Policing Strategies, Perceptions of Police Performance, and Trust in Local Government

Recent social unrest surrounding the use of aggressive policing tactics has increased attention to different policing strategies. Problem-oriented policing (POP) and community-oriented policing services (COPS) have been considered as potential alternatives to traditional policing methods. Using the 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey and 2013 and 2016 Law Enforcement Management Administration Statistics (LEMAS) data, we examine the relationship between POP and COPS to African Americans’ perceptions of police performance as well as trust in local government. Our findings reveal that POP is positively related to Blacks' favorable perceptions of police performance and trust in local government, while COPS is only associated with trust in local government. We also discovered that the effect of POP and COPS is greater for African Americans than White Americans. Ultimately, our results suggest that alternatives to traditional policing may bridge the gap between police officers, local governments, and the communities that they serve.