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Racial Bias in Case Processing: Does Victim Race Affect Police Clearance of Violent Crime Incidents?
- DOI:
- 10.1080/07418820802266462
pages 562-591
Available online: 22 Jul 2009Abstract
Prior studies have illustrated racial differences in perceptions of police legitimacy. African‐Americans’ views, however, appear to be complex, shaped by perceptions of over‐enforcement of crimes committed by African‐American offenders coupled with under‐enforcement of crimes involving African‐American victims. Using data from the 2002 National Incident‐Based Reporting System, we examine whether victim race (alone, and in combination with offender race) affects police case clearance of four types of violent criminal incidents (homicide, aggravated assault, rape, and robbery) as a potential explanation of African‐Americans’ reduced levels of support for the police. Results suggest that the race of the victim, particularly in combination with the race of the offender, is related to police clearance of violent criminal incidents, but that this relationship is not as strong as those between agency, offense type, and situational characteristics of the incident. Implications for research and policy on police—community relations are discussed.
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- Citation information:
- Available online: 22 Jul 2009
Author biographies
Terrance J. Taylor is an assistant professor in the Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri‐St. Louis. His primary research interests involve juvenile victimization and offending, with an emphasis on the role of race/ethnicity. Dr. Taylor received his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska in 2002.
David Holleran is assistant professor and chair in the Department of Criminology at The College of New Jersey. His research interests include race and criminal justice decision making and correlates of punitiveness.
Volkan Topalli is an associate professor of criminal justice and a research fellow with the Partnership for Urban Health Research at Georgia State University and the International Centre for Research on Forensic Psychology. His research and teaching interests include street violence, drug markets, and criminal decision‐making. Recent publications have appeared in journals such as Criminology, Justice Quarterly, Criminal Justice & Behavior, and the British Journal of Criminology.
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