The views of Bangladeshi immigrants on the police in New York City

Abstract

Public perceptions of the police have important implications for both scholars and police administrators. While a growing body of research deals with perceptions of the police, including immigrants' perceptions, there is a need to explore the factors associated with different immigrant groups' perceptions of the police. One group that has not been previously studied is Bangladeshi immigrants, a relatively new but rapidly growing group in the USA. Relying on a purposive convenience sample of 202 Bangladeshi immigrants from six areas in the New York City, this study examined factors that affected Bangladeshi immigrants' positive view on the police. Bangladeshi women held greater positive views, as did participants who had a friend or family member who worked in law enforcement. Increases in educational level were associated with more positive views on the police, while recent contact with the police was linked with less favorable views. Finally, feeling that contact with the police would place a person in danger and that involvement with the police would lead to deportation were both associated with less positive perceptions of the police. Research and policy implications are discussed.