Law Enforcement and Violence: The Divide Between Black and White Americans

Nearly three-quarters of African Americans (73 percent) say police violence is a very or extremely serious problem, compared with 51 percent of Latinos and 20 percent of whites, a survey by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds. According to the report, Law Enforcement and Violence: The Divide Between Black and White Americans (17 pages, PDF), 45 percent of all respondents said police are too quick to use deadly force, while 49 percent of all respondents and 80 percent of African-American respondents said police are more likely to use deadly force against a black person. And while 51 percent of African Americans say protests against police violence bring attention to the issue in a positive way, only 25 percent of Latinos and 21 percent of whites see them in the same light. The survey also found support among both blacks and whites for changes in policies and procedures that could reduce tensions and limit police violence against civilians, with 71 percent of all respondents saying requiring police to wear body cameras would be an effective deterrent to violence against civilians and 52 percent saying community policing programs would help reduce tensions in minority communities.