GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- The majority of white, as well as black, Americans say that racial profiling is widespread in the United States today. In a new Gallup Poll Social Audit on Black/White Relations in the U.S, 59% of a sample of national adults aged 18 and older say that racial profiling is widespread. Racial profiling is defined in the question as the practice by which "police officers stop motorists of certain racial or ethnic groups because the officers believe that these groups are more likely than others to commit certain types of crimes." This description of racial profiling definition, which is neutral in tone, leaves open the possibility that some might see racial profiling in positive terms. This, however, is not the case: 81% percent of the American public say they disapprove of the practice.
There are few regional differences in the perception of the incidence of racial profiling, although it is more likely to by considered widespread by those living in urban areas than those living in suburban and rural America.
The biggest differences regarding racial profiling observed in the survey are by race. Seventy-seven percent of blacks say that racial profiling is widespread, compared to 56% of whites. Eighty percent or more of both whites and blacks disapprove of the practice, however.
Racial Profiling
"It has been reported that some police officers stop motorists
of certain racial or ethnic groups because the officers believe
that these groups are more likely than others to commit certain
types of crimes. Do you believe that this practice, known as
"racial profiling," is widespread or not?"
Widespread | Not Widespread | Don't Know | |
---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | |
TOTAL | 59 | 34 | 7 |
Whites | 56 | 38 | 6 |
Blacks | 77 | 16 | 7 |
More than Four out of 10 Blacks Have Been Stopped Because
of Their Race
Just how widespread is racial profiling? Americans were asked if
they had ever been stopped just because of their race or ethnic
background. More than four out of ten blacks responded "yes." For
blacks, such incidents are not isolated events. About six out of
ten of those who say they have been stopped because of their race
say it has occurred three or more times, including 15% who say it
has happened eleven or more times:
"Have you ever felt that you were stopped by the police just because of your race or ethnic background?"
Yes | No | Don't Know |
|
---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | |
TOTAL | 11 | 89 | -- |
Whites | 6 | 94 | -- |
Blacks | 42 | 57 | 1 |
"How many times do you feel this has happened to you in your
lifetime?"
(Base: Those who felt they were stopped by the police because of
race/ethnicity)
1-2 times | 3-5 times | 6-10 times | 11 or more times | |
---|---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | % | |
TOTAL | 37 | 30 | 16 | 15 |
Whites | 53 | 17 | 17 | 13 |
Blacks | 27 | 39 | 15 | 15 |
Almost Three-Quarters of Young Black Men Report Having
Been Stopped by Police Because of Their Race
The incidence of having been stopped on the basis of skin color or
ethnic background varies widely by age and gender within the black
population in this country. In particular, it is black men, and
especiallyyoungblack men, aged 18-34, who are most likely to
report having been stopped because of their race:
"Have you ever felt that you were stopped by the police just because of your race or ethnic background?"
Yes | No | Don't Know |
|
---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | |
Men | |||
18-34 | 72 | 28 | -- |
35-49 | 60 | 40 | -- |
50+ | 32 | 65 | 3 |
Women | |||
18-34 | 40 | 60 | -- |
35-49 | 34 | 65 | 1 |
50+ | 14 | 82 | 4 |
Almost three-quarters of young black men say believe they have been stopped by police because of their race or ethnic background. This can be compared to the much smaller number of young black women -- 40% -- who perceive themselves to have been the victim of racial profiling, and with the small percentages of both black women and men ages 50 and older who say they have been stopped because of their race.
There are few differences in these self-reported numbers by education or income among blacks. Well-educated, higher-income blacks are as likely to report being pulled over as those with lower levels of education and lower incomes.
Black Americans More Negative Toward Police than
Whites
Americans were asked to give their opinion -- either favorable or
unfavorable -- of the local police and the state police in their
area.
Although a good deal of the publicity about racial profiling has been focused on the state troopers who patrol America's major interstate highways, there appears to be slightly more animosity by black respondents toward their local police. There is very little difference in attitudes toward "your local police" and "state police or state troopers in your area" among whites -- 85% of whites have a favorable opinion of the former, and 87% of whites have a favorable opinion of the latter. Blacks, however, have a less favorable opinion of both: 58% have a favorable opinion of their local police, and 64% of state troopers. Looked at differently, about 36% of blacks have an unfavorable opinion of local police, and 26% have an unfavorable opinion of their state police.
Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of [ROTATE A-B]?
A. Your local police
Favorable | Unfavorable | Don't Know | |
---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | |
TOTAL | 81 | 17 | 2 |
Blacks | 58 | 36 | 6 |
Whites | 85 | 13 | 2 |
B. State police or state troopers in your area
Favorable | Unfavorable | Don't Know | |
---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | |
TOTAL | 83 | 11 | 6 |
Blacks | 64 | 26 | 10 |
Whites | 87 | 8 | 5 |
Who is most likely to have an unfavorable opinion of local police? Again, the differences by age and gender within the black population are striking:
Opinion of Local Police
Favorable | Unfavorable | |
---|---|---|
% | % | |
Black Men | ||
18-34 | 43 | 54 |
35-49 | 67 | 30 |
50+ | 69 | 23 |
Black Women | ||
18-34 | 52 | 41 |
35-49 | 60 | 36 |
50+ | 64 | 27 |
More than half of the young black men included in the sample say that they have an unfavorable opinion of the local police in their area, which is in sharp contrast to the attitudes of black men 35 and older.
A slightly different pattern exists in terms of attitudes toward state police. Black women in the young and middle-age categories are generally similar in their views about state police as comparably aged black men. However, older black women (age 50+) tend to view state police more negatively than older men.
Opinion of State Police
Favorable | Unfavorable | Don't Know | |
---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | |
Black Men | |||
18-34 | 55 | 35 | 10 |
35-49 | 66 | 28 | 7 |
50+ | 81 | 9 | 10 |
Black Women | |||
18-34 | 57 | 36 | 7 |
35-49 | 64 | 25 | 11 |
50+ | 67 | 19 | 14 |
Young Black Men Also Most Likely to Say they Have Been
Treated Unfairly by Police
A slightly different perspective on the relationship between
Americans and police was obtained in the poll when individuals were
asked about their specific experiences with their local police, the
state police in their state, and the state police in states through
which they travel:
Do you feel you are treated fairly by each of the following or not? [ROTATE A-C]?
A. The state police or state troopers in your state
Fairly | Not Fairly | Not Applicable |
DK/ Refused |
|
---|---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | % | |
TOTAL | 86 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
Blacks | 69 | 17 | 10 | 4 |
Whites | 89 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
B. The local police in your area
Fairly | Not Fairly | Not Applicable |
DK/ Refused |
|
---|---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | % | |
TOTAL | 87 | 10 | 3 | -- |
Blacks | 66 | 27 | 5 | 2 |
Whites | 91 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
C. The state police or state troopers in other states you travel through
Fairly | Not Fairly | Not Applicable |
DK/ Refused |
|
---|---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | % | |
TOTAL | 74 | 11 | 13 | 2 |
Blacks | 55 | 24 | 18 | 3 |
Whites | 78 | 8 | 12 | 2 |
For whites, the numbers who have been treated unfairly by any of these three entities is very small: 7% for local police, 4% for state police in your area, and 8% for state police in other states.
For blacks, the numbers are larger. Almost three out of ten blacks -- 27% -- say they have been treated unfairly by their local police, while 24% feel they have been treated unfairly by state police in other states and 17% by state police in their state.
The differences by age and gender on this message of perceived treatment by police are profound:
Local police | State police
in your state |
State police
in other states |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Treated Fairly |
Not Treated Fairly |
Treated Fairly |
Not Treated Fairly |
Treated Fairly |
Not Treated Fairly |
|
% | % | % | % | % | % | |
Black Men | ||||||
18-34 | 43 | 53 | 58 | 29 | 44 | 41 |
35-49 | 71 | 23 | 64 | 22 | 56 | 26 |
50+ | 68 | 22 | 86 | 6 | 60 | 12 |
Black Women | ||||||
18-34 | 67 | 26 | 71 | 21 | 57 | 29 |
35-49 | 75 | 19 | 75 | 16 | 54 | 27 |
50+ | 71 | 18 | 67 | 8 | 62 | 6 |
Again, the largest perceptions of unfair treatment come with young black men, particularly in relationship to their local police. More than half -- 53% -- of black men 18-34 say that they are treated unfairly by the local police in their area. In terms of state police in states through which they travel, it is about a break-even situation for these young black men -- 44% say they have been treated fairly, while 41% say unfairly. Perceptions of unfair treatment among this group are less pronounced when it comes to state police in their state; 58% say they have been treated fairly, while 29% say they have not been treated fairly.
Survey Methods
The study is based on 2,006 telephone interviews conducted
September 24-November 16, 1999, with a randomly selected sample of
adults in the continental United States. For results based on a
sample of this size, one can say with 95% confidence that the
margin of sampling error for percentages is not greater than +4
percentage points. The parallel margins of sampling error are +4
percentage points for the sample of 934 white respondents, and +5
percentage points for the sample of 1,001 black respondents.
Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of [ROTATE A-B]?
A. Your local police
Favorable | Unfavorable | DK/ Refused | Sample Size | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | |||
TOTAL | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 81 | 17 | 2 | 2,006 |
Blacks | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 58 | 36 | 6 | 1,001 |
Whites | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 85 | 13 | 2 | 934 |
B. State police or state troopers in your area
Favorable | Unfavorable | Refused | Sample Size | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | |||
TOTAL | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 83 | 11 | 6 | 2,006 |
Blacks | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 64 | 26 | 10 | 1,001 |
Whites | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 87 | 8 | 5 | 934 |
Do you feel you are treated fairly by each of the following or not? [ROTATE A-C]?
A. The state police or state troopers in your state
Fairly | Not Fairly | Not Applicable |
DK/ Refused |
Sample Size |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | % | |||
TOTAL | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 86 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2,006 |
Blacks | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 69 | 17 | 10 | 4 | 1,001 |
Whites | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 89 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 934 |
B. The local police in your area
Fairly | Not Fairly | Not Applicable |
DK/ Refused |
Sample Size |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | % | |||
TOTAL | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 87 | 10 | 3 | -- | 2,006 |
Blacks | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 66 | 27 | 5 | 2 | 1,001 |
Whites | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 91 | 7 | 2 | -- | 934 |
C. The state police or state troopers in other states you travel through
Fairly | Not Fairly | Not Applicable |
DK/ Refused |
Sample Size |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | % | |||
TOTAL | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 74 | 11 | 13 | 2 | 2,006 |
Blacks | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 55 | 24 | 18 | 3 | 1,001 |
Whites | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 78 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 934 |
It has been reported that some police officers stop motorists of certain racial or ethnic groups because the officers believe that these groups are more likely than others to commit certain types of crimes. Do you believe that this practice, known as "racial profiling," is widespread or not?
Widespread | Not Widespread | Don't Know | Sample Size | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | |||
TOTAL | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 59 | 34 | 7 | 2,006 |
Blacks | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 77 | 16 | 7 | 1,001 |
Whites | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 56 | 38 | 6 | 934 |
Do you approve or disapprove of the use of "racial profiling" by police?
Approve | Disapprove | DK/ Refused | Sample Size | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | |||
TOTAL | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 14 | 81 | 5 | 2,006 |
Blacks | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 9 | 87 | 4 | 1,001 |
Whites | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 15 | 80 | 5 | 934 |
Have you ever felt that you were stopped by the police just because of your race or ethnic background?
Yes | No | DK/ Refused | Sample Size | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | |||
TOTAL | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 11 | 89 | -- | 2,006 |
Blacks | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 42 | 57 | 1 | 1,001 |
Whites | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 6 | 94 | -- | 934 |
How many times do you feel this has happened to you in your lifetime? (Base: those who were stopped by the police just because of their race or ethnic background)
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6-10 | 11-25 | 26+ | DK/ Ref | Sample Size | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |||
TOTAL | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 17 | 20 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 471 |
Blacks | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 397 |
Whites | 99 Sep 24-Nov 16 | 22 | 31 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 13 | -- | -- | 51 |