[Insert Table 5]
Holding other variables at their mean, African Americans were 32 percent more
likely to support reappointing the black police chief compared to the white police chief,
and Latinos were 15 percent more likely to support the black police chief, irrespective of
the crime rate in the respondent’s police precinct. Holding other variables at their mean,
whites were 19 percent less likely to support reappointing the black police chief when
compared to the white police chief.
Discussion
Examining the results from two public opinion surveys conducted in Los Angeles,
we have identified individual demographic and attitudinal characteristics associated with
opinions toward the chief of police. We find Americans’ support strongly conditioned by
the local crime rate. Moreover, we find the race of the police chief to be a significant
factor in the level of support he enjoys among various racial and ethnic groups. In
particular, we find African Americans more supportive of African American chiefs than
of white chiefs, irrespective of the crime rate in the area where they live.
More research is needed before drawing generalizations from results from one
particular city under two particular police chiefs at two particular moments in time.
Nevertheless, our results are intriguing, echoing previous studies that have considered the
substantive and psychic merits of descriptive representation in American Politics.
Despite the drop in crime during the tenure of the white police chief, citywide as well as
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Convention