1. Community Policing and Improving
Minority Public Relations
Joseph Krueger
Contact Information: jk1445@messiah.edu

2. Questions to Consider
• Do minority groups have a more negative
perception of police compared to Caucasians?
• Why do minority groups have a more negative
perception of police?
• How can Community Policing improve citizen-
officer relationships within minority groups?

3. Police and Minority Relations
• Minorities tend to have a more negative
perception of police than nonminorities.
▫ Group Position Theory
▫ Police help maintain the status quo
• Minorities perceive police as being ineffective
and unfair.
• Ineffectiveness and Unfairness leads to reduced
police legitimacy.

4. High Crime
Causes Police to
Respond Slower
Police are Viewed
as Ineffective
Police Develop a
Negative View of
Society
Police Become
Disrespectful to
Community
Members
Police Legitimacy
is Questioned.
Road to Illegitimacy

5. The Vicious Cycle
Police
Legitimacy is
Questioned
Citizens Fear
Police or
Become Angry
Citizens
Disobey Police
Police Respond
with Disrespect
or Force

6. What is Community Policing?
• Emerged after the 1960’s race riots.
• The practice in which departments increase the
quantity and quality of police-citizen contacts in
order to reduce crime.
• “Without trust between police and citizens,
effective policing is impossible.”

7. Breaking the Cycle
Police Presence
is Increased
Indirect
Victimization
Reduces
Citizens Begin
to Feel Safer
Officers are
Viewed as
Being
Effective
Citizens Begin
to Trust
Police
Crimes are
Solved and
Crime
Reduces
Victimization
Reduces
Police are
Viewed as
Legitimate
Social
Organization
is Established

8. What Police Can Do
• Adopt the ideology of community policing
• Respond quickly to calls
• Remain calm while interacting with citizens
• Clean the community of trash
• Inform community members of police practices

9. “The police organization, from the
chief executive down, must stress that
the success of community policing
depends on sustained joint efforts of
the police, local government, public
and private agencies, and members of
the community. This cooperation is
indispensable to deterring crime and
revitalizing our neighborhoods.”

10. References
• Finkle, M. (n.d.). Race Riots of the 1960s. Retrieved November 23, 2015, from
https://www.highbeam.com/topics/race-riots-of-the-1960s-t10642
• Hawdon, J., Ryan, J., & Griffin, S. (2003). Policing Tactics and Perceptions of Police
Legitimacy. Police Quarterly Police Q, 6(4), 469-491.
• Mastrofski, S., Reisig, M., & Mccluskey, J. (2002). Police Disrespect Toward The Public: An
Encounter-Based Analysis*. Criminology, 40(3), 519-552.
• Scheider, M., Rowell, T., & Bezdikian, V. (2003). The Impact of Citizen Perceptions of
Community Policing on Fear of Crime: Findings from Twelve Cities. Police Quarterly
Police Q, 6(4), 363-386.
• Taylor, R., Wyant, B., & Lockwood, B. (2015). Variable links within perceived police
legitimacy?: Fairness and effectiveness across races and places. Social Science Research,
49, 234-248. Retrieved November 21, 2015, from Ebscohost.com.
• Understanding Community Policing: A Framework for Action. (1994). Bureau of Justice
Assistance, 1-53.
• Weitzer, R., & Tuch, S. (2005). Racially Biased Policing: Determinants of Citizen
Perceptions. Social Forces, 83(3), 1009-1030. Retrieved November 22, 2015, from
Muse.jhu.edu.
• Williams, H., & Pate, A. (1987). Returning to First Principles: Reducing the Fear of Crime
in Newark. Crime & Delinquency, 53-70. Retrieved November 20, 2015, from
Sagepub.com.