Black Americans show robust support for maintaining or increasing police presence and funding

Most Black Americans favor maintaining or even increasing local police presence and funding, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Criminal Justice. Surprisingly, this preference is more robust among Black Americans than non-Black Americans — it holds steady regardless of changes in crime trends or information about policing reforms. Support for police is, however, reduced by negative feelings towards the police and perceptions of unfairness in police procedures. The new study was prompted by existing contradictions in public opinions toward policing, especially among Black Americans. Despite widespread fears and distrust towards the police, evidenced by previous surveys and reports, a significant proportion of Black Americans favor strong local police presence and funding. “Interest in this topic arose when opinion polls revealed a seeming paradox: despite Black Americans reporting significantly greater fear of the police compared to their White counterparts, such that most Black Americans are afraid of being mistreated by officers, they still apparently prefer to maintain or even increase police presence and spending in their local communities,” said study author Linda Balcarová, a PhD student at the School of Criminal Justice at the University at Albany SUNY. “We sought to understand the reasons behind Black Americans’...