Abhinav Surampudi
Pronouns: he/him
Research Mentor(s): Nick Camp
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Organizational Studies / LSA
Program: CG
Session: Session 5 (2:40pm – 3:30pm)
Authors: Abhinav Surampudi, Nicholas Camp
Abstract
How do different models of policing shape how individuals represent police officers in their mind’s eye? Traditional law enforcement focuses on apprehending criminals, but community policing models focus on officers building relationships in the communities they serve. In an online experiment, participants generated composite images of what the ideal officer looks like within traditional and community policing units. A second group of participants rated these images along various dimensions related to fairness and respect. Results showed a more positive outlook on “Community Safety†officers, with more approachable faces, while “Traditional Police†officers were seen angrier and more unruly. This study suggests that that the police can be represented differently based on the role they are playing in communities. Future research will explore the possibility that the tougher, less trustworthy images in our sample may be seen as more appropriate to police low-SES neighborhoods, undermining community trust.
