Detroit survey shows personal experiences shape the view of police

The survey found that adults 30 and under typically disagree that the police are doing a good job in their city.

Mar 13, 2024

Detroit residents who have had contact with police are more likely to be critical of them, regardless of how cordial the interaction might have been, a study shows.

A new survey by the University of Michigan’s Detroit Metro Area Communities Study (DMACS) initiative analyzed data from resident interactions with police officers from 2020, shortly after George Floyd’s murder. With Detroit nearly 80% Black, the analysis is primarily about the perception Black residents have of the officers.

“This report shows that personal experiences with the police matter for how residents view the police,” the study says. “Individuals who have either personally experienced forceful contact or have friends or family who have experienced forceful contact are consistently more critical of the police than those who have no contact with the police, even when taking demographic factors into account.”

Around 41% of Detroit residents either had forceful contact (17%) or non-forceful (24%) contact with the police or knew someone who did in 2020, according to the survey. The 17% number represents 74,424 people who interacted forcefully with the police themselves or through a family member or friend.

Detroit, police, theGrio.com — Detroit police officers stand watch as a group of Trump supporters argue with anti-Trump protesters outside the TCF Center on Nov. 6, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Elaine Cromie/Getty Images)

The vast majority of residents (59%) reported no contact at all with the police.

The survey found that adults 30 and under typically disagree that the police are doing a good job in their city. If the interaction was forceful, they were more likely to be against the police and distrust them. For people over 60 in Detroit, even if they came into forceful contact with the police, they were more likely to believe that law enforcement did a good job and trusted them.

“The similarities in views between residents who have experienced forceful and nonforceful contact with police suggest any type of contact with police may be enough to change people’s views on policing,” Lauren Chojnacki, a research associate with DMACS, who authored the report, said in a statement.

The analysis also reports that there are no significant racial differences among residents who dealt with forceful contact from the police. However, Black Detroit residents are 14% more likely to disagree that the police are doing a good job of protecting them and their communities compared to white residents of the city.

This reflects some of the national perspectives Black Americans have on police. According to a 2023 Gallup poll, 73% of all adults are confident in the police, but for Black citizens, it’s 56%. The Black population is also less satisfied with community-police relations and respectful treatment by the police. That’s why, according to the same Gallup poll, 73% of Black Americans want major changes to policing.

“There’s a simultaneous desire for police reform and favorable public opinion regarding police,” Chojnacki said in a statement. “There’s a tension among residents who want both change in a system and the security and protection experienced within that system.”