THE IMPACT OF RACE ON THE INVESTIGATION OF EXCESSIVE FORCE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST POLICE

One response to the recurring crises arising out of police use of forc e incidents is the establishment of procedures to review allegations o f police misconduct. These procedures and their outcomes, however, oft en become ensnared in controversy themselves. In particular, accusatio ns regarding the impact of race often play a significant role. To asce rtain the role of race and other factors in the disposition of complai nts against police, this study examines allegations of excessive use o f nondeadly force by Chicago police officers. Using models from social psychology, numerous dimensions regarding complaints of police brutal ity and the investigation of those complaints are tested to determine their impact on complaint disposition. Two variables-evidence and duty status-have widespread significance in these models. The only signifi cant racial effect in any of the models is the interactive variable re flecting the race of the investigator and the race of the complainant. Investigators of both races-African American and Caucasian American-w hen deciding a case involving a complainant of the other race, were le ss likely to make a definitive, negative judgment about the complaint than when the complainant war; of the same race. The pattern of findin gs seems to support the hypothesis which states that the social situat ion of the decision maker may inhibit the impact of stereotypes.