College students’ perceptions of police use of force: do suspect race and ethnicity matter?

Incidents of police use of force continue to draw a considerable amount of attention from both researchers and the public alike. The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between suspect race and ethnicity and perceptions of police use of force among college students. Using a vignette research design with manipulated independent variables, this study seeks to answer the question: Do suspect race and ethnicity affect college students’ perceptions of police use of force? Three vignettes were developed regarding an incident in which an encounter between a suspect and a police officer resulted in the officer using force. College students were randomly assigned to one of the three vignettes and were asked to complete a questionnaire. Results indicate that although suspect race and ethnicity do not predict perceptions of police use of force among college students, there are significant respondent race and gender effects. Male and white respondents are significantly more likely to perceive police use of force as justified compared to female and non-white respondents. The policy implications of these findings for police-citizen interactions are discussed.     

Meeting the challenge: state revenue raising

Recent trends in state tax revenue reveal that overall reliance of states on taxes have been declining for the last 43 years. Faced with reduction in tax revenues, states have restructured their tax systems to meet public demand for more services. State income taxes are the one type of tax that has risen consistently. What causes state policy makers to rely on this type of tax? This research addresses this question.     

Planning and Strategy in Reforming Romania's SRI

Counting the wars

Count Alexandre de Marenches and David A. Andelman: The Fourth World War: Diplomacy and Espionage in the Age of Terrorism William Morrow, New York, 1992, 281 p., $23.00.

The Israeli nuclear minimax

Seymour M. Hersh: The Samson Option: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal and American Foreign Policy Random House, New York, 1991, 356 p., $23.00.

Weighing evidence for the intelligence analyst

David A. Schum: Evidence and Inference for the Intelligence Analyst 2 Vols./ University Press of America, 1987, Vol. 1—486 p., $125.00; Vol.2—359 p., $85.00.

Yankee secrets

Edmund R. Thompson, ed.: Spies of the American Revolution David Atlee Phillips New England Chapter, Association of Former Intelligence Officers, Kennebunk, Maine, 1991, 234 p., $12.95.

Enquiring minds want to know…

Peter Gudgin: Military Intelligence: The British Story Arms and Armour Press, London, 1989, 156 p., $21.95.