Racial Bias in Case Processing: Does Victim Race Affect Police Clearance of Violent Crime Incidents?

Abstract

Prior studies have illustrated racial differences in perceptions of police legitimacy. African-Americans' views, however, appear to be complex, shaped by perceptions of over-enforcement of crimes committed by African-American offenders coupled with under-enforcement of crimes involving African-American victims. Using data from the 2002 National Incident-Based Reporting System, we examine whether victim race (alone, and in combination with offender race) affects police case clearance of four types of violent criminal incidents (homicide, aggravated assault, rape, and robbery) as a potential explanation of African-Americans' reduced levels of support for the police. Results suggest that the race of the victim, particularly in combination with the race of the offender, is related to police clearance of violent criminal incidents, but that this relationship is not as strong as those between agency, offense type, and situational characteristics of the incident. Implications for research and policy on policecommunity relations are discussed.

The nature and influence of the victim-offender relationship in kidnapping incidents

“…Using NIBRS data from 2000, Stolzenberg and D'Alessio (2004) report that arrest is less likely in stranger kidnappings. This relationship has also been observed in studies examining homicide, rape, robbery, simple assault, and aggravated assault (Addington, 2006;Eitle, Stolzenberg, & D'Alessio, 2005;Lee, 2005;Regoeczi, Jarvis, & Riedel, 2008;Roberts, 2008;Taylor, Holleran, & Topalli, 2009). Therefore, we predict the following:…”

“Oh hell no, we don't talk to police”

“…Therefore, offense clearance rates represent a fundamental metric for evaluating police performance (Braga & Dusseault, 2008; Cook, ). Researchers have attributed variation in clearance rates to an array of factors, including victim–offender relationships (Dugan, Nagin, & Rosenfeld, ; Ousey & Lee, ), victim–offender characteristics (e.g., race, class, gender, and age; Braga, Turchan, & Barao, ; Lee, ; Roberts, ; Taylor, Holleran, & Topalli, ), investigative tactics (Braga & Dusseault, ; Carter & Carter, ; Gilbert, ; Jang, Hoover, & Lawton, ; Wellford & Cronin, ; Wellford et al., ), evidence processing (Baskin & Sommers, ; McEwen, ; Schroeder & White, ), community context (Borg & Parker, ; Ousey & Lee, ; Regoeczi & Jarvis, ; Roberts, ), and lack of citizen cooperation (Jarvis & Regoeczi, ; Regoeczi & Jarvis, ). Scholars have consistently shown that cooperating witnesses substantially increase the likelihood of cases being cleared (Baskin & Sommers, ; Peterson, Sommers, Baskin, & Johnson, ; Wellford et al., ), especially eyewitnesses (Regoeczi & Jarvis, ).…”

Formal Social Control in Changing Neighborhoods: Racial Implications of Neighborhood Context on Reactive Policing

“…White victims broadly experience higher rates of arrest (Avakame et al 1999:778;Smith et al 1984). Cases with a white victim and white offender have the highest clearance rate of all victim-offender race combinations, with a 16 percent higher clearance rate than similar cases with a white victim and black offender (Taylor et al 2009). Generally, black victims experience less protection from the law, when compared to white victims (Smith 1984;Smith et al 1984).…”