Author ORCID Identifier
Thaddeus L. Johnson: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-7897
Natasha N. Johnson: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8145-2153
William J. Sabol: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2821-0283
David T. Snively: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9614-3529
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-15-2022
Abstract
This study examines the effects of agency education requirements on racial differences in police-related fatalities (PRFs) across 235 large U.S. cities between 2000 and 2016. We estimated Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood (PPML) regression models with multiple fixed effects using data from the Fatal Encounters database, Bureau of Justice Statistics’ Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics survey, and other publicly available databases. Results show that adopting agency college degree requirements is generally associated with decreases in PRFs over time, with significant reductions observed for PRFs of Black citizens. Our study suggests mandating at least an associate’s degree for entry-level officers should equate to lower rates of Black people killed by police actions and more balance in the racial distribution of PRFs. Police leaders and local governments should consider these findings when crafting policies to protect against fatal police-citizen encounters.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, T.L., Johnson, N.N., Sabol, W.J. et al. Law Enforcement Agencies’ College Education Hiring Requirements and Racial Differences in Police-Related Fatalities. J Police Crim Psych 37, 681–698 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-022-09534-6.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-022-09534-6
Supplemental Materials
Comments
This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-022-09534-6.