Diversity in law enforcement may improve policing, study shows

Diversity in law enforcement may improve policing, study shows

A new study of the Chicago police suggests that having a more diverse force may improve policing, researchers say.

Hispanic and Black officers make fewer arrests than white officers, particularly against Black civilians, the study shows.

Female officers of all racial groups use less force than males.

The research could provide valuable insight at a time when US law enforcement is grappling with disproportionate violence against Black civilians by police officers.



A study of diversity in US law enforcement has backed up theories that a more diverse police force may improve policing.

Hispanic and Black officers make far fewer stops and arrests than white officers, especially against Black civilians, according to new research on the city of Chicago police force. The trend was particularly noticeable in predominantly Black areas of the city, and was focused on minor crimes and non-violent offences, the study authors say.



In their report, called The role of officer race and gender in police-civilian interactions in Chicago, researchers and data scientists, assembled from different American universities, found that over the course of 100 shifts Black officers make around 15 fewer stops and two fewer arrests than white counterparts working in similar neighbourhoods at similar times.