Perceptions of Law Enforcement According to Age, Race, and Gender

Abstract

In recent years, the public has become increasingly concerned with interactions regarding law enforcement. This growing concern has fostered the development of various studies in which participants provide their sentiments pertaining to police officers. The current study aimed to analyze the perspectives of both college students and the general public by utilizing an identical survey in two separate pools. Participants were tasked with selecting adjectives they believed best represented their perceptions of law enforcement. In addition to this, participants were also asked to provide a percentage of officers they believed represented a single adjective presented. In general, Milligan students viewed officers more positively as opposed to the general public. A significant difference was found between political party and perception of officers. The current study elucidates the attitudes of individuals from multiple backgrounds in an attempt to encourage empathy from the perspectives of civilians and law enforcement alike.