Ethno‐racial political transition and citizen satisfaction with police

Purpose One of the most consistent and widely discussed findings in research on citizens' attitudes toward the police is that African‐American citizens view the police less favorably than do white citizens. Frank and his colleagues, however, found that in Detroit African‐American residents held more favorable views of the police than did white residents. They suggested that as a result of “ethno‐racial political transitions” occurring in large cities attitudes toward the police of both African‐American and white residents may have changed. The current study seeks to examine this issue in Washington, DC which has undergone similar demographic and political changes. Design/methodology/approach Data for the current study were taken from a 1998 survey of households in 12 US cities conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Findings The results suggest that, although Washington, DC has undergone an “ethno‐racial political transition”, African‐American residents reported less satisfaction with the police than did white residents. Research limitations/implications The study is limited by cross‐sectional data and the unique nature of politics and policing in Washington, DC. Future research using longitudinal data should consider these issues in other “transitioned” cities. Originality/value Examines African‐American and white citizens' attitudes toward police in Washington, DC.