Between trust and resentment: Examining competing views toward the police in Latino neighborhoods

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this paper, I examine citizen-police interactions in Latino communities near the US-Mexico border. Drawing on evidence from sixty-one in-depth interviews with residents, activists, and nonprofit workers living in San Diego, I explore Latinos’ perceptions of the police. Interview data, in conjunction with observational evidence from work with community-based organizations, revealed heterogeneity in the views of Latinos toward the police. Some Latino residents were skeptical of the police and resented policing practices, including sobriety checkpoints, vehicle seizures, and investigatory stops that targeted people concerning documentation status or prior system involvement, while other Latino residents trusted the police and their efforts to reduce crime. Yet still, some Latino residents expressed critical and positive views about the police. Interview data also highlight the financial, psychological, and social strain of local police practices on Latinos who have uncertain status or live in mixed-status households. These findings underscore the centrality of the criminal legal system in the lives of many Latinos and draw attention to heterogeneity in their experiences with, and views about, the police.