Ethnocultural empathy and diversity training: the case of campus policing

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine diversity training and police service differences on levels of ethnocultural empathy among Florida’s public university police officers. Ethnocultural empathy is essential for cultural competence, and cultural competence is vital for campus police officers employed at public universities in Florida. Perceptions of police officers among various minority groups and the relationships officers have with their members have long been strained by a myriad of social, political, and economic issues. During the last decade, minority enrollment at Florida’s public universities experienced double-digit growth. As a result, campus police administrators must ensure the police officers they employ maintain the cultural competence needed to promote positive relationships within the diverse academic communities they serve. Believed to be the first study of its kind, it provides an opportunity for important discourse in campus policing and beyond. Of particular value and importance is the sole significant finding that white officers are more likely to have lower levels of ethnocultural empathy compared to non-white officers.