Neighborhood Context and Police Use of Force

TLDR

Police coercion has traditionally been studied within sociological, psychological, and organizational frameworks, yet the influence of neighborhood context on use‑of‑force has been largely overlooked. The study investigates how neighborhood context influences the level of force used by police during suspect encounters. The authors employed hierarchical linear modeling on systematic social observation data from Indianapolis and St. Petersburg to assess force levels.

Abstract

Explanations of police coercion have been traditionally embedded within sociological, psychological, and organizational theoretical frameworks. Largely absent from the research are examinations exploring the role of neighborhood context on police use-of-force practices. Using data collected as part of a systematic social observation study of police in Indianapolis, Indiana, and St. Petersburg, Florida, this research examines the influence of neighborhood context on the level of force police exercise during police-suspect encounters using hierarchical linear modeling techniques. The authors found police officers are significantly more likely to use higher levels of force when suspects are encountered in disadvantaged neighborhoods and those with higher homicide rates, net of situational factors (e.g., suspect resistance) and officer-based determinants (e.g., age, education, and training). Also found is that the effect of the suspect's race is mediated by neighborhood context. The results reaffirm Smith's 1986 conclusion that police officers “act differently in different neighborhood contexts.”