Do police make you feel safe? A qualitative comparison of youth and youth service provider perspectives

Scholars have shown that age, race, and community context are consistent predictors of civilians’ perceptions of police and feelings of safety. Less is known about how young people residing in high-crime disadvantaged neighborhoods perceive police. Using in-depth interviews with 37 youth and adult service providers in Lansing, Michigan, this study examines whether and why young people feel the police increase or decrease their safety within their neighborhood and how these beliefs may differ from those of adults in the community. This study found nearly all of these youth indicated that the police decreased their feelings of safety; however, they did not hold more negative feelings toward the police than adults. Consistent with prior literature, respondents’ feelings were shaped by personal and indirect contact with police, especially adverse incidents.