Study: Pandemic arrest patterns may have deepened existing inequalities in policing

Study: Pandemic arrest patterns may have deepened existing inequalities in policing Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Chief Editor The COVID-19 pandemic was a public health crisis that affected more than the public's health. It brought complex changes across many aspects of society, including having an influence on suburban arrest patterns, according to a study co-authored by University at Buffalo researchers. Using data in Irondequoit, a suburb of Rochester, New York, the research team found that the pandemic intensified existing racial disparities in policing. "Many of the already well-documented patterns in arrests increased during the pandemic," says Christopher Dennison, Ph.D., an associate professor of sociology and criminology in the UB College of Arts and Sciences, one of the study's co-authors. The study was led by O. Nicholas Robertson, Ph.D., an associate professor of criminal justice at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), along with Robert Adelman, Ph.D., UB professor of sociology and criminology, with several UB and RIT graduate students also co-authoring. After any social upheaval or periods of turmoil or civil unrest, researchers often look at major cities to explore how existing patterns of behavior might have changed, but the current study was an opportunity to explore a suburb, a community type that isn't often the focus of research. "A society can become very fragile when it experiences something that creates widespread conditions of uncertainty," says Dennison. "We see that here. And though our findings aren't generalizable, we've provided enough initial evidence to make additional studies like ours, that look at small towns rather than big cities, worthy of further consideration. "Systemic inequalities were made worse, and that's something that deserves a closer look." The results are forthcoming in the American Journal of Criminal Justice. Irondequoit's population is about 50,000 people. White people comprise 73% of the population, Black people 10% and Hispanics 9%, according to 2023 census data. Using records from the local police department, the research team plotted out the arrests year by year from the two years before the pandemic (2018–19); during the pandemic (2020–21); and the two years after its most significant impacts (2022–2023). The data were on arrests, not convictions. "One of the reasons criminologists explore arrests and early system contact is because those points aren't examined as much as conviction and incarceration," explains Dennison. "But these points can have profound effects. "We know through research that these arrests are potentially harmful and researchers are becoming increasingly more aware that harm does not begin with a conviction." Initially, arrests declined generally during the early stages of the pandemic, relative to the prior two years. In 2021, however, there was an increase in arrests for alleged nonviolent crimes, particularly among Black individuals. Among the study's other findings: Violent crime decreased through 2020, with no substantial increase during later study points. As for differences between men and women, both groups experienced increases in arrests following the onset of the pandemic, with men exhibiting a rate of approximately 37 arrests per 1,000 individuals by 2023, with women at almost seven arrests per 1,000 individuals. "Further study is needed in this area," says Dennison. "It's not about planning for the next pandemic but exploring response strategies during major upheavals." Publication details American Journal of Criminal Justice (forthcoming). Journal information: American Journal of Criminal Justice Provided by University at Buffalo