training, and their link to excessive force, especially against minorities. The study advocates for a paradigm shift by defunding the police and discusses the problematic nature of violent police training. The authors believe financing should go to projects that improve residents’ lives. The study suggests that some police provoke violence, especially against African Americans, and significant transformation is necessary to guarantee impartial and equitable policing (Cobbina-Dungy & Jones-Brown, 2023). The study argues that the “warrior-style” training of the police encourages a warlike culture and attitude. The association of this training, especially for racial minorities, can make confrontations between police and communities tense. This proves that aggressive training leads to excessive force by the police (Cobbina-Dungy & Jones-Brown, 2023). This shows the need to examine the just distribution of resources supporting the justice system. As an alternative, financing can be diverted towards programs that seek to maximize well-being at the expense of reducing force use. The theory poses that crime can be lessened through the social and community support provision. This suggestion to decriminalize the state policing system complements previous police reform claims, acknowledging that structural reform is needed (Cobbina-Dungy & Jones-Brown, 2023). This perspective asserts the need for an elaborate way of dealing with brutality and overt violence against minorities rather than teaching through the curriculum. Distributing capital to community-centered projects will foster community-police relations by addressing the roots of crime and social and economic conditions (Cobbina-Dungy & Jones-Brown, 2023). However, increased law enforcement funding does not increase public safety, as this study poses. However, it can benefit the government to reassess priorities and reallocate resources to community development projects. It focuses on improving community policing by prioritizing community welfare rather than punishments.
Conclusion
Results indicate complex linkages between media effects, subconscious biases, communal perceptions, political endorsements, and current enforcement. The research recommends changing community involvement, training, and enforcement to enhance equity and goodwill. Other studies use biases, training, and policy changes for modification. The complexity of these ideas and their long-term repercussions on community-policing interactions warrant more investigation. Age, gender, and socioeconomic position should be used to study racial contact with legislation. An appreciation of how these multiple identities affect perceptions and experiences could lead to a more considered perspective on the challenges of different groups. Long-term training effects of cultural competency on officers’ attitudes and behavior need to be researched. Consequently, future research is needed to understand what strategies communities believe will improve police-community relationships. Filling these research gaps will enable us to develop targeted interventions and policies to promote justice, equality, and fairness in the criminal justice system since it will boost understanding of law enforcement practices and attitudes toward African Americans.
References
Barthelemy, J. J., Chaney, C., Maccio, E. M., & Church, I. (2016). Law enforcement perceptions of their relationship with the community: Law enforcement surveys and community focus groups. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 26(3–4), 413–429. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2016.1139992 https://web-s-ebscohost-com.ez.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid= fb4732dc-c3f6-43bc-94b6-bb9cbc4d951a%40redis
Cobbina-Dungy, J. E., & Jones-Brown, D. (2023). Too much policing: Why calls are made to defund the police. Punishment & Society, 25(1), 3–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/14624745211045652 https://journals-sagepub-com.ez.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/doi/10.1177/14624745211045652
Dempsey, R. P., Eskander, E. E., & Dubljević, V. (2023). Ethical Decision-Making in Law Enforcement: A Scoping Review. Psych, 5(2), 576-601. https://doi.org/10.3390/psych5020037
Mastro, D. E., & Robinson, A. L. (2000). Cops and crooks: images of minorities on primetime television. Journal of Criminal Justice, 28(5), 385–396. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0047-2352(00)00053-2 https://www-sciencedirect-com.ez.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/science/article/pii/S00472352 00000532?via%3Dihub
Mihailovs, I. J. (2023). Intercultural competence in the training and daily professional lives of police officers. Socrates (Rīga), 2023(1), 91–95. https://doi.org/10.25143/socr.26.2023.2.91-95 https://sciendo.com/article/10.25143/socr.26.2023.2.91-95
Price, J. H., & Payton, E. (2017). Implicit Racial Bias and Police Use of Lethal Force: Justifiable Homicide or Potential Discrimination? Journal of African American Studies (New Brunswick, N.J.), 21(4), 674–683. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-017-9383-3 https://www-jstor-org.ez.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/stable/45200236?sid=primo&seq=1
Rice, D. B., Prosper, P., Franklin, D. A., & Luse, W. (2023). Examining the relationship between law enforcement agency support of anti-black racism and black people’s evaluations of policing style: the moderating impact of sex. Current Psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05042-w https://link-springer-com.ez.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/article/10.1007/s12144-023-05042-w
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