Diversity in municipal police agencies: a national examination of minority hiring and promotion
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to better understand the institutional and external factors associated with African-American and Latino representation in policing at the line and managerial ranks. Line representation analyses utilize new data sources and a full range of theoretically informed covariates. Managerial representation analyses provide the first comprehensive attempt to understand the dynamics behind minority promotion.
Design/methodology/approach
Portions of the 2000 US Census of Population and Housing Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tabulation, Division of Governmental Studies, and Services (DGSS) survey and Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey were combined to produce a sample of 180 cities/municipal departments for analysis.
Findings
Results indicate that the representation of minorities in political office and their presence in police leadership positions are among the most influential predictors of line officer diversity. Proportions of minorities in administrative police roles are greater in larger departments paying higher salaries. There is also evidence that the career advancement of minorities can be limited when multiple minority groups compete for the same promotional opportunities.
Originality/value
This study provides a thorough examination of minority officer line representation and the first multivariate examination of minority representation in managerial positions using a national sample.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author wishes to sincerely thank Jack McDevitt, Phil He and Robert Kane for guiding this research. He is especially grateful to Nicholas Lovrich and Solomon Zhao for allowing him access to portions of their data, without which this study would not be possible. George Higgins and Deborah Vegh offered valuable feedback on early drafts, and deserve thanks as well. Finally, this manuscript benefitted tremendously from the thoughtful comments and suggestions provided by the anonymous reviewers; thank you for your service to the field and careful attention to my submission.
Citation
Gustafson, J. (2013), "Diversity in municipal police agencies: a national examination of minority hiring and promotion", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 36 No. 4, pp. 719-736. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-01-2013-0005
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited