The so-called “Ferguson effect” — officers backing off of policing out of fear that their actions will be questioned after the fact — has been talked about but never really quantified. A new study suggests the effect is a reality, with three-quarters of officers surveyed saying they are hesitant to use force, even when appropriate, and are less willing to stop and question suspicious people.
The nonpartisan Pew Research Center questioned at least 8,000 officers from departments with at least 100 officers between May 19 and Aug. 14 last year — most of it ahead of the fatal shootings of five officers in Dallas and three officers in Baton Rouge.
What it found was a significant fear among police about their safety and about carrying out some of the everyday acts of policing.
It also shows a stark difference in how white and black officers view the protests that have taken place after some of the high-profile shootings of black suspects in the past several years, with black officers believing the protests are genuine acts of civil disobedience designed to hold police accountable, while white officers are more skeptical of the protesters’ motives.
“White officers and black officers have very different views about where we are as a country in terms of achieving equal rights,” said Kim Parker, the director of social trends research for the Pew Research Center.
Some of the key findings:
— 86 percent of officers said that fatal encounters between blacks and police have made policing more difficult
— 93 percent said they’re more concerned about safety
— 76 percent said they’re more reluctant to use force when appropriate
— 75 percent said interactions between police and blacks have become more tense
— 72 percent said they or their colleagues are more reluctant to stop and question people who seem suspicious
In 2014, a white officer in Ferguson, Missouri shot and killed black teen Michael Brown, setting off a movement drawing greater scrutiny of police use of force, particularly against black citizens. In the years since, other fatal encounters with police in such cities as Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Milwaukee, Chicago and New York have put officers under the microscope, especially as video has captured more of these events.
There has been a concern, largely shared in anecdotes, of officers holding back on stopping suspicious people or other policing out of concern that they’d be cast as racist. But the Pew survey provides the first national evidence that those concerns may be having a real impact on how officers do their jobs.
“Officers are concerned about being the next viral video and so that influences what they do and how they do it and how they think about it,” said Darrel Stephens, executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association. He added that he doesn’t believe it’s rampant or that officers are turning a blind eye, “but I still have to believe it may be in a marginal-call situation where there’s a reasonable suspicion on the bubble … that those are the ones they pass up.”
The survey also suggested a divide between police and the communities they serve on some social issues of the day.
For example, two-thirds of all officers say deadly encounters with blacks are isolated incidents, but 60 percent of the general public said they believe they are signs of a broader problem between police and blacks.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Its pretty simple. Simple works best! DO WHAT THE COP REQUESTS!!! If you don’t you are asking for trouble. COURT is where the battlefield is, NOT the street! If you resist arrest or don’t follow instructions PREPARE for a negative outcome. You pull a gun you are going to die. Many blacks have the chip. Get over it!!! Yes slavery was dumb, stupid and inhumane. Millions of whites were subject to it through the centuries too. Stop thinking your special. You’re not! Slavery and disrespect wasn’t right then, isn’t right now. Let the Courts decide. IF we fail to work together without violence to improve our society IT WILL FAIL!!! Who wins if it fails?? NO ONE!!!
Look All, Remain REACTIVE – never pro – Expect an ambush on every call and be prepared to pull and shoot at every call….SCREW THE PERPS —– GO HOME AFTER SHIFT……
Obey the law and there will no problems
If we sacrifice law for safety and caution we will have neither law or safety. No one seems to have an answer for the problem. Perhaps putting only black officers in black neighborhoods would be worth a try. I’m sure cities like Chicago would have enough black officers to fill the bill. Of coarse it would be called “racial” but what’s new. Every method tried has been deemed racial. That charge has become irrelevant. Making the death penalty mandatory for the killing of a police officer might help. Trump has suggested he would clean the gangs out of the “hood” ; and provide better and safer living conditions for the residents. Better education for their children, education on par with charter schools instead of substandard public schools they attend now with substandard teachers protected by liberal unions, who fight charter schools. Work along with the new president! As he said in his campaign, “What the hell do you have to loose?”
This is obama’s true legacy, a demoralized nation and law enforcement behind.
forbid any and all toy guns or the like to be manufactured or brought into the country, if it looks like a gun, it probably is a gun, law enforcement officers are there to protect and serve the people, if a guy is running and turns to confront the officer, his intentions are hostile already, if he appears to have weapon in his hands, he will use it, every law officer has a right to protect himself/herself and the general public from this individual who can go on to cause greater harm.
keeping toy guns out of the country is a start, this is one way that the officer in the field can be assured that the weapon being yielded is an actual deadly weapon, thus responding to the threat accordingly.
99% of the people RUNNING AWAY from the officers are probably guilty anyway, the officer will make the arrest and fill out his report, than the guy can take or explain his position in court.
Prepare, draw, fire, horizontal suspect. You head home at the end of your shift, a hero to law abiding citizens.
do your policing most law abiding people understand your reluctance but the perps have the advantage right now they know you are reluctant, Don’t put your life in jeporady unnecessarily just do the best your knowledge let’s you do. Being black or white law abiding people are with you. Stand your ground we are depending on you to keep us safe. Let’s make the outlaws fear the court of law again. If a person has a gun in his hand he is fair game, you will be the one going home at the end of the shift to your family he or she already knows what is up when you approach them it is their decision what happens to them. Just remember your training and instinct of survival will kick in. There is a difference in shooting someone just because and legally defending yourself or others God Bless the boys and girls in blue, stay safe/ HOOORRAAA
The police have done this to themselves their to stupid they know their on camera and they still do their dumb shit of shooting innocent people In the last 5 years i have never seen as many murders committed by dumb ass cops in my life you know you have a camera a video running and you still do it now come on you dont want your paycheck and your pension I am white and a staunch conservative if you can’t be trained better than this then the training needs to be changed something needs to be done !!!
With Martin Luther King’s day of celebration just a few days away, the vast majority of young Blacks obviously are unaware of Dr. King’s dream that someday Blacks would be judged on the content of their character rather than the color of their skin, and for the greatest extent, that is what is happening in society today.
That is no longer acceptable to the majority of Black Americans.
The current trend, being pushed by race baiters Barrack Obama, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, etc. focuses on being treated by the color of their skin rather than the content of their character. (Black Lives Matter, i.e.)
As in he commercial of an American Indian with a tear in his eye at the site of someone littering, I suspect that Dr. King, were he alive today, would also have a tear in his eye in the knowledge that his life’s toils and dreams were all in vain.
Unfortunately, it’s no longer an issue of equality for the Race baiters, it’s a full court press for zero accountability and racial superiority.
The reason the Michael Brown incident became such a huge mess is due to the nearly immediate arrival of members of the Muslin Brotherhood.This is where they created the BLM movement. Once again the muslims are keeping their black contingent of Islam enslaved to carry out their program of Muslim supremacy by riots, constant demonstrations, accusation of discrimination, and outright aggression toward all nonmuslims. They are the scourge of peace in the world.
Due to Don’s unbiased opinions, this comment will undergo ‘moderation’.