NCJ Number
207900
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 32 Issue: 6 Dated: November/December 2004 Pages: 607-616
Date Published
November 2004
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Using data from a random sample of New York City residents, this study compared the perceptions of racial profiling by police among Hispanic and non-Hispanic citizens.
Abstract
The survey, which was part of a series of special-topic polls conducted by the New York Times and CBS, was conducted between January 21 and January 24, 2001. The survey was a random telephone survey of 721 New York City residents ages 18 to 26 from all 5 boroughs. Among the questions regarding respondents' opinions about various aspects of New York City life were a number of questions about the prevalence of racial profiling by police. Three different measures of racial profiling were used: widespread, justified, and personal experience. A number of independent variables were used to predict each of the three outcome variables: Hispanic origin, sex, age, employment status, income, marital status, education, good experience with the police, bad experience with the police, disrespect from the police, crime victim, and political philosophy. The study found that Black respondents were more likely than non-Black respondents to believe that racial profiling by police was widespread, that it was unjustified, and that they had personally been profiled. Hispanic respondents were more likely than non-Hispanics to believe that profiling was widespread and that they had been profiled. Hispanics and non-Hispanics did not differ in their perception that profiling was justified. The relationship between police disrespect/bad experiences with the police and perceptions of profiling apparently was more personal than global. Study limitations are discussed. 3 tables and 55 references