2024 April New York Fellows Virtual Event

Please join the New York State Co-Chairs, Vince Chang and Adrienne Koch for a virtual presentation by ABF Research Professor, Jeannine Bell, 2023-24 ABF William Neukom Fellows Research Chair in Diversity and Law

Complimentary Zoom Event, register to receive Zoom link.

12:30-1:30 PM ET

“Mining the Trust Gap: The Complexity of American’s Views of Police Behavior”

The nationwide protests that took place in 2020 in the wake of the murder of George Floyd may have surprised casual observers of American public opinion.  It seemed that Americans were suddenly waking up to police violence and demanding changes in an area where they had mostly been contented.

However, the scholarly view of public opinion on policing is far more complicated.  Even before the protests, African Americans had long held dim views of police behavior, and public opinion polls showed white Americans trust of the police as far lower than one might assume.  Scholars refer to the wide gulf between whites and African Americans’ views of the police as a trust gap.  Based on more than 80 interviews for her forthcoming book, Professor Bell’s presentation will explore: 1) the level of trust in police from respondents of different backgrounds and 2) some of the reasons for this trust gap.  She will also discuss some police procedures that might help increase trust in the police.