Citation

Zhao JS, Lai YL, Ren L, Lawton B. Crime Delinq. 2015; 61(3): 350-374.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0011128711398028

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article examines the impact of race/ethnicity and quality-of-life (QOL) policing on citizens' perceptions of racial bias and traffic stops. Using data obtained from a random-sample telephone survey of Houston citizens, respondents were asked whether they felt that the police treated citizens "equally" based on the race/ethnicity of the citizen as well as the race/ethnicity of the officer. These variables were then recoded to construct a nominal measure ranging from racially biased policing to absence of racially biased policing, with a middle category of "semiracially" biased policing.

RESULTS indicated that race/ethnicity was a significant predictor. In addition, the results strongly suggested that QOL policing was significantly associated with a decrease in respondents' perceptions of racially biased policing. Finally, there was a significant relationship between racially biased policing and expected treatment of traffic stops made by the police.

Language: en