Better Than Expected: Report Says Most People's

Experiences with Police Officers are Positive

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A new report released a few months ago shows the majority of interactions between police and the public in 2020 were positive.

The Contacts Between Police and the Public, 2020 report was put together by the United States Department of Justice. It examines the nature and frequency of contact with police as reported by U.S. residents, including demographic characteristics, types of contact, and perceptions of police misconduct, threats of force, or use of nonfatal force. 

One of the biggest takeaways from the survey, in our opinion, was that the vast majority of interactions between the public and police were positive. A total of 88% of respondents reported being satisfied with police response. There was some drop-off among races, as 94% of white people said they were satisfied and 89% of Black people were satisfied. The majority of residents (64%) who initiated their most recent contact with police reported that police improved the situation. 

The data in the survey applies to 2020, which was a year that marked an increase in activism, the death of George Floyd, and the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a difficult year for so many, which makes us glad to see such positive news about law enforcement.

Highlights

  • About 21% (53.8 million) of U.S. residents age 16 or older had contact with police in 2020.
  • Fewer people had contact with police in 2020 (21%) than in 2018 (24%).
  • In 2020, females (12%) were more likely than males (11%) to initiate contact with police, while males (11%) were more likely than females (9%) to experience police-initiated contact.
  • Among U.S. residents who initiated their most recent contact with police, almost half (49%) did so to report a possible crime.
  • Most residents who initiated police contact (88%) were satisfied with the police
    response.
  • 93% said they would be more likely or just as likely to contact the police again for a problem.
  • 64% of residents who initiated their most recent contact with police reported that police improved the situation.