Race and Policing in America: Conflict and Reform

The book, Race and Policing in America provides a fresh look at an old problem. Rather than downplaying racial differences, Weitzer and Tuch address the problem in a systematic way with a broad literature review and a significant citizen survey data. In fact, the foundation of this book is the authors “nationally representative survey of Americans” conducted in the fall of 2002 (p. 191, in which a total of 1,791 residents of major metropolitan areas were queried for this study. For more information of the methodology of the survey or its sample, a well documented and easy to read explanation of the data and methods used appears in the appendix of the book. Added to the systematic data in each chapter are personal accounts from various citizens' experiences with local police. This book examines the perspectives of white, black and various groups of Hispanic citizens and their relationship to and attitudes about their local police departments.

Chapter One starts with a tacit premise that “Americans are ambivalent about the police” (p. 1). The statement seems a bit misplaced; as the writer goes on to tell of negative views of the police by minority citizens, replete with public opinion polls to bolster the case. The book chronicles some of the more visible and highly publicized cases of police misconduct. With the negative relations between the police and minority communities as a backdrop, the book then illuminates the “nature of police work” and a better understanding of police subculture (p. 3). More than just a rehashing of racial issues between the police and the community, this book does a good job of delving below the surface to explore possible theoretical explanations for the negative relationship.

The authors employ a version of conflict theory to explain the negative relations between the police and minority communities. In this version, they posit that the “power‐threat” thesis explains the coercive nature of policing. This thesis states “the amount of control exercised by the authorities is related to the real or perceived threat posed by minority groups to dominant groups.” This theory “directs attention away from individual's attributes and highlights the way in which group interests structure both police practices and citizen perceptions” (p. 9). This theory is used to set the stage for the negative and often hostile relationship between the police and minority communities. Other factors include the personal experience that citizens have with the police and the media portrayal of both the behavior of the police and the context of each neighborhood. Also outlined is a series of key issues in police misconduct while profiling some of the more serious infractions. Chapter 1 concludes with a brief overview of police reform, and then outlines the rest of the book.

Chapter Two covers two very important issues: the public's overall satisfaction with their local police departments and the issue of police misconduct. Here, various issues that shape overall satisfaction with the police are explored. Though not an exhaustive list, several major issues such as police misconduct, media reporting, and citizen's individual experiences with the police are addressed. Quantitative data is appropriately mixed with qualitative accounts of citizen's personal experiences with the police. The authors found that “blacks and Hispanics are at heightened risk of mistreatment by the police” (p. 71). Moreover, people who feel that misconduct is a rare event may see it as a few “rotten apples” in the police department, while people who think it is a widespread see it as a “rotten barrel phenomenon” (p. 53). The authors contend that the main predictors of citizens' satisfaction of how well police deal with crime and how often officers are engaged in misconduct (p. 70).

Chapter Three examines four types of race‐based policing:

1. 1.

   Discrimination against minority individuals.

2. 2.

   Discrimination against minority neighborhoods.

3. 3.

   Racial prejudice among police officers.

4. 4.

   Racial profiling during traffic stops (p. 74).

Although both black and Hispanic citizens are more likely than whites to perceive problems with racially biased policing, the authors dissect several theories to explain similarities and differences that accentuate the likelihood for this variation. They also examine the perception of a police officer's race as a possible predictor of behavior, and conclude that “it is not good policing to have the racial composition of the police force appearing as though they are an alien occupying force in the black community” (p. 96).

Chapter Four investigates major types of popular support for reform in the police department. This is done in a three‐part method. First, the authors examine how Americans view police innovations; second, they explore citizen preferences; and third, they provide quantifiable data on the reforms. The underlying truth is that “organizational culture and institutional practices are not conducive to change” (p. 124). Some of the major reforms include racial diversification of the police force, increasing police‐accountability, intensive patrols, and community policing. In terms of the latter, they note that: “community policing is the most widely touted institutional reform in recent years and  … . [is] the most important development in policing in the past quarter century” (p. 134). The overall findings from this chapter show that blacks and Hispanics are more likely to support police reform (p. 173).

The concluding chapter chronicles various bodies of research that illuminate the long standing severed relationship between black citizens and members of the police. This chapter also reiterates major differences between white, black, and Hispanic citizens in their view of the police. The authors contend that the belief among white Americans is that “racialized policing” is not a serious problem and that it is “episodic rather than routine, isolated rather than institutionalized” (p. 181). Yet, the uneasy irony, according to the authors, is that “the 70 percent of whites think that racial profiling is widespread in the United States” (p. 181).

Race and Policing in America is a well‐written, well‐organized book. The methodology is clear and concise and the theoretical section is easy to follow. This book contributes to the literature by adding an up‐to‐date survey that examines attitudes about racial conflict between the police and the community and provides some possible explanations. This text will work well as a supplemental reading for upper division policing classes or graduate level police management courses. It serves as a good foundation for explaining possible problems between the police and various segments of society.