Taylor Hasselman

The political climate in the United States has been overtaken by discussions of attitudes towards law enforcement. The aim of this research project is to determine whether the public and versus those with policing experience converge or diverge about public perceptions of police. Assumptions about who thinks what abound, but very few studies examine the extent to which these perceptions actually converge or diverge. To do so, participants were recruited and belonged to one of three groups: a public sample, a U.K. sample with policing experience, and a U.S. sample with policing experience. A survey was developed based on the extant research literature. It included 20 statements with which the participants rated their level of agreement or disagreement. The results were that groups agreed on eight of the 20 statements. Several factors, such as race and social media, had a highly influential effect on perceptions of the police. All in all, this study researches a very understudied topic, but the results offer some preliminary evidence that the police and the public are not as different as many people think. Discourse may be possible, and is recommended, between the two parties on various issues in order to foster more understanding and a healthier relationship.