Abstract
Although there is an enormous amount of scholarship on public perceptions of the police, few studies have had an interest in refugees’ opinions. Using a survey instrument, the current study aims to understand the adaptation of refugees to the American criminal justice system by focusing on how they perceive police officers in two mid-sized cities in the northeastern region. We explore whether there are differences in perceived police prejudice, police effectiveness, and respect for the police between African and non-African refugees. In addition, we identify factors that affect refugees’ perceptions. Findings from ordinary least squares and multinomial regression analyses indicate that, overall, African refugees perceive the police in a way similar to non-African refugees. Two nondemographic characteristics also play a significant role: Fear of crime and poor communication most likely result in refugees’ negative evaluations of the police.
Recommended Citation
Chenane, Joselyne L.; Wu, Jawjeong; and Song, John Huey-Long
(2017)
"African and Non-African Refugees’ Perceptions of Police: A Study of,"
African Journal of Criminology and Justice Studies: Vol. 10:
Iss.
1, Article 3.
Available at:
https://digitalscholarship.tsu.edu/ajcjs/vol10/iss1/3
