Ronnie Dunn
Associate Professor Of Urban Studies, Cleveland State University
Key Findings
- A majority of citizens that filed complaints about the police department did not consider the investigative process and the Police Board’s examination to be fair and comprehensive.
- Nearly half (44%) of respondents said they would use the citizen complaint system in the future despite reporting negative experiences during the complaint process and not believing the process to be fair or comprehensive.
- Race was the only factor that impacted a respondent’s willingness to file a future complaint.
- Fifty-one percent of Blacks reported they were likely to continue to use the complaint system in the future; the highest of any other race.
- Only 37.5% of other minorities and 32% of Whites reported they were willing to file a complaint in the future or were undecided on whether they would file a complaint in the future.
Description
In the article, “Race and Relevance of Citizen Complaints Against the Police,” Dunn examines the turbulent relationship between law enforcement and Black citizens. Although the hostility between these groups stems from slavery and segregation, police relations with the Black community continues to be an ongoing issue in the United States. To conduct his research, Dunn used data from a survey by the Cleveland Police Review Board that sampled more than 150 individuals who filed complaints against the Cleveland Police Department between 2000 and 2007. The findings showed that a majority of respondents did not consider the investigative process and the Police Board’s examination to be fair and comprehensive. Nearly half (44%) of respondents said they would use the citizen complaint system in the future despite reporting negative experiences during the complaint process and not believing the process to be fair or comprehensive. Race was the only factor that impacted a respondent’s willingness to file a future complaint. Fifty-one percent of Blacks reported they were likely to continue to use the complaint system in the future; the highest of any other race. Only 37.5% of other minorities and 32% of Whites reported they were willing to file a complaint in the future or were undecided on whether they would file a complaint in the future. In conclusion, Dunn noted that although this data helped indicate that Blacks are willing to participate in their communities through the complaint process, further research is needed.