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The Consequences of Being an Object of Suspicion: Potential Pitfalls of Proactive Police Contact

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  • Tom R. Tyler
  • Jonathan Jackson
  • Avital Mentovich

Abstract

During the latter half of the 20th century U.S. policing became more professional (Skogan & Frydl 2004) and the rate of violent crime declined dramatically (Blumstein & Wallman ). Yet public trust and confidence in the police increased at best marginally and there has been a large and continuing racial gap in police legitimacy. This article reviews changes in police policy and practice to explore the reasons for this seeming paradox. It is argued that a new model of proactive police stops has increased both the frequency and the range of police contact with people in the community. Such police contact does not inherently undermine public trust in the police, but the style of such contact, which involves the police communicating suspicion of ongoing or future criminal conduct and seeking to prevent it via the threat or use of coercion, has not increased trust. This article examines how such policies developed and why they are problematic. The result of a survey of Americans shows that perceived suspicion damages the social bonds between the police and the community and undermines trust in the police. The article concludes by arguing that police contact need not be inherently negative and contact during which the police use fair procedures can addresses issues of crime and disorder while building trust and confidence.

Suggested Citation

  • Tom R. Tyler & Jonathan Jackson & Avital Mentovich, 2015. "The Consequences of Being an Object of Suspicion: Potential Pitfalls of Proactive Police Contact," Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(4), pages 602-636, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:empleg:v:12:y:2015:i:4:p:602-636
    DOI: 10.1111/jels.12086
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Geller, A. & Fagan, J. & Tyler, T. & Link, B.G., 2014. "Aggressive policing and the mental health of young urban men," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 104(12), pages 2321-2327.
    2. Tom R. Tyler & Jeffrey Fagan & Amanda Geller, 2014. "Street Stops and Police Legitimacy: Teachable Moments in Young Urban Men's Legal Socialization," Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 11(4), pages 751-785, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yael Cohen‐Rimer, 2023. "Participation in welfare legislation—A poverty‐aware paradigm," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(1), pages 83-102, January.
    2. Christopher M. Sullivan & Zachary P. O’Keeffe, 2017. "Evidence that curtailing proactive policing can reduce major crime," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 1(10), pages 730-737, October.
    3. Andrea Silva & Diego Esparza, 2021. "Explaining the American crisis of policing: Media, malfeasance, and racial prejudice," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 102(7), pages 3103-3113, December.
    4. Das, Aniruddha, 2022. "Childhood police encounters, social isolation and epigenetic age acceleration among older U.S. adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).
    5. Elizabeth Jordie Davies & Jenn M. Jackson & Shea Streeter, 2021. "Bringing abolition in: Addressing carceral logics in social science research," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 102(7), pages 3095-3102, December.
    6. Avital Mentovich & Guy Ben‐Porat & Natalie Levy & Phillip A. Goff & Tom Tyler, 2020. "Policing alienated minorities in divided cities," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 14(3), pages 531-550, July.
    7. Victor Le Franc & Alexis Spire, 2021. "How Does Voluntary Contact with the Police Produce Distrust? Evidence from the French Case," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-15, October.
    8. Carriere Kevin R. & Encinosa William, 2017. "The Risks of Operational Militarization: Increased Conflict Against Militarized Police," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 23(3), pages 1-13, August.
    9. Baćak, Valerio & Apel, Robert, 2020. "The thin blue line of health: Police contact and wellbeing in Europe," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).

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