Citation

Card KG, Selfridge M, Greer AM, Hepburn KJ, Fournier AB, Sorge J, Urbanoski K, Pauly B, Benoit C, Lachowsky NJ, Macdonald S. Int. J. Drug Policy 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102824

PMID

32591221

Abstract

This study examines encounters between youth and police to identify individual, contextual, and social factors that predict the outcome of these encounters. Young people aged 16-30 years were surveyed between May 2017 and June 2018 in three non-metropolitan cities across British Columbia, Canada. Outcomes were analysed using multinomial logistic generalized estimating equations. A total of 675 encounters were reported by 360 participants. These outcomes resulted in participants being questioned (n = 227; 33.6%); given warnings (n = 132; 19.6%); being searched (n = 104; 15.4%); being given a ticket (n = 101; 15.0%); and being handcuffed or arrested (n = 111; 16.4%). Young Indigenous people (vs. white) were significantly more likely to be handcuffed or arrested (OR=3.26; 1.43, 7.43). Statistical significance held after adjusting for history of police encounters and contextual factors.

FINDINGS suggest that police discretion, which has the potential to benefit youth, may be undermined by discriminatory applications of discretion.

Language: en

Keywords

Youth; Police encounters; Policing discrimination