The Influence of Neighborhood Wealth on Police Decisions to 1 Invoke the Law: An Empirical Assessment of Conflict Theory

John Eterno

The Influence of Neighborhood Wealth on Police Decisions to 1 Invoke the Law: An Empirical Assessment of Conflict Theory

John Eterno

Criminal Justice and Legal Studies

Research & Scholarship: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Conflict theorists claim that police officers= decisions to use discretionary legal authority is a form of social control whereby the ruling classes, operating through the police, attempt to force their will on the less powerful (i.e., the poor). This study examines empirically to what extent the wealth of a neighborhood influences officers in their search decisions. To gather and analyze data, the study used a factorial survey approach with a sample of 1,259 patrol officers in New York City. Results indicate that officers tend to base their search decisions on legal parameters, not neighborhood wealth; conflict theory is not supported.

Original language	American English
Journal	Professional Issues in Criminal Justice
Volume	3
State	Published - 2008

Disciplines

Law
Criminology and Criminal Justice

Cite this

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title = "The Influence of Neighborhood Wealth on Police Decisions to 1 Invoke the Law: An Empirical Assessment of Conflict Theory",

abstract = " Conflict theorists claim that police officers= decisions to use discretionary legal authority is a form of social control whereby the ruling classes, operating through the police, attempt to force their will on the less powerful (i.e., the poor). This study examines empirically to what extent the wealth of a neighborhood influences officers in their search decisions. To gather and analyze data, the study used a factorial survey approach with a sample of 1,259 patrol officers in New York City. Results indicate that officers tend to base their search decisions on legal parameters, not neighborhood wealth; conflict theory is not supported.",

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year = "2008",

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AB - Conflict theorists claim that police officers= decisions to use discretionary legal authority is a form of social control whereby the ruling classes, operating through the police, attempt to force their will on the less powerful (i.e., the poor). This study examines empirically to what extent the wealth of a neighborhood influences officers in their search decisions. To gather and analyze data, the study used a factorial survey approach with a sample of 1,259 patrol officers in New York City. Results indicate that officers tend to base their search decisions on legal parameters, not neighborhood wealth; conflict theory is not supported.

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JO - Professional Issues in Criminal Justice

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