Macro social determinants of black police force size: Political mobilization and crime control

Purpose - Consistent with both conflict and economic theories of crime control, recent research indicates that there is a linear, positive association between the racial composition of cities and black employment as law enforcement officers. The purpose of this paper is to distinguish between these competing explanations for variations in the racial make-up of police departments and examine the nonlinear effects of the relative population size of blacks on black police force size for a sample of US cities. Design/methodology/approach - The paper specifies and estimates four OLS regression equations to assess the linear and nonlinear effects of the percentage of blacks on black police force size for a sample of US cities. Findings - As predicted by economic theory, the percentage of blacks exhibits a positive, nonlinear relationship with black police force size. Thus, it would appear that as their relative population size increases, blacks are able to translate their numerical advantage into pressure resources to secure coveted positions in law enforcement. Research limitations/implications - While the demonstration of a significant, nonlinear relationship between the percentage of blacks and black police force size lends substantial credence to economic theory, it reveals nothing about the manner in which numerical advantage is converted into political clout and, ultimately, employment in law enforcement (or other municipal agencies). Clearly, if a better understanding this process us ti be gained, measures need to be identified and devised for the casual mechanisms that mediate the influence of the relative population size of blacks on black police force size. Originality/value - This paper represents the first attempt to distinguish between economic and conflict explanations for variations in black police force size among municipalities.