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The Impact of Fear on Police Behavior and Public Safety

Author

Listed:
  • Sungwoo Cho
  • Felipe Gonçalves
  • Emily Weisburst

Abstract

We examine how changes in the salience of workplace risk affect police behavior and public safety. Specifically, we investigate cases of police officer deaths while on duty. Officers respond to a peer death by decreasing arrest activity for one to two months, consistent with heightened fear. Reductions are largest for low-level arrests and are more pronounced in smaller cities. Crime does not increase on average during this period, nor do we observe crime spikes in cities with larger or longer arrest declines. While shocks in fatality risk generate substantial enforcement responses, officer fear is unlikely to harm public safety.

Suggested Citation

  • Sungwoo Cho & Felipe Gonçalves & Emily Weisburst, 2023. "The Impact of Fear on Police Behavior and Public Safety," NBER Working Papers 31392, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:31392
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy
    • J45 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Public Sector Labor Markets
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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