De-policing, police stops, and crime

Abstract

Abstract Contemporary discussions on policing focus on the impact of intense external scrutiny on proactive policing practices. Some commentators suggest negative feedback directed at law enforcement inhibits police willingness to engage in proactive police practices. This effect, known as ‘de-policing’, endangers communities due to officer disengagement in crime prevention techniques. To examine this effect, previous research relies on crime data to examine de-policing; few studies explore how officer-initiated actions, such as a stop, shift in the wake of a de-policing effect. Using data from the Stanford Open Policing Project, this paper examines how officer-initiated behaviour (vehicle and pedestrian stops) changes after a negative public scrutiny shock (in this case, the shooting of Michael Brown). Further, the study examines how crime rates changed after Brown’s death. The findings of this paper suggest police proactivity declined and crime increased after Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Missouri. Policy implications, future research avenues, and theoretical enhancements to de-policing are discussed.