Understaffed and beleaguered: A national survey of US chiefs of police about the post-George Floyd era

Abstract

Understaffed and beleaguered: A national survey of US chiefs of police about the post-George Floyd era Purpose of this paperThe 2020 murder of George Floyd resulted in challenges to policing in the United States, but little is known about how police chiefs perceive them. At the same time, chiefs of police wield great influence over public perceptions of crime and disorder, the state of their profession, the laws and policies that govern the conduct of police officers, and municipal public safety budgets. It is therefore critical to understand how police perceive the changes to their profession post-Floyd. Design/methodology/approachThis study surveyed a randomly selected national sample of 276 municipal chiefs of police. Items probed resignations, recruitment, efforts to defund departments, community support, officer morale, suspects' likelihood of obeying lawful orders, and career risks that could inhibit proactive police work. It examined associations between perceptions and Census Bureau region, length of tenure as chief, size of police department, population served, and the urban or rural designation of the jurisdiction. FindingsChiefs overwhelmingly reported recruiting qualified candidates had become much harder, and the present risks of proactive police work encourage inaction. Chiefs of agencies in the Northeast perceived more challenges than those in the South. Respondents with more years of experience were less likely to perceive the current situation as dire. Approximately 13.5% reported an attempt to defund their department, 56.8% of which yielded some success. Our study suggests an increase in the challenges perceived by chiefs of police, although their extent varied by region and years of experience. What is original/value of paperThis study provides researchers and practitioners with the perspectives of chiefs about the post-Floyd era that influence their decisions, policies, and initiatives.